Members of the Coney Island Polar Bear Club dove into icy waters for charity on Wednesday for their annual plunge off of Coney Island Beach.

The 116th year of the event welcomed generations of New Yorkers, as thousands of participants braved the icy temperatures for a cause.

"This swim raises money for the New York Aquarium, and our conservation work in these waters and other Coney Island-based nonprofits," said Jon Forrest Dohlin, of the New York Aquarium.

Swimmers say plunging into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean was not as painful as one would think and they would do it all over again.