The sun was shining, but the water was still cold as dozens of Catalina swimmers braved the icy water of Avalon Harbor to swim or just take the plunge to celebrate New Year’s morning.
The Catalina Island Swim Club took it’s usual 7:30 a.m. swim and were joined by a guest swimmer, open water swimmer Kelley Schall. Schall has completed several long-distance, open-water swims, including her swim across the Catalina Channel, which she completed in July of 2022.
Swimmers took off from the Casino Dive park, swimming a mile trip, before joining plungers who showed up at 11:30 a.m. to take a dip in the water at Middle Beach or even do a trip around the pier. Afterwards a social gathering ensued, including hot chocolate and other refreshments.