There's something to be said for being warm and dry on land.
But if you're only leaving it for a few seconds, why not take the plunge?
That was my thought process when I heard about the annual Polar Bear Dip at Ness Lake Bible Camp.
Having just moved to Prince George last August, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to have a real northern experience.
Sure, other areas of the country I've lived in have similar events, but they usually involve going full tilt into a lake or ocean from a beach.
This was a different story - jumping into a hole cut in the ice with firefighters floating right next to you takes that extra burst of courage.
With the dip postponed for a month and a half due to the Dec. 31 fire that destroyed the camp's long-standing gymnasium, it gave me more time to psych myself up for the experience on Feb. 19.
I sought out advice from others. I was advised on everything from slathering myself in bear grease as insulation, to protecting my feet from the post-dip chill. Needless to say, I went with a pair of shoes, and forewent hunting down a bear.
But all that planning and preparation flew out the window when standing on the edge of the ice, looking into the winter-murky lake water.
Megaphone in hand, the camp's interim executive director Will Born gave the countdown and I leaped.
There's a line from the (soon-to-be re-released in 3D) 1997 movie Titanic that springs to mind. When Rose is standing at the stern of the ship, contemplating leaping off into the Atlantic Ocean, Jack, in an attempt to dissuade her relates a story from his youth about falling into a lake while ice-fishing. He describes the cold as "a thousand knives, stabbing you all over your body. You can't breathe, you can't think. At least not about anything but the pain."
I wouldn't go so far as to say the plunge into Ness Lake hurt, but I was in a huge hurry to get out of the piercing water once I hit it.
About 30 cold-water seekers joined me in the Sunday afternoon plunge, with around $7,230 dollars raised for bursaries for the camp's leading summer volunteers.
Here's what I learned about taking the phrase "go jump in a lake" to heart:
Everyone has an opinion about it. Whether they think you're brave or foolish, if you're planning to do the dip, you will be asked "why?"
A beautiful, sunny day doesn't make the water any less cold. The above-zero temperatures helped keep the hole from freezing over, but once you're in the water, it doesn't make any difference.
Once was not enough. There's something seductive about the experience, a feeling of camaraderie you share with all the others who dropped into five feet of water to the cheers and applause of a disbelieving crowd.
Tammy Solmonson understands that draw, and she embarked on her seventh dip last Sunday, also taking a prize for one of the best costumes. Her outfit consisted of lots of purple, streamers and large glasses.
Solmonson said she takes the plunge for friends who aren't with her anymore.
"I've lost too many friends over the years. I know if they were here, they would be out here with me," she said. "I'm going to do this until I can't anymore."
