Polar Plunge Hilton Head
Hundreds of people, many in costume, run into the ocean together at Coligny Beach at 10:30 a.m. every New Year's Day, for a good cause.
- When: New Year's Day (Jan. 1) each year, 10:30 a.m.
- Tickets: Free to take part; donations go to Charli's Critters
- Founder: Fith Fithian, who started the plunge more than a decade ago
- Benefits: The Charli's Critters Naturalist Education Fund at the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry
Hilton Head's Polar Plunge is the island's New Year's Day dip: at 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, a crowd gathers on the sand at Coligny Beach Park and runs into the Atlantic at once. Fith Fithian started it more than a decade ago, and it now draws more than 1,400 people.
It is free to join. The plunge raises money for Charli's Critters, an animal education and conservation charity, through donations, raffles and auctions on the day.
What happens at the Polar Plunge
The main event is a single moment: hundreds of people charging into the ocean together at 10:30 a.m. Many come in costume, from prom dresses and tuxedos to animal suits, and around the plunge there are raffles and auctions for the charity.
Where the money goes: Charli's Critters
Charli's Critters honors Charli Bobinchuk, an island girl who loved animals and was killed at 11, in 2018, while crossing U.S. 278 in a crosswalk. Her parents, Bryan and Daisy, started the charity in her name to support animal education and conservation.
Donations go to the Charli's Critters Naturalist Education Fund at the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry.
Where the Polar Plunge is held, and parking
The plunge goes in from Coligny Beach Park, 1 Coligny Circle, the public beach at the end of Pope Avenue on the south end of the island. Our Coligny Beach parking guide covers the lots around it and what they cost.
The island's main public beach, at the end of Pope Avenue, where the plunge goes in.
The other cold dip: Sea Pines' Polar Bear Swim
Two days before the plunge, Sea Pines holds a separate, smaller event in a pool rather than the ocean. You can do both.
Polar Bear Swim
Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2026, 11 a.m.
Harbour Town Pool, 1 Lighthouse Lane, Sea Pines
A dip in the Harbour Town Pool on a winter day, then hot chocolate and refreshments to warm up. Free. Questions go to the Sea Pines Recreation Department, (843) 842-1979.
More around New Year's on Hilton Head
Harbour Town's two ball drops, a dinner cruise and the Polar Bear Swim.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Polar Plunge on Hilton Head?
Every New Year's Day, Jan. 1, at 10:30 a.m.
Where is the Hilton Head Polar Plunge?
At Coligny Beach Park, 1 Coligny Circle, at the end of Pope Avenue on the south end of the island.
Does it cost anything to do the Polar Plunge?
No, it is free to take part. Donations are collected for Charli's Critters.
Who does the Polar Plunge raise money for?
Charli's Critters, through its Naturalist Education Fund at the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry. The charity honors Charli Bobinchuk and supports animal education and conservation.
Is the Polar Plunge the same as the Polar Bear Swim?
No. The Polar Plunge is in the ocean at Coligny Beach on Jan. 1. The Polar Bear Swim is a free Sea Pines event in the Harbour Town Pool on Dec. 30.
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