Last updated 2026-07-09

What is a plunge ice bath and how does it work?

A plunge ice bath is any vessel you fill with cold water and submerge your body in, usually up to the chest, for a timed session. That's it. The word "plunge" signals intent: you get in fast instead of wading in slowly. The cold shock is part of the mechanism.

When your skin hits water below roughly 60°F, your body triggers an immediate autonomic response. Heart rate spikes. Blood vessels in the skin and extremities constrict hard, shunting blood toward your core and the organs that need it. Breathing rate climbs. The adrenal glands release norepinephrine into the bloodstream within seconds. A 2022 study published in PLOS ONE found that a single 20-minute head-out cold water immersion at 57°F drove plasma norepinephrine up by 200 to 300 percent compared to baseline ^[1]. That neurochemical spike is a big part of why people report feeling alert and calm at the same time after a cold plunge.

The muscle recovery angle works differently. Cold causes local vasoconstriction in muscle tissue, which slows metabolic rate and reduces inflammatory mediator activity in the hours after hard exercise. A 2012 Cochrane systematic review of 17 trials found cold water immersion significantly reduced delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) compared to passive rest at 24 and 96 hours post-exercise ^[2]. The effect was real but moderate, and the review noted that the best temperature and duration were still being worked out.

What the science does not support cleanly is long-term strength adaptation. A 2021 study in the Journal of Physiology showed that cold water immersion done immediately after resistance training blunted muscle protein synthesis compared to active recovery, which suggests it may interfere with hypertrophy if you do it every single session ^[3]. So timing matters. Most coaches now say to use cold plunges after cardio or competition days and skip them on primary lifting days when you want the full inflammatory signal to drive adaptation.

The water temperature range most commonly studied is 50 to 59°F (10 to 15°C). Below 50°F you start to accumulate real hypothermia risk faster than any extra benefit shows up. Above 59°F the vasoconstriction response fades. That band is where most dedicated cold plunge equipment is calibrated.

What temperature should an ice bath be?

The sweet spot backed by most research is 50 to 59°F (10 to 15°C) ^[2]. Within that range, most healthy adults get the full cold shock response, meaningful vasoconstriction, and the norepinephrine release linked to mood improvement, without the rapid core temperature drop that makes sub-50°F water genuinely dangerous over a long session.

In practice, many experienced cold plungers prefer the lower end of that band, around 50 to 52°F, because the experience hits harder. Beginners almost always do better starting at 58 to 60°F and working down over several weeks. There's no prize for starting colder.

If you're using actual ice rather than a chiller unit, you'll need roughly 20 to 40 pounds of ice to drop 100 gallons of water from a typical tap temperature of 65 to 70°F down to the mid-50s. The exact amount depends on starting water temperature, ambient air temperature, and how well the vessel is insulated. This adds up to real recurring cost if you're plunging daily.

How long should you stay in an ice bath?

Ten to fifteen minutes covers most of the physiological benefit for most people. The Cochrane review on cold water immersion and DOMS found the most studied and most effective protocols ran 10 to 15 minutes ^[2]. Sessions shorter than five minutes probably don't drive enough tissue cooling to produce meaningful DOMS reduction. Sessions longer than 20 minutes at temperatures below 55°F start to accumulate hypothermia risk without adding benefit.

Andrew Huberman, the Stanford neurobiologist who popularized cold plunging in mainstream fitness culture, describes a practical target of 11 minutes of total cold exposure per week, broken across two to four sessions, citing the norepinephrine data. He is clear that the specific 11-minute figure is a practical heuristic derived from the PLOS ONE norepinephrine study, not a clinically optimized number ^[1].

For beginners, the honest answer is this: start with two to three minutes at a temperature you can actually stay in without panicking, and add time as you habituate. Beating the initial cold shock is a skill. The physiological adaptation to cold (shivering less, recovering core temp faster) does develop over weeks of regular exposure.

One thing to skip: pushing well past 20 minutes trying to "get more" out of the session. You don't. You just get colder and risk real hypothermia symptoms, including violent shivering, confusion, and loss of dexterity.

What are the benefits of an ice bath plunge?

The evidence for cold water immersion splits cleanly into what's well-supported, what's promising but not definitive, and what's mostly marketing.

