Road Test: Flotation Tank

I can’t explain why, but I’ve always wanted to try out a flotation tank. Maybe it’s the insomniac in me: I’d read somewhere that die-hard "floaters" claim an hour in the tank is equivalent to six hours’ sleep. Or maybe the appeal was that, unlike other de-stressers such as yoga and meditation, you simply lie back and do nothing. Or perhaps it was simply because John Lennon owned one.

Excited, I turn up for my first session at the Bondi Junction Massage and Float Centre in Sydney, but when I finally come face-to-face with the mysterious tank, I’m a little disappointed to discover it’s not so much a tank as a gigantic fibreglass spa with a roof. I don’t know what I was expecting (well, someone who clearly wasn’t a fan had told me it was like being in a giant coffin), but it looks fairly innocuous to me.

Left alone, I strip, shower, and remove my make-up and jewellery as requested. The tanks are filtered after each float, I’m told, and the salt solution is naturally sterile, so I don’t worry about the hygiene factor. I pop in some earplugs, grab a pillow to keep my head above water, and happily hop in.

I slide the hatch down and I’m in total darkness. The first thing I notice is a faint salty smell, then the syrupy-feeling water. It’s so thick with Epsom salts, I begin bobbing around as if it’s the Dead Sea. It’s a weird feeling – different from swimming in the ocean or even taking a bath. I can feel the skin-temperature water around me, but when I close my eyes it’s easy to imagine I’m floating in space.

I find my mind wandering pleasantly. But after a few minutes I suddenly have a freak-out moment where I desperately grab for the roller door and quickly slide it up, just to confirm I’m still alone in my private room and the door is locked. People who feel claustrophobic or are afraid of the dark can keep the hatch slightly open, but after a while I pluck up the courage to close it again. This time, I swish around playfully with a million thoughts running through my head.

This is the first of three floats I’m having on consecutive days, because proprietor Carol Stuart says this will bring the best results and get me accustomed to the floating experience. Besides, it’s cheaper to book three sessions ($25 each as opposed to individual floats at $35).