Swimmers brave cold Gulf water at the annual Polar Bear Dip at the Flora-Bama - al.com

Swimmers brave cold Gulf water at the annual Polar Bear Dip at the Flora-Bama - al.com: "ORANGE BEACH — Shivering and dripping wet from his first Jan. 1 plunge into the Gulf of Mexico, Don Mathis raised a champagne toast with friends on the beach and pronounced the moment 'perfect.'

'I felt alive and great before I went in, and when I came out I felt even better. This is the only way to start the New Year,' said the Pensacola man, one of an estimated 300 participants in the 25th annual Polar Bear Dip on Thursday at the Flora-Bama Lounge and Package Store.

Another first-timer, Jeff Boutwell of Troy, was less philosophical, saying he was ready to 'get some antifreeze.'"