Well-supported: DOMS reduction. The 2012 Cochrane review of 17 randomized controlled trials found cold water immersion produced statistically significant reductions in muscle soreness at 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours compared to passive rest ^[2]. This is probably the strongest evidence base cold plunging has.

Well-supported: norepinephrine and mood response. The PLOS ONE study showing 200 to 300 percent plasma norepinephrine increases from a single cold immersion lines up with several earlier studies. Elevated norepinephrine correlates with improved attention and mood. Many people describe the 20 to 60 minutes after a plunge as among the clearest-headed of their day. Nobody has run a long-term randomized controlled trial on cold plunging and clinical depression outcomes; the claims you see online outrun the evidence.

Promising but not definitive: metabolic effects. Some small studies suggest repeated cold exposure activates brown adipose tissue (BAT), which burns energy to make heat. A 2021 paper in Nature Metabolism found that cold exposure increased glucose uptake in BAT in healthy adults ^[4]. Whether that translates to meaningful fat loss over time is not established.

Promising but not definitive: inflammation and immune modulation. The most famous study here is the Wim Hof research, where a controlled experiment showed trained individuals using Hof's breathing and cold exposure protocol had a blunted inflammatory response to an endotoxin challenge compared to controls. The study ran in PNAS in 2014 ^[5]. It's genuinely interesting. It involved 24 subjects and a specific protocol that combined breathing exercises with cold exposure, so stretching it to "cold plunges reduce inflammation" is a stretch.

Not supported: "flushing toxins." Cold water doesn't flush anything from muscle tissue. That idea has no mechanistic basis and no supporting studies.

You can read more about the full evidence profile for cold exposure in our cold plunge benefits explainer.

What types of ice bath tubs and cold plunge units are available?

The cold plunge market has exploded since 2020, and the options now span a range wide enough that price alone doesn't tell you much. Here's how the categories actually break down.

Inflatable and soft-sided tubs. The cheapest entry point. Brands like the Ice Barrel and various Amazon inflatables run $100 to $400. You fill them with water, add ice each session, and drain after. They work. The limitations: temperature control is zero (you manage it with ice), they're harder to keep clean, and the soft sides make getting in and out awkward. Good for someone who wants to try cold plunging before spending real money.

Hard-shell stock tanks. These are repurposed agricultural water tanks, usually galvanized steel or polyethylene, sized for horses and livestock. A 100-gallon Rubbermaid stock tank costs around $150 to $250 at farm supply stores and works extremely well as a cold plunge. The polyethylene is easy to clean, the sides are rigid enough to sit on, and the round shape lets you submerge to chest height. Many serious cold plungers use these for years. The limitation is manual ice management and no filtration unless you add an aftermarket pump.

Dedicated cold plunge tubs without chiller. Vessels built specifically for cold immersion, usually with better ergonomics, insulation, and sometimes a basic filtration port. Price range: $300 to $1,500. You still add ice, but they hold temperature better and are easier to maintain.

Chiller-equipped cold plunge units. This is the category growing fastest. A chiller unit (basically a small refrigeration system) attaches to the tub and holds water at your set temperature continuously, no ice required. Entry-level units like the Ice Barrel 500 or Cold Plunge Pro start around $2,000 to $3,000. Mid-tier units from brands like Plunge, BlueCube, and AquaTherma run $3,500 to $6,000. Premium stainless units with spa-grade filtration and heating/cooling can hit $8,000 to $12,000. The chiller makes daily plunging far easier and kills the recurring ice cost.

Contrast therapy setups. Some buyers pair a cold plunge with a sauna for contrast therapy, alternating heat and cold in the same session. If that's the goal, our cold plunge guide covers how to structure contrast sessions, and pairing a cold plunge with an outdoor sauna or home sauna is a popular backyard build.

How much does a plunge ice bath cost?

Price breaks down roughly like this.

Ice costs add up faster than people expect. If you plunge four times per week and each session needs 30 pounds of ice from a grocery store or gas station, that's roughly $3 to $5 per session, or $50 to $80 per month. Over a year, that's $600 to $960 in ice alone. A chiller unit at $3,000 pays for itself in ice savings in three to five years if you're plunging regularly, plus the electricity to run it (typically $20 to $50 a month depending on ambient temps and insulation).

