photo by flickr user graceyheartphotography

Ocean Lakes Family Campground is hosting its 12th Annual Polar Bear Plunge for guests on Dec. 31 at 3 p.m. 

This winter tradition involves people taking a dip in the Atlantic Ocean just outside Ocean Lakes' beachfront property.  The tradition started with three brave souls in 1999 and has since grown to nearly 300 attendees and hundreds of spectators.

The weather forecast for Saturday is a balmy 62 degrees and with historical ocean temperatures in the upper 40's and lower 50's, this should be fun to watch.  If nothing else, these cold-weather creatures of questionable sanity or North Pole decent deserve a round of applause and frosty pat on the back for their bravery.

If you're interested in attending, head on over to Ocean Lakes or give them a call at (843) 238-5636 for more information.  In the meantime, check out this video from last year's Polar Bear Plunge.  I think most folks will be comforted to know that it appears the amount of time spent in the water is less than a minute.

You can find Ocean Lakes Family Campground on Facebook and Twitter.

For more New Year's Eve and day events scheduled around the Grand Strand, check out our New Year's 2012 event page.  Check back often because we'll be adding up until the stroke of midnight.