The divers have different reasons for participating. “I always thought, gosh, I want to experience that once in my life. The Hague, Scheveningen are too far away. A friend of mine is organizing it, so it just has to be once,” says Arie Klein.
It is also the first time for Janny to take a New Year’s dive. “But not the first time in such cold water,” she adds. The most important thing, according to her, is the fun of the group. “Because our men are on board, they have never done it before,” she laughs.
Rain or wind, it doesn’t matter to the participants. As soon as they come out of the water, what stands out the most is a big smile. “Delicious, delicious. It makes you human again. Super, really cold, super cold, but tasty,” puffs Michel Dittrich before he goes looking for a towel and a cup of soup.