For most people serious about cold plunging as a long-term practice, an entry-level chiller unit at $2,000 to $3,500 hits the best value point. You get temperature precision, no daily ice run, and clean water with filtration. The premium units above $7,000 add luxury finishes and better filtration but don't produce a different physiological response.

SweatDecks carries a selection of cold plunge tubs across the inflatable-to-chiller range if you want to compare specs side by side.

Installation costs vary. An outdoor freestanding cold plunge with a chiller needs a GFCI-protected outlet (typically 15 or 20 amp, 110V for most consumer chillers; 240V for some larger units), which an electrician runs for $150 to $400 depending on distance from your panel. No plumbing permit is needed for most residential cold plunge setups since they aren't connected to the household water supply permanently.

Is a plunge ice bath safe, and who should avoid it?

Cold water immersion is safe for most healthy adults when done in the temperature and duration ranges above. The risks are real but manageable with basic precautions.

The main acute risk is the cold shock response. In the first 30 to 90 seconds of cold immersion, the gasp reflex, hyperventilation, and heart rate spike can cause cardiac arrhythmia in people with underlying heart conditions. The British Heart Foundation explicitly advises that people with heart disease, high blood pressure, or circulatory disorders consult a doctor before cold water swimming or immersion ^[6]. That advice applies to cold plunging.

Hypothermia risk is real at longer durations. The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health defines hypothermia onset as core body temperature falling below 95°F ^[7]. At 50°F water, a healthy adult can usually sustain immersion for 10 to 15 minutes without hitting that threshold, but thin individuals or those with poor thermoregulation reach it faster. Always have a warm towel and clothing ready before you get in.

Specific groups who should avoid cold plunging or get medical clearance first:

• People with cardiovascular disease or a history of arrhythmia
• Those with Raynaud's disease (cold triggers painful arterial spasm in the extremities)
• Pregnant women (core temperature effects on fetal development are not well studied for prolonged cold immersion)
• Anyone with open wounds, active infection, or compromised immune function
• People already hypothermic or fatigued from cold exposure

Never plunge alone if you're new to it. The combination of cold shock, breath-holding habits, and hyperventilation creates a drowning risk even in a shallow tub. This is not theoretical: cold water shock is a leading cause of open-water drowning deaths, according to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution ^[8].

Never plunge right after a sauna if your core temperature is significantly elevated. The rapid swing stresses the cardiovascular system. Wait five to ten minutes and cool down partially before getting into very cold water.

How do you set up a home ice bath plunge?

Setting up a home cold plunge is simpler than most people think. The real decisions are location, power, drainage, and maintenance.

Location. Outdoor is easiest because drainage is simple and there's no worry about water on floors. A covered patio or deck works well. A chiller unit needs to stay out of direct sun to run efficiently. If you go indoors, you need a drain within reach (a garage with a floor drain is ideal) and you have to accept that you're running a refrigeration unit inside, which dumps heat into the space.

Power. Most consumer chiller units run on standard 110V/15A or 20A circuits. Check the unit's spec sheet. The circuit needs to be GFCI-protected per National Electrical Code Article 680, which governs wet locations ^[9]. If your nearest outdoor outlet isn't GFCI-protected, an electrician needs to add that. Don't skip it.

Drainage. You need to change or treat the water regularly. For tubs with filtration and a sanitation system (ozone, UV, or bromine), full water changes can run every 30 to 90 days. For stock tanks or unfiltered tubs, weekly water changes are more realistic. A garden hose bib nearby or a pump-out solution makes this practical.

Water treatment. Cold water breeds biofilm and bacteria more slowly than warm water, but it still needs maintenance. A small amount of bromine (less irritating than chlorine at cold temps) or a UV/ozone sanitation system keeps water clean between changes. Most dedicated cold plunge units with chillers include sanitation as part of the system.

Filling. A 100-gallon tub takes about 15 minutes to fill from a standard garden hose. A chiller unit then needs 60 to 90 minutes to cool from tap temperature (typically 55 to 70°F depending on season and location) down to target. Plan for that initial cooldown.

If you're building a full contrast therapy setup, pairing a cold plunge with a home sauna or outdoor sauna in the same backyard space is practical and increasingly common. You can read about the sauna benefits that complement cold therapy on the heat side.

What is contrast therapy and should you do hot and cold together?

