In spring, we caught up with IceBreakers. Now a registered charity, IceBreakers is a community for men, centred around cold-water dips. Jack Horner, one of the co-founders, talked about how it is more than just a dip in the river, lido, or sea (they have six chapters, each at different types of locations). These free dips are part of an offering of a space for reset, for connection, for some time spent in nature. They are about experiencing something that is a little out of the comfort zone – namely some chilly UK waters in all seasons – but doing that together. In doing so, they may learn some skills to navigate the cold-water (and, if needed, apply them to other challenges in life). No competition. No isolation. In Jack’s words, “we dip as one.”

More than just a dip

Jack also spoke about the organised routine of every IceBreakers dip. They engage in movements which, carried out as a group, look like rituals. Jack said they almost look ‘tribal’. Noticing that outdoor swimmers often took a long time to readjust after immersion, the three founders – Jack, Tim, and Arron – incorporated movements prepare the men for entering and leaving cold water. They call it the IceBreakers Way. It looks like it works, given some of these men are dipping in their trunks in the height of winter in a river near Bath!

Our interview with Jack about IceBreakers is in the article: ‘We Dip As One’, P14, July 2026 in Issue One.

For more information about their current chapters, head to the IceBreakers website for their list of locations and how men can join.