New Year's Dive

Dare to jump into the icy cold water of the North Sea? Start 2024 by joining this extreme annual Dutch custom! A tradition since the 1960s, some 10.000 people make their way towards the icy waters at Scheveningen and other popular beaches in the Netherlands to take part in the annual New Year's Dive (Nieuwjaarsduik) on January 1.

At exactly 12pm, the official starting bell sounds and 10.000 people gather by the pier in Scheveningen to go for a swim. Those who do decide to take a dip in the frosty ocean waters are treated to heartwarming soup after their swim.

Wear something orange at the New Year's Dive

To make it even more Dutch, the participants are also asked to wear something orange - many wear the iconic orange hats from the event’s sponsor Unox, the famous Dutch soup brand!

While many Dutch winter events are comforting and involve Dutch snacks like pancakes, poffertjes and oliebollen, the New Year’s Dive is far from gezellig! But after the dive, a hot bowl of split pea soup - a traditional Dutch dish - and hot chocolate will be prepared for all participants to warm up. 

About the New Year's Dive

The New Year's Dive began in the 1960s, when a swimming club thought a dip in the chilly North Sea would be a novel way to begin the New Year. Since then, it has grown immensely in popularity. On New Year’s Day 2024, thousands are expected to take the plunge. The dive takes place at more than 60 Dutch coastal locations, but the most popular one is at Scheveningen.

Plan your New Year's Dive

There are many places to choose from. Here are the swimming spots where crowds of brave swimmers take part in the New Year's Dive:

• North Sea beaches: Scheveningen, Zandvoort, Bloemendaal, Wijk aan Zee, Egmond aan Zee and Bergen aan Zee
• Wadden islands: Texel, Terschelling, Vlieland, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog
• IJsselmeer: Hoorn, Medemblik, Hindeloopen, Lemmer, Gaasperplas, IJburg and Sloterpas

Choose your swimming spot, get your swimsuit ready and psych yourself up for this special day! And in case you’re feeling delicate from the night before, this also makes for a fun spectator event!

Thumb: De Koog, Texel, courtesy of Creative Commons user Txllxt TxllxT