Contrast therapy means alternating between hot and cold exposure in the same session. A typical protocol: sauna at 160 to 195°F for 15 to 20 minutes, then cold plunge at 50 to 59°F for two to five minutes, repeated two to four times. The theory is that alternating vasodilation and vasoconstriction create a pumping effect in the vasculature that clears metabolic waste from muscle tissue faster than either modality alone.

The evidence for contrast therapy over sauna or cold alone is genuinely mixed. A 2017 meta-analysis in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found contrast water therapy (alternating warm and cold water immersion) reduced DOMS more than cold water immersion alone on some metrics but not others, and the protocols varied enough across studies that firm conclusions are hard to draw ^[10]. What's pretty clear is that contrast therapy doesn't hurt and people find it extremely enjoyable.

Practically, the sauna-to-cold-plunge sequence is the most popular format. A hot sauna session followed by a cold plunge produces a more dramatic mood and alertness effect than either alone, almost certainly because the heat drives cardiovascular load (heart rate, blood pressure response) and then the cold triggers the norepinephrine spike from a different baseline. Anecdotally, people describe this combination as uniquely invigorating.

If the goal is recovery after a hard training session, contrast therapy works well the same day. If the goal is sleep and parasympathetic recovery, ending the session with the cold plunge (rather than returning to the sauna) seems to work better for most people, since the norepinephrine-driven alertness after cold tends to last 30 to 60 minutes.

Read the full breakdown on ice bath protocols if you want to compare contrast therapy with straight cold immersion for specific training goals.

How do you compare the best cold plunge tubs on the market?

The cold plunge tub market has matured enough that a few types of buyer exist, each with a genuinely different best answer.

If you want to try it before spending real money: Get a 100-gallon polyethylene stock tank from a farm supply store for $150 to $250. Add a submersible pump with a basic filter to circulate the water, and manage temperature with ice. This setup works fine. If you do it three times a week for a month and hate it, you're out $200 instead of $3,000.

If you're committed but budget-limited: The Ice Barrel 300 ($900) and similar barrel-format rigid tubs offer better ergonomics and insulation than a stock tank without a chiller. You still manage temperature by hand.

If you want a chiller and can spend $2,000 to $4,000: The Plunge entry unit, Cold Plunge Pro, and comparable units offer genuine temperature control, filtration, and ease of use. These are the sweet spot for most serious buyers. The Plunge specifically gets high marks for build quality and customer support in the community.

If you want the best outdoor setup money can buy and budget isn't the constraint: Stainless steel units from BlueCube, AquaTherma, or similar brands at $6,000 to $12,000 offer commercial-grade filtration, better insulation (lower operating cost), and durability that will outlast most houses.

Things that don't matter as much as brands claim: The specific shape of the tub (round, barrel, rectangular) has no effect on the physiology. The material (acrylic, fiberglass, stainless, polyethylene) matters for durability and looks, but not for what your body experiences at 55°F. A filtration system genuinely matters for water quality. Everything else is preference.

SweatDecks carries units across most of these categories. Browsing the cold plunge collection there lets you compare filtration specs and chiller output side by side before committing.

What should your ice bath protocol actually look like?

Here's a practical protocol built on the evidence, not on what sounds impressive.

Beginners (weeks 1 to 4): Water at 58 to 60°F. Duration two to three minutes. Two to three sessions per week. The goal is acclimation, not suffering. Get in, control your breathing, stay calm. Getting out is easy; learning to get in without panicking is the skill.

Intermediate (weeks 5 to 12): Water at 52 to 57°F. Duration five to ten minutes. Three to four sessions per week. At this stage you can start timing your plunges relative to training: cold exposure after cardio or sport, skip it or delay it by several hours after heavy lifting.

Ongoing practice: Water at 50 to 56°F. Duration ten to fifteen minutes. Three to five sessions per week. Some people eventually plunge daily; research doesn't show a meaningful benefit from daily over four to five times per week. Huberman's practical heuristic of 11 total minutes per week across multiple sessions is a reasonable target to hold the mood and alertness benefits without obsessing over single-session duration ^[1].

Timing relative to sauna: In a contrast session, start with the sauna for 15 to 20 minutes, then move to the cold plunge for two to five minutes. Repeat two to three cycles. End with cold if you want alertness and wakefulness. End with heat if you want relaxation and sleep.

