It's official; The Saltwater Sauna will be opening its doors on 20th of July!
Bookings are now available on our website www.thesaltwatersauna.com 4 weeks in advance from July 20th, for 35 and 65-minute sessions, including your time for changing. See our full FAQs page for all of your burning questions!
All sauna pledgers have been emailed with their unique voucher code and instructions on how to redeem their reward. If you have not heard from us, please check your junk email or get in touch at [email protected].
I cannot thank you enough for your patience and support - it's finally happening.
The Saltwater Sauna will bring an authentic Finnish, wood-fired sauna to the stunning beach of Sandbanks. With additional sauna experiences across East Dorset beaches, my aim is to connect the community with nature and the ocean-sauna remedy, and to further develop the sauna culture on the South Coast of England.
Once Covid-19 has subsided, The Saltwater Sauna will be a welcomed wellbeing experience offering escapism, relaxation and much needed reconnection with nature. I've chosen to begin my Crowdfunder now to offer our local community something to look forward to over the difficult forthcoming months, as we all navigate the implications of a global pandemic.
For more on Covid-19 implication, please read further down the page.
I'm Arlene, a sauna-loving Finn living in Bournemouth with my wonderful partner. I’m an artist, surfer, yogi and currently working in marketing. Born and raised in Finland, with a ratio of 5.5M people to 3.2M saunas, I’m extremely passionate about bringing my love for authentic sauna culture to Dorset, and encourage others to share its detoxifying qualities.
In Finland, sauna life is simple; it’s what brings people together as the cornerstone of our weekly routines. No matter the day you’ve had, once you step into the sauna you’re immersed in a blissful state of peacefulness and calm, and leave feeling revitalised.
I’ve witnessed the beach as an integral part of why we all love living here, and what better location to connect beachside living with sauna culture than our stunning East Dorset beaches, starting with Sandbanks.
I think all of us occasionally neglect the importance of slowing down, yet through connecting with nature, you’ll be able to plunge into the sea, socialise and warm-up in the ‘löyly’ (the steam that rises from the sauna stove) and adopt a new way of healthy living. For me, the sauna is a steamy vessel of escapism; a place to reconnect with your mind and body, and to recuperate in the midst of the busy lives that we’re living.
I want to develop year-round beachside wellness in our local community, and help others experience golden sunsets and sunrises, crisp autumn and winter mornings, moody skies, and stormy weather-fronts, all from the comfort of the seaside-sauna.
What I have planned for us is not new to the UK. Having been inspired by several local wood-fired sauna companies that have been popping up across the country, I’ve been in creative conversation with these organisations to see how I can move this project forward:
The sauna represents a recharging of the body through heat, sweat and detox, as a powerful means to de-stress. Here are just a few added benefits of the sauna:
- Improved quality of sleep
- Reduced chronic pain & fatigue
- Improved exercise performance & muscle recovery
- Improved cardiovascular health & reduced stroke risk
- Improved overall brain health
- Improved moisture barrier properties of the skin
- Protection against dementia & Alzheimer’s
- Protection against respiratory diseases & pneumonia
- Detoxification & fat loss
- A social place to connect with others
Combining the sauna experience with the healing power of cold water & blue space is a wellbeing experience like no other, and will leave you on a natural high!
My aim is to have the sauna up and running on the beach early 2021, Covid-19 permitting. The plan is to operate the sauna daily in due course; early in the morning, throughout the day and/or late into the evening, reflecting its initial demand and my initial time to manage its operation.
Coupled with support from sauna enthusiasts, the sauna will be available for wide-ranging coastal audiences, such as water-sports fanatics (e.g. sea-swimmers, kayakers, paddle boarders, surfers alike) for pre/post activity immersion.
Crafted by our community values, I am eager to introduce sauna culture to the wider community, and to those that have not tried it before, to bring friends and families together in a social wellbeing invoked hub. I aim to extend and invigorate the beachside season, for when those winter days approach and days get shorter, to offer our community something to look forward to.
