Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Most Popular Questions
We recommend a light meal two hours before your float. Ideally you’ll not be hungry or too full in the pod.
It’s important that you’ve washed your hair a couple of times since it was dyed. That way the dye will have set properly, and the water won’t harm your hair colour, and your hair colour won’t colour our pods!
We don’t recommend consuming caffiene before a float, so that you can relax more deeply. However, if you always drink coffee, we don’t want you to have a caffeine-withdrawal headache! And if you’re intending to be mentally active during your float - maybe using it to think creatively about a challenge, having a coffee beforehand is fine.
If you wear contact lenses, you don’t need to take them out, but you do need to be careful not to get any water in your eyes as it will irritate them.
We ask everyone to shower at the beginning of their float to remove any excess oil or dirt from the body and hair, which means the filters in the pods don’t need to work overtime!
We recommend you remove loose jewellery incase anything falls off inside the pod, and so that you can feel completely free. Additionally, we can’t take responsibility for any loss or damage to accessories you take into the pod!
Yes, please remove all make-up before you get into the pod.
FAQ - Who can float
The more you use floatation tanks the better it gets! Each floatation tank session is unique, and two floats are rarely the same.
During a float, you produce slower brain-wave patterns, known as theta waves, which are normally only experienced during a deep meditation or just before falling asleep.
This is usually accompanied by vivid imagery, very clear, creative thoughts, sudden insights, and inspirations or feelings of profound peace and joy.
Because of these effects, floating is used effectively in the treatment of depression and addictions.
Floating, as with other treatments, does not suit everybody.
It requires a willingness on your part to let go and see what happens, and you may need to float a few times before you are able to relax completely, both physically and mentally.
Depending on your own journey through life, a float might provide an hour of total physical relaxation - or a profound healing experience, emotionally and spiritually transforming.
Floating can be a wonderful aid to opening doors into your inner world, gradually allowing access to those deeper levels at which real changes take place.
Not that we know of.
People of all ages and walks of life seem to enjoy the experience equally.
What seems typical is how glowing and peaceful everyone looks when they come out of the tank.
Yes. We suggest pregnant women inform their physicians and midwives or get their opinion prior to using the tank.
The reports received from pregnant women have been enthusiastic.
As their bodies get heavier, floating is a great relief from the pull of gravity. Floating has given many women a welcome rest.
Yes, if you use a tampon.
In the Pod
We don’t offer floating in pairs, because it wouldn’t allow you to experience all the benefits of floating which come from the lack of sensory input. However, we have a few pods at each centre, so if you book a float at the same time as someone else, you can arrive together, float at the same time, and relax and talk about your experience with eachother afterwards.
Often, our minds are overactive, so it can be difficult to ‘switch off’ anywhere - inside the pod included! This is totally normal, especially for people floating for the first time. Remember, it gets easier and more natural to switch off the more you float, and floating will be all the more beneficial for you if you tend to have trouble ‘switching off’. Each float is different, and we recommend that you embrace whatever experience you have - just observing the thoughts you have with detatched interest.
Some people find that doing some simple stretches of their ams and legs while lying down and floating can help them settle into a deep rest in the pod. People who do yoga might even experiment with a floating twist! While we don’t recommend being active for long, a simple stretch can help you settle. An hour sounds like a long time with no stimulation, but it tends to go quickly - with people often saying they wish it had lasted longer!
If you get the water in your eye, it will sting. But don’t worry - there’s a spray bottle filled with fresh water inside each pod. Simply spray this into your eyes and the stinging will stop.
You have complete control of the light. We recommend trying to turn the light off to benefit from the lack of sensory input, but many people leave the light on and still expereince many benefits.
Yes. We do recommend floating without music to benefit from sensory deprivation. However, if you prefer music throughout your session, then simply mention it to one of our Float Guides when you arrive and you can pick from our selection of relaxing tracks.
We don’t offer that experience at the moment, but we might do in future!
We don’t offer that experience at the moment, but we might do future!
It’s not a requirement that you wear the earplugs, but we really recommend it. They add an extra layer of soundproofing, and prevent salty water from getting into your ears. And don’t worry, we provide them free of charge.
FAQ - Physical concerns
The Epsom salt solution is beneficial to the skin and hair.
People leave the tank with softer-feeling skin.
Yes, you can wear one, but it likely will not keep your hair completely dry.
Since it is a private experience, most people don't wear anything.
Anything you wear will touch your body, becoming a distraction.
Yes, some people fall asleep in the tank, and some people use the tank for sleeping.
All the ways are right.
Each person will find whatever position is most comfortable for them. Some people float with their hands at their sides, some with hands folded across their chest or abdomen, or behind their heads.
You may float with the door open or closed, eyes open or closed.
Float the way it is comfortable for you and explore what is best for you.
Yes. It is impossible not to float in the tank.
