Learn best practices for starting and running a float center:
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Something in the world of floating have you stumped?

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Show Highlights

Sometimes you have customers with very specific needs or concerns about their float. In the case of medical concerns in regards to floating, there’s a lot we don’t know. Always always always have your customers discuss any serious medical concerns with their doctor. If for no other reason, if something does go wrong, even if it’s completely unrelated to their float, you’re not on the hook and have to deal with it.

Listen to Just the Audio

Transcription of this episode… (in case you prefer reading)

Graham: Today’s question is also here with us recording, and it is, “Do you have any information regards to clients with a pacemaker or defibrillator? Is it safe for them to float? I wasn’t sure if you all had encountered this before.

So, first of all, any kind of serious medical questions like this should be run by a doctor, which we are not.

Ashkahn: Yeah, there’s a big list of things we’re not, which you’ve maybe realized by listening to this podcast.

Graham: Lawyers, doctors …

Ashkahn: Psychiatrists…

Graham: Good podcasters…

Ashkahn: Decent humans in general. But yeah, them also, yeah, definitely not doctors is the thing we’re not today.

Graham: That said, there seems to be no real problems with it that we’ve been able to find.

Ashkahn: Yeah, I can’t think of what … Unless you somehow got salt in your blood and it went into your pacemaker and screwed up the electronics.

Graham: Yeah, kinda the biggest concern that I’ve heard is in relation to, people who have pacemakers often are taking other cardiac medications or things that affect their blood pressure, and there could be something with that, entering into deep relaxation and blood pressure problems, so I’d almost be more concerned about the paired medications than the pacemaker itself.

Ashkahn: Yeah, definitely one of those doctor questions. And this is what I would say, were a customer to ask me this at the float center, I’d be like, “Oh, man, you should definitely check with your doctor about that. I can’t give you an answer.”

Graham: Yeah.

Ashkahn: “I just run a float tank center.”

Graham: For sure. And again, that said, I have a feeling the doctor would come back and say that it’s probably not a problem. I’d also say, definitely ask the doctor about contraindications with any other medications that you’re taking along with this, and again, we’ve heard from several float centers that they’ve floated people with pacemakers, they’ve never had any issues with them. In general, it wouldn’t be high on my priority list, but no reason to dodge the-

Ashkahn: Yeah, if anything, floating seems to be better for your cardiovascular system.

Graham: Yeah, but just like pregnancy, no reason to skip the whole doctor recommendation. It’s just, what if something did go wrong, and someone were to come after you, just sounds like such a awful situation. Way better to punt it over to the medical professionals.

Ashkahn: Yeah.

Graham: So, I think that’s short episode day.

Ashkahn: I guess that’s it, man. We’re not doctors, so you asked the wrong person this question.

Graham: So if you have any more medical questions to send our way, it’ll be really easy episodes. We can just kinda rehash through this exact same thing. And you can do that at floattanksolutions.com/podcast.

Recent Podcast Episodes

Who to Trust in the Float Industry – DSP 214

The float world is a confusing place. The industry is known to disagree on construction materials, ideal float techniques or frequency, and even the benefits of using a float tank. How does anyone in the float industry know who to trust?

Graham and Ashkahn discuss why the industry often feels like it’s full of misinformation and how it compares to other industries. They also offer solid advice on how to find the best information available. 

What is Chamber REST? – DSP 213

Every once in a while, during a talk that a researcher is giving, or when pouring over old data about sensory deprivation, it’s easy to come across something called “Chamber REST”. The REST part is an acronym for “Restricted Environment Stimulation Therapy”. But what is it and how does it relate to floating?

Ashkahn and Graham take the time to fill us all in on the nuances of old sensory deprivation research and how it helped influence float tank research, as well as the important differences between them. 

Should People Wear Bathing Suits in Float Tank Ads? – DSP 212

Most float centers have people float naked as the day they were born, but most ads and promotional videos and stuff show floaters in bathing suits. What’s up with that? Well, obviously fully nude images on Facebook or something will probably get flagged, so how do you deal with this situation? Nude models? No? 

Ashkahn and Graham break down the problem, their own frustrations with it, and how they’ve dealt with it at Float On. 

Checking in on Float On’s Annual Summer Sale – DSP 211

Recently, Float On ran a big discount for the summer season. It’s become a bit of a tradition and the mailing list every year that gets this notification is really large. 

In this episode, Ashkahn and Graham share the success of the sale, as well as comparing it to the previous few years. They dive into the real numbers from the shop and the impact of changing just a few words and numbers on the sale to get it to perform as best as possible.

Latest Blog Posts

What Happens When You Give Out 700 Free Floats?

What Happens When You Give Out 700 Free Floats?

We’re all about giving out free float sessions as a marketing strategy. However, when you give out 700 floats, there can be some concerns. Find out what happens when we set out to make Float On one of “The Top Things to do When Visiting Portland.”

Wanted… Blog Topics!

Wanted… Blog Topics!

We’ve written on a large number of topics about opening / running a float tank center… BUT we want to make sure your questions are getting answered. Use this form to send us blog topics to write about.

Building a Float Business Through Blogger Outreach

Building a Float Business Through Blogger Outreach

Floating is great for a vast diversity of people, but it is really great for travelers. Hours sitting on a cramped plane, surrounded by stimulation, going through the dreaded airport  processes, disrupted bio-clock rhythms… the list can go on. All of these things can easily be mitigated by the float experience, wiping away the tensions of travel, and leaving people energized and refreshed for the next adventure!