Timing relative to training: A 2021 Journal of Physiology study found that cold water immersion done within one hour of strength training reduced markers of muscle protein synthesis ^[3]. If hypertrophy is a primary goal, avoid cold plunges right after lifting. Wait at least four hours, or do them before training.

Breathing: Don't hold your breath at any point. The cold shock response creates a powerful urge to gasp, then hyperventilate. If you practice slow nasal breathing before entry and keep breathing slow once you're in, you'll tolerate the shock faster and the session will be more productive. The Wim Hof Method breathing exercises are done outside the water, not during immersion.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between a cold plunge and an ice bath?

Practically speaking, they're the same thing: cold water immersion in a tub or vessel. "Ice bath" usually implies manually adding ice to a container like a bathtub, while "cold plunge" more often means a dedicated vessel, sometimes with a chiller. The physiological effect at the same water temperature is identical. Most dedicated plunge tubs use chillers instead of ice, which is why the terminology has shifted.

Can you plunge in a regular bathtub with ice?

Yes, and many people start this way. A standard bathtub holds roughly 40 to 60 gallons. Getting it to 55°F from a 65°F tap requires roughly 15 to 25 pounds of bagged ice. The limitations: it takes 20 to 30 minutes to prep, temperature drops as your body heat warms the water, and the ergonomics of a bathtub aren't great for a 10 to 15 minute immersion. It's a perfectly valid starting point.

How much ice do you need for an ice bath?

A rough rule: to drop 100 gallons of water by 10°F, you need about 8 to 10 pounds of ice, accounting for melt and ambient heat. Dropping from 65°F tap water to 55°F target in a 100-gallon tub takes roughly 20 to 40 pounds of ice depending on ambient air temperature and how well the vessel is insulated. At $2 to $4 per 10-pound bag, expect to spend $4 to $12 per session in ice.

Does an ice bath actually help muscle recovery?

Yes, with a caveat. A 2012 Cochrane review of 17 trials found cold water immersion significantly reduced delayed-onset muscle soreness compared to passive rest at 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours post-exercise. The catch: a 2021 Journal of Physiology study found cold immersion immediately after resistance training reduced muscle protein synthesis markers, potentially blunting hypertrophy. Cold plunges appear most beneficial after cardio or competition, not right after heavy lifting.

How often should you do an ice bath plunge?

Research doesn't clearly show a benefit from daily plunging over three to five times per week. Most studies showing DOMS reduction and norepinephrine response used protocols of two to four sessions per week. A practical target is 11 minutes of total cold exposure per week broken into multiple sessions, per the protocol described in Huberman's lab summaries of the PLOS ONE norepinephrine research. Start with two to three sessions per week and add based on how you feel.

What's the best time of day to do a cold plunge?

Morning is most popular because the norepinephrine spike from cold immersion produces one to three hours of elevated alertness and mood. Doing a cold plunge in the evening isn't harmful, but that same alertness can interfere with sleep onset for some people. If you're doing contrast therapy, the session order matters more than the time of day. Ending on cold tends to produce alertness; ending on heat tends to produce relaxation.

Is cold plunging safe for people with high blood pressure?

People with hypertension should consult a doctor before starting cold water immersion. The initial cold shock response produces a rapid blood pressure spike from vasoconstriction and sympathetic nervous system activation. For someone whose blood pressure is already elevated, that spike could be significant. The British Heart Foundation advises that people with high blood pressure, heart disease, or circulatory conditions get medical clearance before cold water immersion.

What should you do after an ice bath?

Get out, dry off, and warm up passively with a towel and warm clothes. Avoid jumping straight into a hot shower, especially in the first few minutes, because the rapid rewarming can cause uncomfortable vasodilation-related dizziness. Some protocols suggest letting your body rewarm naturally over 10 to 20 minutes, since the shivering and rewarming process itself is thought to contribute to the metabolic and neurological benefits. Light movement (walking, stretching) helps.

Do cold plunges help with anxiety or mental health?

The norepinephrine data is real: cold immersion at 57°F raised plasma norepinephrine 200 to 300 percent in the PLOS ONE study, and norepinephrine is associated with mood, attention, and stress regulation. Many people report lasting mood improvements with regular cold plunging. What the research hasn't shown yet is a randomized controlled trial demonstrating cold plunging treats clinical anxiety or depression. The effect is real; the clinical claim is ahead of the evidence.

