Floating While Fat: Will I Fit?

That is always the question if you live in a body like mine. A fat body. And the answer in this case is yes, you will!

Note: Before I talk about the experience of floating while fat, I want to tell you this up front: That shouldn’t be a problem that you have to solve.

The reality is that we live in a society and culture that values thinness to an unhealthy degree – it’s a world that truly isn’t built for our fat bodies. I decided years ago to not carry the shame of my body not fitting somewhere – I decided that it was the problem of whatever establishment or service I was accessing that they hadn’t had the forethought to plan for bodies like mine. If I go to a restaurant and the chairs or booth are uncomfortable or can’t accommodate me, I ask to be seated elsewhere. If there is no other seating, I leave. On planes I speak up to a flight attendant and ask for a seatbelt extender and also tell my seatmate that my body is more comfortable with the arm between us up. I wear a bikini to the beach, to public pools, to the local Nordic spas because I don’t believe that my body is anything that I should be ashamed of, and neither is yours.

Now that I’ve got some fat liberation evangelism and body acceptance off my ample bosom, let’s talk about the experience of floating at The Floatation Centre!

First of all, in my experience, TFC is an inclusive, body-friendly space where they don’t make whether or not your body will fit your problem. I’ve been going to float sessions there since August 2018 – and since you’ve read the first paragraph you also know that I won’t stay where I don’t feel included and welcomed. So how do I know this? Your mileage may vary, but this is my experience::

• I’ve interacted with staff of all shapes, sizes, genders, and cultural backgrounds over the last six years and I’ve been made to feel enthusiastically welcomed by each one.
• I haven’t found a chair I couldn’t fit in or a space that wasn’t comfortable for my body in the whole place.
• I gave one of my monthly floats to a stressed-out colleague when I couldn’t do it. My colleague happened to be 6’5” with the comfortable weight to match and he fit!

Now let’s get practical. What can you expect when you go to your first float?

Front Desk/Waiting Area

The chairs are moulded plastic and I find them pretty comfortable, especially for the short amount of time you’re likely to be sitting in them. If you’re not comfortable in one of those chairs, let staff know and kick off your outdoor shoes and head into the lounge area to sit.

The Lounge

The lounge area seating is mostly constructed of wooden pallets – it’s broad and wide and very sturdy. There is one chair with arms – I’ve sat in it and found it comfortable, but it may not be for everyone. But there is already a different option!

The Rooms

The Floatation Centre has three separate rooms for each of their sensory deprivation tanks, which means you get your own dedicated space to undress and get ready and float in. In each room there is the float tank itself, a shower, a low table with a tray to hold your personal objects like jewellery, hair ties, etc. On that tray will be a set of disposable earplugs, a pair of Q-tips, and an individual pack of barrier cream if you need to cover up a hangnail or small scrape. (Trust me, you Do Not Want to get the salty salty water in your eyes or in a cut.) There is an accessible shower stool that you can use – it often is where some of the towels and facecloths provided are stacked. The lighting is dimmed and there is a coloured light that casts a beautiful glow in the room – sometimes pink, sometimes blue, sometimes green, always calming. There is a small mirror at a standard standing eye height so you can fix your hair after the float.

The Showers

Each room has its own shower. Rooms 1 and 2 have standard-size corner shower stalls that I can manoeuvre in, but Room 3? Room 3 has a magical tiled shower stall that I adore because it is open to the room – it feels spacious and luxurious to step out of it and then right into the float tank. Each shower has three pump bottles of product for you to use before and after your float: unscented body wash, shampoo, and conditioner.

But the burning question that comes with showers is: Are the towels big enough to wrap around my body? Unfortunately, no. The Floatation Centre uses a towel service (There is So. Much. Laundry.) and the towel service doesn’t provide bath sheets – they have asked. However, if you would like another standard towel, just ask and they will happily provide it as well as put that customization into your account so you won’t have to ask again. For myself, while I think it would be nice to wrap myself up, I’ve found that the towels are good quality and I can dry off quickly enough with them to not get chilled.

*A note from TFC: we purchased some bath sheets to solve this problem!*

Each room also has a bathrobe hanging on the back of the door in case you need to use the washroom at any point during your float session. If you don’t fit in the standard bathrobe size, they have some larger ones available. 

The Tanks

This is what we’re here for! The floatation tank is the dominant feature of each of the three rooms at 8’6” long and 4’6” wide. As I mentioned, I have a 6’5” friend who has had a float at The Floatation Centre and he loved it. Athletes use them a lot, too, and those folks can be absolute units. While the water level is low, the salts give you even more buoyancy than your lovely fat body already does! My butt (the biggest part of me) doesn’t touch bottom when I’m in the tank and completely relaxed. I’ve got plenty of space when I’m in there and sometimes enjoy drifting a bit from side to side or forward and back when I’m getting settled in.

I do have an important accessibility note: You do need to be able to lift your leg up and over a bit (think taking steps two at a time) to get yourself into the tank, but there are plenty of grab bars for you to steady yourself on. If it’s easier and safer for you to bring a person to help you get in and out, it’s welcomed and supported. Just remember that if you need their help to get in, they will need to be available to help you out at the end of your float, as well. The staff at The Floatation Centre can give you more accessibility details or even show you around the space before you book if you have more questions or concerns.

Are you ready for a new experience?

I hope you are! I hope that by sharing this that you might feel more confident in giving your body and brain a new experience.The last thing I’ll say is that floating feels a bit like you’re getting to be free of gravity for a little while – it soothes my brain as well as my body’s chronic pain, and has been a vital part of my self-care for the last six years.

If you have any questions about the fat floating experience, please comment!

Ursula (they/them) is one of our NEW Float Ambassadors.  We are grateful for their time and informative words about our space.  XOXO