"New Year’s Day isn’t the warmest day," deadpans Charlie Wright, a member of the Newport Polar Bears who has been dipping into the Atlantic at Easton’s Beach every Sunday since 1969. ‘‘When the water starts getting down to mid-low 30s, you can’t stay long. Hypothermia will start to set in."

New Year’s Day swimming is a longstanding New England tradition. South Boston’s L Street Brownies have hosted a plunge for more than a century; last year, some 500 swam (some in Santa hats and body paint) and double that number cheered them on from the beach. Other Polar Bear clubs like Newport’s turn the event into a fund-raiser for A Wish Come True Inc.

Advice for first-timers? Just walk in. ‘‘We never run in,’’ says Wright. ‘‘We never splash — splashing is not good.’’ And no wet suits allowed.

L Street Brownies, Curley Community Center, 1663 Columbia Road; L Street Beach, William J. Day Boulevard, South Boston, 617-635-5104, lstreetcurley.com/lst.html.

Newport Polar Bears, Easton’s Beach, Newport, R.I., 401-846-0028, users.ids.net/~cwwright. New Year’s Day swim at noon.