In Pictures: Cold water courage to start the new year as swimmers dive into 2026

Swimmers take part in the annual New Year’s Day charity swim on Bray seafront in County Wicklow (Brian Lawless/PA) - (PA Wire)

Brave swimmers across the UK marked the New Year with bracing dips in the sea.

Photographers from the Press Association were on hand to snap revellers embracing the cold at the RNLI New Year’s Day Dip in Southend-on-Sea, Essex; Castlerock Beach in Coleraine, Northern Ireland; and on Bray seafront in County Wicklow, Ireland.

All hands on duck (Lucy North/PA) (PA Wire)

Shiver me timbers! (Lucy North/PA) (PA Wire)

A chilly group shot to start the year (Liam McBurney/PA) (PA Wire)

Inflatables, selfies and creative costumes helped take the edge off as swimmers gathered on beaches for the chilly tradition.

They must be bananas… (Lucy North/PA) (PA Wire)

The Grinch warms up to the new year (Brian Lawless/PA) (PA Wire)

Special delivery at Southend-on-Sea as Postman Pat joins the fun (Lucy North/PA) (PA Wire)

Brave or just gull-ible? The Bray Beach Bathers gather for the New Year’s Day charity swim (Brian Lawless/PA) (PA Wire)

Brace yourselves! New Year’s Day swimmers run towards the sea at Benone Beach in Limavady, Northern Ireland (Liam McBurney/PA) (PA Wire)

Cold sea, warm smiles as swimmers take the plunge (Brian Lawless/PA) (PA Wire)

One brave bird – a swimmer dons festive headgear (Brian Lawless/PA) (PA Wire)

All feathers, no fear for this swimmer who brought a touch of showbiz to the festivities (Lucy North/PA) (PA Wire)

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