To the uninitiated and claustrophobic, floating naked (or nearly so) inside a pearl-shaped tank, sealed off from the lights, sights, sounds and smells of the outside world, may sound anything but relaxing — until they try it.
The post-float blissful expression worn by isolation tank users is nicknamed “floaty face” by those in the isolation tank industry, said Marilyn Olmsted, proprietor of Urban Float Vancouver, the city’s first and only floatation spa.
“They have a euphoric kind of glow; their cheeks are a little pink; their eyes are semi-closed. It’s a ‘cat who ate the cream’ face,” she said.
Sensory deprivation tanks, commonly called float tanks or isolation pods, come in many shapes and sizes. But, as the name suggests, they’re all designed to allow the user to be unencumbered from the outside world and serve as a space for deep relaxation in a way that no bath or hot tub can approach.
“Removing all the external stimuli, even for just an hour, gives the brain a reboot and a reset,” Olmsted said. “Think about how often in the day does the modern person afford themselves that luxury.”
Olmsted’s business is not only the first of its kind in Vancouver, but also the first franchise for the Seattle-based company Urban Float. The company had its soft opening in July and plans for a grand opening at the end of this month or early September.
The business, 104 Grand Blvd. Suite 110, Vancouver, is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. It charges $89 for a one-hour float, but offers discounts for first-time users, package rates and monthly subscription services. The spa houses six large pods, each in an individual room. Before the float begins, users are invited to have some water or tea and take a moment to relax before showering and climbing in.
The large sound- and light-proof chambers hold a minimum of 1,200 pounds of Epsom salt dissolved into about 300 gallons of water. The solution’s density forces the body to float at the surface of the nearly foot-deep pool. To minimize sensory perception, the water temperature is set near that of human skin.
From the outside, spa employees control gentle lights and music to mark the beginning and end of a float. But they can be left on continuously to ease users into the experience.
Afterward, the tank is sanitized and prepared for the next person.
Though they’ve been around since the 1950s, the high-priced and obscure float tanks were typically found in research facilities and homes of professional athletes and alternative medicine devotees. However, a surge in popularity coupled with the spa business model has created a booming industry on the West Coast. For the truly devoted, Urban Float will sell a new isolation tank for just under $35,000.
Olmsted said she discovered float tanks about three years ago in New York during a rocky period in life.
“It was life-changing and it stuck with me,” she said. Though she was living in West Palm Beach, Fla., accessible tanks were few and far between.
Around the same time, she and her husband, Lewis, owned a tax and accounting business in South Florida but lived part of the year in Packwood. They liked the Pacific Northwest and decided to try something new.
She said they planned to open a float spa and chose Vancouver after “interviewing” a number of cities based on its demographics, market viability and culture. They found Vancouver a good fit.
She said she noticed a lot of Vancouver residents have to do a lot driving to reach their health and wellness services. Portland has float spas, but the stress of fighting traffic and searching for parking runs against the purpose of isolation tanks — relaxation. Olmsted wanted her business to take the haste out of the process for Vancouver residents.
“We’re about making the float experience for you,” she said.