Eight hundred pounds of salt dissolved in the water makes the solution so dense that your body is pushed to the surface like a cork.
Your face is out of the water and your ears are underwater.
People who say they are afraid to use the tank because they are claustrophobic probably assume they will be confined in an enclosed space.
You can use the tank with the door open if you wish and are in complete control of the situation.
You can get in and out whenever you want.
In our experience, most people who are afraid of being claustrophobic find they are okay once they are in the tank.
It is safe to fall asleep in the tank.
Even those who say they never sleep on their backs in bed are often able to in the tank.
It is very difficult to roll over in the tank because of the density of the solution, and if any of the salt solution gets in your eyes, mouth, or nose, you would wake up immediately.
Yes. The tank is not airtight, and there is also fresh air brought in by an air circulation system.
We do not recommend it. Floating in the tank is intended to be a private, individual experience.
Even those who say they never sleep on their backs in bed are often able to in the tank.
It is very difficult to roll over in the tank because of the density of the solution, and if any of the salt solution gets in your eyes, mouth, or nose, you would wake up immediately.
We have a filtration system that runs after each session.
There are more than 800 pounds of medical-grade Epsom salt dissolved in the tank - a concentration so high no living microorganism can survive.
In addition, an ultra-violet light sterilization system is used. UV is the safest, most effective system available and uses the same technology as water purification systems used for drinking water.
To maintain cleanliness, a shower is mandatory before floating.
Health, Comfort & Safety
Yes, please let us know about any health conditions, and read our waiver carefully (online or in-centre, depending on how you sign up). Most importantly, you should check with your doctor before floating.
Don’t worry, there’s no way you can drown - even if you tried! The high buoyancy of the water makes it impossible for you to sink beneath the surface.
please email floatlifegoldcoast.com.au and ask for someone to call you to discuss your visit. This is so that we can talk through the process together with you and ensure it is completely safe for you to float either with or without a carer present, and so that we can make sure our team is prepared to support your visit.
You must be over 16 years old to float - people under the age of 16 are not allowed to float due to health and safety regulations.
Epsom salt can sting any areas of broken skin, so we recommend not floating during a flare-up of eczema or psoriasis. However, many people with recurrent eczema and psoriasis find that floating helps these conditions. Epsom salt is magnesium sulphate - and magnesium is naturally antimicrobial and antibacterial, which helps keep minor skin irritations clean. Floating also helps to reduce cortisol levels (the stress hormone), and research has shown that flare-ups of eczema and psoriasis are often correlated with stress levels. Therefore, regular floating could help prevent further flare-ups. If you do want to float and have a flare up, you can always use vaseline on the area to stop it from stinging so much.
We strongly advise you to wear the earplugs provided to avoid getting salt in your ears! If you’ve found out why we recommend that for yourself, try getting the salt out with a cotton-bud. You can use water, or white vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio.
Because of the high salt concetration in the water, floating can be slightly dehydrating. However, just counteract that by making sure you’re hydrated pre and post-float and you won’t notice any difference.
We recommend saving your shave for a non-float day, as the salty water can sting freshly-shaven areas. However, if you do shave on the day, you can cover up wherever you’ve shaved with the vaseline we provide to reduce irritation and stinging.
We have a no-drugs policy. If you seem to be under the influence or alcohol or any other drug, you won’t be allowed to float that day. This is for your own safety.
Being half-cut in the pod would be an unpleasant experience. We don’t recommend it, and we don’t allow people to float under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
Floating is proven to reduce blood pressure. Check with your doctor about floating if you suffer from low blood pressure.
If you are deemed unfit to float, it will be for health and personal safety reasons. If this is the case, you will unfortunately not be able to float with us. We will reschedule your session or provide you with a refund.
The inside of the pod is 8.5ft x 5.5ft. We haven’t had anyone who doesn’t comfortably fit in one yet!
There are no weight limits - the salt can hold anyone afloat.
Floating and fresh tattoos don’t mix. The time you would need to wait depends on the tattoo (check with your tattoo artist), but we would recommend waiting 4-6 weeks before floating after getting a tattoo.
We use UV light as the primary disinfectant, along with a filtration system that’s the finest of any pod in the world - 100 times finer than a human hair! We also use a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to oxidise any bacteria, but it can’t harm humans. It’s the safest and healthiest way we can keep the pods clean. We also add one spray of diluted chlorine to the ventilation system each day after we close in the evenings - but this doesn’t go into the water.
As long as the wound is not too large or open, you can cover cuts and scrapes with the vaseline provided. This will add a protective, waterproof layer to prevent stinging. If you choose to brave it without the vaseline, the saltwater will sting, but is also thought to have healing properties.
For safety reasons we do not allow people with epilepsy to float.
Make An Appointment
Dive into serenity! Schedule your float experience with Float Life for ultimate relaxation and rejuvenation.