It was a lovely day for a dip into Onset Bay. Roughly 200 people participated in the eighth annual Polar Bear Dive Saturday, a fundraiser for Onset Fire Department's Box 5 Association, during which participants, dressed in everything from bikinis to elaborate costumes, ran into 42-degree water at Onset Beach.

The event brought in about $4,500 for Box 5, which uses the money for scholarships and to fill baskets of food for needy families during the holiday season.

The temperature of the air was above 40 degrees for the noon-time event.

Jim Franklin, an Onset firefighter and Box 5 member, planned his approach before the event began.

"On the fire department, the most important thing is pre-planning," Franklin explained. "I'm going to jump in over here," he said, motioning to an area of the water that divers monitoring the event indicated was slightly warmer.

Most participants didn't have the leg-up from the divers, but had fun nonetheless.

"It was the perfect day for it," said Bethany Faria, who organized of a team of 15 members of the Old Iron Gym, which she owns with her husband. "You couldn't ask for better weather."

Old Iron Gym team-members concurred. Alyssa Randall, and her sister, Stephanie, simultaneously said the event was "awesome."

"I'd do it again right now," said Old Iron Gym instructor Brian Marini. "It felt so good."

Other shivering participants were not in a rush to dive back into the water, but felt similarly.

"That was cold," exclaimed Onset resident Eugene Tracz, who participated in the event for the first time this year. "I loved it! I'll do it every year."

Still others couldn't explain why they decided to take a swim on New Year's Day.

"I don't know, it's crazy," said Donna Simmons with a laugh. "I'm 43 years old, I'm having a mid-life crisis," she joked.

This year's Polar Bear Dive brought in more than double the money for the Box 5 Association than last year, which organizers attributed to warmer temperatures. Last year, it was just six degrees outside.

"It was great," said Dave Mark, chairperson of Box 5. "This year was perfect."

Mark thanked his fellow firefighters for helping to organize the event, and was quick to point out that there will be another Polar Bear Dive in 2012.

"We do it every year," Mark said. "Everyone is welcome to join."