The thriving Greater Manchester community where being 'bloody cold' is something to celebrate

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“The chances are if you have an ice bath in the morning, you’re not going to go to McDonald’s after - you’re going to make better choices.”

That’s one of the ways Ryan Abbott, creator of cold water swimming group Urban Ice Tribe Wigan, described the benefits of what they do. 

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 Cold water swimming has for a long while now been established as beneficial to both the body and the mind. In one corner of Greater Manchester, a group has grown to the point it sometimes gets more than 100 people to the Three Sisters Water-ski club in Wigan. 

Ryan has been a long-time advocate of cold water swims, and in a chat with ManchesterWorld he explained that there is more to it than an embracing time out in a lake. 

“In a way, cold water swimming has always been a part of my life,” he said. “When I was a kid I had very fond memories of swimming in the sea, and the sea is always bloody cold in this country. We’d go to the Lake District, I’d go swimming in Windermere, and I always remember feeling cold and crisp. 

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“More concisely as an adult I’ve been going into the water for the health benefits for about 10 years, and religiously doing it for about four years. We dip our toe in these things, don't we, and try a bit. I’ve been full on with it for about the last four years and really helping people out with it.”

Ryan has made engaging with cold water a daily occurrence, and credits the experience as being like hitting a reset button.

Urban Ice Tribe in Wigan hold monthly cold water dipsUrban Ice Tribe in Wigan hold monthly cold water dips
Urban Ice Tribe in Wigan hold monthly cold water dips

“I love going into the cold water because it feels like a massive reset,” he said. “I usually go in my cold tank in my garden every day for a couple of minutes, and no matter how I feel in the morning, whether I’m groggy or feeling down, it just flicks a switch and boosts your dopamine. It’s a great start to the day for me. 

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“Even better is being able to swim in a natural lake. I don’t get to do that as often as I would like to, but it's amazing to be in the cold water outdoors, surrounded by the greenery and fresh air. You’ve got the cold water around you. I do some cold water swimming too, I’ve done a triathlon in that lake. There’s nothing better to bring you back to nature. For human beingness, I always say. We can easily get lost in the modern world with what we are, which is a primitive animal. There’s nothing quite like cold water to bring us back to that natural state.” 

The social side of the cold water meets is what encouraged Ryan to get the group going, he now feels lucky to be part of this growing community. 

“It’s a massive community,” he said. “The minimum is 30 to a session but we’ve had up to 90 people in one day. This is from a pool of hundreds of people, maybe even more than a thousand that come and go as part of the group. We get lots of newcomers each time. We’ve been doing it there for around two and a half years now and it took off fast. I feel fortunate to be a part of it and to be able to use the lake and be part of the community. It’s a useful resource. 

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“I feel like I lack a sense of community, I guess that’s one of the main reasons I started it, was to gather people together. We can come together with a mutual interest and chat, have a brew, it feels like a solid way of reconnecting with yourself and other people.”

Ryan acknowledged that there is plenty of positive research behind the benefits of cold water swimming, but felt that experiencing things and enjoying them are what counts. 

“There’s a lot of science and research that shows cold water swimming has physical benefits for your immune system and inflammation, and is good for recovery from sports,” he said. “You don’t need science or data, you try it and you feel great. There’s no paper that needs to tell you that. We can get too bogged down in the proof, and it is there, but at the same time - how does it feel? Ask yourself that, and if it feels good then keep doing it. 

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A cold water session for Urban Ice TribeA cold water session for Urban Ice Tribe
A cold water session for Urban Ice Tribe | Urban ice Tribe

“That seems to be what people are doing, they are feeling the benefit of it both mentally and physically. For me, I use it for recovering from sport, but it also enables me to do sport. I had an injury to my back and I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to run again. I’m not even too much of a sportsman but I was determined to keep moving through Covid and that’s where I started using the ice barrel to make sure I could keep moving.”

Ryan also reflected on his own relationship with cold water swimming, and how it has helped him to achieve more in sports than he previously would  

“Within 18 months I’d done a full distance Ironman event,” he said. “I don’t think I would have been able to do it without the recovery and mental health benefits you get from cold water swimming. A lot of people have similar stories. We hear lots of stories from people at the lake, it’s part of a holistic lifestyle that has lots of benefits. The chances are if you have an ice bath in the morning, you’re not going to go to McDonald’s after - you’re going to make better choices.”

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New data from Eventbrite backs up Ryan’s positive experience, which shows that cold water swimming is increasing in popularity. 

Callum Wild, Commercial Director UK and Ireland at Eventbrite said: “Ice dips and cold water swimming aren’t new by any stretch of the imagination,  but our data suggests that there’s a growing trend for people getting in together, often as all-female groups, and sometimes combined with mindful activities like breathwork, yoga and meditation. 

“Going into the water in a group is only partly for safety – an even bigger draw is the shared experience and the sense of belonging and of connection that people can find at any of the hundreds of cold water events listed on Eventbrite across the UK.”

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With more people looking to get involved with cold water swimming, Ryan gave some tips on those thinking of taking up the activity.

“Be safe. Start slowly and go with a group. Swim safely, choose water that you know is safe and to begin with, if you are swimming in deep water, consider wearing a swimsuit until you start to know your body. It’s better to go slow and do less than to overdo it, particularly when dealing with cold water. Get started, and if there isn’t a lake or anything near you, get in the bath with cold water or have a cold shower, even dip your hands or face into cold water and see how that feels.” Urban Ice Tribe have a range of products and events for people to get involved with. To find out more, visit their website

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