Swimmers Start off the New Year with Crisfield Oyster Dip

(CRISFIELD, Md) – Despite the low temperatures and the high winds coming off of the Tangier Sound, plenty of people of all ages came out to Wellington Beach in Crisfield on New Year’s Day to take part in the 11th annual Oyster Dip.

Retired Navy SEAL, Jim Neal organizes the Oyster Dip. Jim has held this particular Oyster Dip in Crisfield on New Year’s Day, going on 11 years.

And it’s come a long way from the original event in Somerset County, which started with a small handful of people.

Neal tells WMDT, “It’s pretty amazing. We started out with in Crisfield. We started out with four people, and, Yeah, it’s it’s wonderful. It’s good to see, a wide, diverse variety of people and ages and everything else is great.”

This year’s event, 6 people walked in to the waters of the Tangier Sound. And they have plenty of family and friends cheering them on.

Folks came from across the state to brave those high winds for a dip on New Year’s Day.

“Well, this is the third year we’ve done it. We have, a place down in Crisfield as well. So, it’s just a great way to start the year,” says Dan McGuire of Towson.

And they hold the Oyster Dip for a good cause. As they try to raise a little bit of money for the Crisfield Police Department, and try to collect some non-perishable food for those in need.

Jim Neal says, “It shows that people are interested and people want to be involved, and people are just good people. No matter what you think, what you believe, the good people.”

But of course, it’s not an Oyster Dip in Crisfield, without taking that dip in some near freezing water.

“I can’t say I look forward to it just knowing how cold it is, but it’s just a way to meet some, great people locally, do something good for the community, and, you know, it kind of kind of gets the, the year going in a hurry,” says McGuire.