Those who find themselves alternating cold water dip with steaming in a sauna at Willows Beach can thank Amy Winters for the inspiration.
When Josh Dupuis first started dating his now-wife Winters, she wanted a sauna.
“I looked to rent one and there was none available … it wasn’t really a common thing,” the founder of Wildwood Saunas explained.
So he built one.
She suggested it would be cool on a trailer and he thought “that’s a good idea, but it’s crazy.”
Two years later, Dupuis changed his mind, and now parks the portable sauna on the Esplanade adjacent to an Oak Bay beach frequently populated by cold-water dippers.
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Dupuis enjoys the benefits of the cold-water swim juxtaposed with a spell in the sauna.
“It makes me feel good. It clears my mind after a hard day. It’s a reset,” he said.
The Wildwood trailer saunas seat six to eight folks and appear most weekends at Willows. Usage started off on a drop-in basis, but shifted to a prebook system.
Naturally, based on that early experience of looking to rent one, residents across the region can also book the travelling saunas for home or venues.
“I thought it would be cool to offer the same benefits … bring the sauna to them,” Dupuis said.
Visit wildwoodsaunas.com or email info@wildwoodsaunas.com for booking information.
READ ALSO: Resident mistakes screaming teens’ late-night plunge for an emergency
christine.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca
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