KIRKLAND, Wash. — Even on the coldest winter days, you can experience 190 degrees Fahrenheit on Lake Washington – thanks to the first public floating sauna in Washington State.
Von Sauna is moored to the dock at Carillon Point, giving guests a one-of-a-kind experience on the water.
The sauna is inspired by the Nordic tradition of pairing cold plunges with hot steams – an experience Von Sauna founder and owner David Jones had on his first trip to Norway in 2020.
"It was one of those things that was so endorphin-rich that the memory is perfectly stuck in my head,” he said.
Memory lead to ideation, and he started working on designs for an American version. Two and a half years and a lot of red tape later, Von Sauna became a reality in a place that felt almost predestined.
"There are obviously so many parallels to Norway and general Scandinavia (in Western Washington), from the geography to the climate to our cold, dark winters, similar bouts of seasonal depression,” Jones said. “It makes a lot of sense to have a nature-oriented and kind of social-oriented experience."
Guests can book public or private sessions and are encouraged to circuit between the lake and the sauna three times during their visit.
The sauna is heated by a wood stove and made humid by scented snowballs and water poured on hot coals.
The temperature of the lake is usually about 40 degrees, so guests spend as much time in the water as they can stand before “cooling off” on the dock (allowing their bodies to regulate) before going back into the sauna.
"When you get in the sauna, it increases your heart rate. When you get in the cold water, it decreases your heart rate. And that contrast creates a very endorphin-rich experience,” Jones said.
Shawn Hils is a repeat guest, and a veteran cold plunger.
"It's fun to test your limits a little bit, and I think if you actually breathe through it, it's a very calming experience,” he said.
But Jones said his guests run the spectrum of experience.
"We have swimming clubs of people who are used to being in cold water for like 45 minutes at a time, which is astounding, and then we have people that don't know how to swim,” he said. "We have a bucket that you can pour cold water over your head, in case you don't actually want to get in the water. You don't have to go for the full cold plunge."
Carla Marie and Anthony, hosts of "The Morning Show Podcast," had only cold plunged once before signing up for a session.
"We're silly and we're explorative and we're having fun,” Anthony said.
Carla Marie added, “I'm going to go with ‘hero.’ I'm a hero for jumping in the freezing cold water."
They spent 15 minutes warming up in the sauna and enjoying the view through large glass windows.
"It feels like it's a hot summer day, just hanging out in Kirkland,” Carla Marie said.
When it came time to plunge, they both bravely jumped in – then, quickly got out.
"I legitimately feel very refreshed and energized right now,” Anthony said. “(But) it was very cold in there."
After cooling off, they returned to the sauna and the experience was realized.
"The whole experience, I now understand,” Anthony said. “When you go in and out and in, it's incredible. It really is."
Carla Marie agreed, saying “It does feel so much nicer after you've been freezing to be in here, and I might be ready to go again soon.”
Jones said the benefits aren't just physical.
"The most rewarding thing for me honestly is seeing (guests) have beautiful social interactions, exchanging phone numbers after their sauna sessions. To me, the social impact of sauna probably trumps all,” he said.
Public sessions cost $40 and last for 75 minutes. The sauna can also be booked for private sessions with room for 12 people.
Von Sauna is located at 1200 Carillon Point in Kirkland and is open daily.
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