The wet leisure industry faces a pivotal moment as cold water immersion (CWI) gains increasing popularity, not only in commercial (and some business) settings, but also in domestic settings.
The rise in popularity of products such as cold tubs, plunge pools, and ice baths has created a pressing need for structured, evidence-based guidance to ensure safety and hygiene, just as the industry has provided guidance for the hot tub part of the sector. In response, BISHTA (British and Irish Spa and Hot Tub Association) and SPATA (Swimming Pool and Allied Trades Association), backed by an industry-wide working group of members and non-members, have led the development of CWI guidance for the sector, which will evolve over time, as more evidence comes to light.
The working group have provided much-needed clarity for manufacturers, retailers, service providers, and operators, offering practical tools to support the safe and successful implementation of CWI. Retailers and professionals now have a defined framework for educating customers, supporting both new and existing users with confidence and consistency.
This guidance supports best practice aligned with the Health and Safety Executive’s HSG 282 and PWTAG (Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group) recommendations for commercial operators, such as gyms, wellness centres, spas, holiday parks, and rehabilitation clinics. It equips businesses to implement CWI effectively, enhancing client safety, wellbeing, and satisfaction.
Although cold water immersion is not new, its growing use in controlled environments, from leisure centres to private homes, brings heightened responsibilities. While hot tubs and warm water immersion benefit from decades of regulatory insight, the cold-water sector has so far lacked the equivalent standards. The new CWI-Industry Guidance fills this gap, drawing on BISHTA’s and SPATA’s experience with warm water practices and integrating expert input from PWTAG and other stakeholders. It addresses key CWI-specific issues, including cold shock response, water hygiene at low temperatures, and safe immersion duration.
A significant strength of the guidance is its accessibility across the supply chain. It clearly defines two product categories:
- Cold Water Immersion Baths, which are emptied after each use
- Cold Water Immersion Spas, which retain water over more extended periods
This distinction ensures clarity in applying appropriate water treatment, sanitation, and user protocols.
Water hygiene is a significant focus. The guidance outlines suitable sanitisers (e.g. chlorine or bromine) for lower temperatures, addressing concerns like solubility, pH balance, and compatibility with UV or ozone systems. It promotes reliable testing methods, recommending photometers or comparators over test strips, which can be inaccurate in cold conditions.
While CWI offers a range of benefits - improved circulation, muscle recovery, and mental wellbeing - these are only achievable when risks are well managed. Without proper regulation, users could face dangers such as cold shock, drowning, or complications from pre-existing medical conditions.
To counter these risks, the guidance advises on:
- Pre-screening participants
- Maintaining safe water temperatures
- Supervising use in commercial settings
It recommends immersion durations of under 10 minutes, especially for beginners and even lower bathing durations in water below 10°C, focusing on gradual acclimatisation. The guidance also warns against unsupervised use, especially when under the influence or when alone. Importantly, it advises that CWI is generally unsuitable for children under 16 unless under medical supervision, due to their immature thermoregulatory systems.
What truly distinguishes this guidance is the collaborative process behind it. BISHTA and SPATA invited contributions from their technical committees, as well as non-member manufacturers and professionals across the UK wet leisure industry, with research-based guidance from Coventry University. The result is a document grounded in practical experience and scientific insight, reflecting the sector's real-world needs and challenges.
Already, this initiative has led to the publication of a dedicated BISHTA consumer factsheet (C43) and supported PWTAG’s finalisation of Technical Note 71 on Ice Baths - two valuable tools for the wider community. BISHTA and SPATA have provided their respective members with a factsheet (M1149 and M149, respectively), which is also available free of charge to non-members.
As CWI becomes embedded in modern wellness routines, the industry must ensure its safe, sustainable, and professional use. The release of this guidance marks a turning point, providing a unified standard for manufacturers, suppliers, and operators. It gives the sector a unique selling point: the language, reassurance, and protocols needed to communicate value and safety to trade and end users alike.
Further industry feedback will continue to shape and refine the guidance, but its current version already sets a new benchmark. It empowers the wet leisure industry to support CWI responsibly, fostering consumer confidence and ensuring the practice thrives smart, safe, and sustainably. Most importantly, to help the industry, BISHTA and SPATA have made this valuable industry guidance available freely on their websites under their Trade resources and information.
Special thanks go to the CWI industry-wide working group, whose shared expertise and collaboration have been vital in developing this essential guidance to strengthen and support the wet leisure sector. A list of contributors can be found on the BISHTA and SPATA websites. www.bishta.co.uk / www.spata.co.uk