Community mental health is also a huge passion of mine, and I’ll be working with local charities and non-profit organisations to offer wellbeing experiences, such as Resurface’s monthly Rise & Conquer.
With Covid-19 in the forefront, full risk assessments will be carried out, and I will adhere to the government guidelines / appropriate measures for sauna spas in the UK that are in place when I begin, ideally early 2021. For example, throughout Sept/Oct, public sauna use was only permitted for private hire sessions for households and support bubbles. Currently, during November, no sauna use has been permitted due to the national lockdown.
Should the case be similar to Sept/Oct in early 2021, I will focus my initial period of operation on offering 30/60 min sessions for private hire only. If we happen to be in another lockdown, I will simply postpone my start date to later in the year when it's safe to begin. As Covid-19 eases, I'll look to offer communal sessions, including pop-in's and membership options, alongside private hire. It goes without saying, the sauna will be deep cleaned between sessions.
Once Covid-19 has subsided, The Saltwater Sauna will be a welcomed wellbeing experience offering escapism, relaxation and much needed reconnection with nature. I've chosen to begin my Crowdfunder now to offer our local community something to look forward to over the difficult forthcoming months, as we all navigate the implications of a global pandemic.
By supporting this Crowdfunder, you will help The Saltwater Sauna to purchase a bespoke, handcrafted, portable sauna from ‘Heartwood Saunas’ (similar to the ones presented in the images), to be primarily located at a council-agreed site on Sandbanks beach. Your pledge will also support The Saltwater Sauna with start-up costs, such as liability insurance and trading licenses, and a rental space for keeping the sauna safe when not on the beach.
The more money we raise, the larger the sauna we can get and the more people it will seat, with my aim being 8-10 people. The sauna will include changing facilities and an authentic Finnish wood-burning stove, and it will be a beautiful and relaxing space to be in that looks and feels right.
Heartwood Saunas are made in the UK from sustainable materials, and every detail of their work is carefully thought out and designed to last in the UK weather. The timber used comes from a sustainably managed forest surrounding their workshop in Wales, and they use 100% stainless steel fixings / fixtures to ensure their saunas last a lifetime. This is really important, given our coastal location!
The sauna will also be heavily insulated, which combined with a vapour barrier, not only makes it energy efficient, but also optimises heat up times and running costs.
If you’ve made it this far down, you’re awesome! Hopefully I’ve been able to convince you that this is worth while, and tempted you with sauna sessions and our locally sourced rewards. Now, there's only one thing left to do...
*Please. Every little helps. I really appreciate your support.
You will find a host of rewards to choose from on the side tab of this page, so don’t hesitate, select one that sparks you joy, and get yours before your favourite goes!
Our experience rewards (surfing, yoga & sauna) are redeemable from early 2021 (Covid-19/start date permitting) and valid for 18 months. Please read carefully the subtext for each reward providing specific information on how to reclaim your reward.
There are also a host of smaller rewards, including Wild Swimming books, bags of Bad Hand Coffee, homemade cupcakes, wetsuit shampoo, natural candles, and handmade macrame. If you'd like your reward before we open for business, you'll be able to pick up your reward on Saturday 12th December from Sandbanks (location to be confirmed). If you are further away, I can post your reward to you if you're happy to cover postage.
Otherwise, you will be able to pick up your reward from the sauna when we're up and running. If you have any questions about reclaiming or picking up your reward, don't hesitate to get in touch via social media or at [email protected].
To give you peace of mind, your pre-purchased sauna experiences will be valid for 18 months (from the time of beginning), allowing ample time for Covid-19 to ease and you to redeem your sauna experience reward.
If you’re not able to contribute but like what I’m doing, spread the word!
Share the story on Instagram (@thesaltwatersauna) and Facebook, WhatsApp the project to your friends, email it to your colleagues and talk about it to your family. And feel free to get in touch, say hi, grab a socially distanced coffee, and give me a greeting of your choice (e.g. elbow touch, shaka sign, namaste) when we meet!
THANK YOU.
Arlene x