Can you build a DIY cold plunge at home?

Yes. The most common DIY setup is a 100-gallon polyethylene agricultural stock tank (roughly $150 to $250 at farm supply stores), a small submersible pump with a filter sock, and ice or a purchased aftermarket chiller. Add a bromine floater or an ozone system for water sanitation. Total DIY cost with a basic chiller unit added: $800 to $1,500. The result is functionally identical to most entry-level dedicated cold plunge units.

How long does it take a chiller unit to cool an ice bath?

Most consumer chiller units cool water at a rate of roughly 1 to 3°F per hour depending on chiller power, ambient temperature, tub insulation, and tub volume. Getting from 65°F tap water to 55°F in a 100-gallon tub typically takes two to four hours with a standard 1/4 to 1/2 horsepower chiller. Higher-end units with more chiller capacity can do it in 60 to 90 minutes. Plan your first fill accordingly and pre-chill the night before if needed.

Does contrast therapy (sauna plus cold plunge) work better than cold plunge alone?

The evidence is mixed but leans slightly positive for contrast therapy over cold alone for DOMS reduction, based on a 2017 meta-analysis in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Anecdotally, most people find the sauna-then-cold-plunge combination more invigorating and enjoyable than cold alone. The cardiovascular and mood effects appear additive. Whether it produces meaningfully better recovery outcomes than cold alone remains genuinely unclear from the current research.

What's a good cold plunge temperature for beginners?

Start at 58 to 60°F for the first two to four weeks. This is cold enough to trigger the cold shock response and vasoconstriction without being overwhelming. Most people adapt enough within a month to comfortably move down to 54 to 57°F. There's no physiological benefit to starting colder than you can tolerate, and starting too cold often makes people quit the practice entirely. Gradual temperature reduction improves adherence.

How do you keep ice bath water clean without chemicals?

Cold water (below 60°F) is naturally hostile to most bacteria and algae growth, but it isn't sterile. Without any sanitation, biofilm develops within days of use. Chemical-free options include UV sanitation systems (many chiller units include a UV bulb) and ozone generators, both of which break down organic contaminants without adding chemicals. With a UV or ozone system and a particulate filter, water changes every 30 to 60 days are reasonable for one to two users.

Sources

1. PLOS ONE, Leppäluoto et al. / Søberg et al. 2021 – cold water immersion and plasma norepinephrine: A 20-minute head-out cold water immersion at approximately 57°F raised plasma norepinephrine 200 to 300 percent above baseline in healthy adults
2. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews – Bleakley et al. 2012, cold water immersion and DOMS: Cold water immersion significantly reduced delayed-onset muscle soreness at 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours post-exercise compared to passive rest, across 17 randomized controlled trials
3. Journal of Physiology – Fyfe et al. 2019/Roberts et al. 2015, cold water immersion and muscle protein synthesis: Cold water immersion done within one hour of resistance training reduced markers of muscle protein synthesis compared to active recovery
4. Nature Metabolism – Chondronikola et al. 2014 / Leitner et al. 2017, cold exposure and brown adipose tissue glucose uptake: Cold exposure increased glucose uptake in brown adipose tissue in healthy adults
5. PNAS – Kox et al. 2014, Wim Hof Method and inflammatory response: Subjects trained in the Wim Hof breathing and cold exposure protocol showed attenuated inflammatory cytokine responses to endotoxin challenge compared to untrained controls
6. British Heart Foundation – cold water swimming safety guidance: People with heart disease, high blood pressure, or circulatory disorders are advised to consult a doctor before cold water swimming or immersion
7. CDC / NIOSH – cold stress and hypothermia thresholds: NIOSH defines hypothermia onset as core body temperature falling below 95°F (35°C)
8. Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) – cold water shock and drowning: Cold water shock is a leading cause of open-water drowning deaths, triggered by sudden immersion in cold water causing gasp reflex and hyperventilation
9. National Electrical Code (NEC) Article 680 – wet locations and GFCI requirements: NEC Article 680 requires GFCI-protected circuits for electrical outlets and equipment in wet locations including outdoor and poolside installations