New Year's Day Drift.. What a way to kick off the new year!! Bright and early on the frosty morning of the January 1, 2001, a crowd of eager onlookers gathered under the Blue Water Bridge at the banks of the chilly St. Clair River. But whatever could bring this assemblage together in such wintry weather? Men, women, and children alike all made their way to the water's end edge in support of their local dive organizations in the annual New Year's Day drift. This is an event unparalleled in the dive community, where divers don their suits, descend down the icy banks and slide into the river, placing themselves at the mercy of the near freezing water. The divers all have varying equipment and experience, but in this instance, all face the same challenge, keeping warm while immersed to their necks in the slushy St Clair River. Maybe it's easier to stay warm in a dry suit or maybe it's just a matter of the right insulation in a wet suit, but all the divers had noses exposed to the cold breeze. There were divers from a number of local organizations participating as usual. With automobile size and larger ice flows just over the other side of the river, four Sea Snoopers braved the water, with over a dozen other members cheering them on. As they floated with the current, spectators waved, took pictures and called out encouragement. Reaching near the halfway point, they pulled a bottle of champagne from the dive flag float and toasted a new year of safe diving adventures. They were later seen scooping and hurling slush balls at the break walls along the way. Spending most of the drift towards the middle of the river, the divers kicked their way towards shore as they reached their exit point at the Bramble, a familiar shipping landmark in Port Huron. Crawling out of the water onto an icy ledge and climbing the rocky slope to the sidewalk with a very much appreciated knotted rope, comments were heard about numb fingers and rosie cheeks, but it was agreed that a great time was had by divers and spectators alike. The Sea Snoopers then made their way to the local Cracker Barrel for a warm up lunch to reflect on the day's event. The divers wish to thank all the shore supporters for helping make the experience a success!