Westward Ho! N.Y. Day Fancy Dress Dip 2026

Name: Westward Ho! N.Y. Day Fancy Dress Dip 2026
Start: 2026-01-01T11:15:00+00:00
Location: Westward Ho Beach

Schedule

Thu, 01 Jan, 2026 at 11:15 am

UTC+00:00

Location

Westward Ho Beach | Bideford, EN

This is a Westward Ho! tradition....It's New Years Day and the ONLY thing to do is come to #visitwestwardho! for a bracing dip in the ocean?
11.15am Join Peter and Bob on the beach by the waters edge ready for this fine event. Lessons from previous years, get here early! It WILL be busy and parking at Westward Ho! can take a while.
11.45am Assemble at the waters edge between the two flags, they will be spaced further apart to give you more room. You will feel the true vibe of this event, what has made it so popular...Standing next to people ready to dash into the sea is an experience, it's bracing but a memory maker, the only way to start 2025.
11.55am It's now another tradition to have a crazy, mass warm up! Lessons from last year, DO NOT say GO at all in the warm up or you create a false start LoL!
11.59 We will introduce our local legend who will be starting us off. Bob has done it for 3 years, time to give someone else the memorable experience of starting the sea dash.
12.00 MAIN EVENT - We enter the water (NO wetsuits allowed) for a bracing dip in the glorious Atlantic. Victorian people used to travel MILES to come and dip in this wonderful place, just for it's health properties. Please see safety notes at the bottom of the page.
Afterwards - Enjoy Westward Ho! while you warm up after having started the year in style with us.
We can guarantee a smile, a warm glow (a long time after!!) and a start of the year to remember.
SAFETY NOTES-
1. Hypothermia will be a factor on the day due to the air and water temperature. To minimize risk we suggest using towels/ponchos/thick coats to keep yourself warm before entering the water. Remove these, get in, get wet and before getting too cold, get out and get the layers on! Hot drinks will be available in the village afterwards or bring your own to get the core temperature up afterwards.
2.Going into cold water will induce cold shock. This makes your body divert your blood to the core to protect it and will make it difficult to catch your breath and can make you dizzy at the start. With this in mind, we ask people to not go for a swim and only do what they are comfortable with.
If you have a heart condition or are generally not medically fit, please join in but only go for a shallow paddle. Although we will have lifeguards on duty, please think about your safety at all times.
3. Fancy Dress. If you are using a fancy dress costume that will hold lots of water please think about the effect it will have in the water. If your costume will go heavy please think about putting on a buoyancy aid or limiting your depth.
4. Please listen to the safety briefing carefully. Although Westward Ho! is one of the safest beaches in Devon, during big swells there can be a strong cross shore drift. Sea conditions will be assessed on the day and full safety briefing supplied.
5. Please ONLY enter the water between the two flags if you are participating in this event. This will allow the lifeguards to be able to properly look after you.
6. We have lifeguards and first aid cover on the beach for this event. These are trained professionals. Lifeguards and Medicare SW will be marked with fluorescent vests.