FAQ

Swimwear, two towels (one small to sit on in the sauna, one larger to dry off with), and a bottle of water. Warm layers are a good shout on cold or windy days.

Bring beach footwear too – sandals for Margate’s sandy beach, something sturdier for Whitstable’s pebbles.

Leave metal jewellery, glasses, and your phone outside the sauna. Metal heats up quickly, and your phone will thank you for the break.

We may close in genuinely severe conditions – storms and strong winds – but our saunas stay open whenever it’s safe to do so. Rain, sleet, and snow don’t qualify for a refund. The Norwegians have a word for it: friluftsliv – the joy of being outside in all weathers. A grey sky and a cold wind make the heat feel all the better.

Each session is 55 minutes of sauna time, with 5 minutes at the end for changeover and cleaning. If you want more time, a two-hour option is available at booking. Event and private hire timings can vary.

Social sessions are shared with others – a good way to connect, sit in comfortable silence, or strike up a conversation over a cold plunge. We also run silent sessions at all locations if you’d prefer to keep things quiet.

Private hire gives your group exclusive use of the sauna, cold plunge whisky barrels, and all site facilities.

Margate Beach
Choose between a Nordic wood-fired barrel sauna or a modern electric cube sauna. Both have sea views. The barrel sauna has a small porch for changing and stowing your things.

Whitstable Harbour
A bespoke wood-fired sauna for up to 12, right on the harbour.

Macknade, Faversham
A wood-fired barrel sauna tucked within the grounds of Macknade Fine Foods, with a hot tub, fire circle, and cold plunge barrels.

Folkestone Harbour Arm
Two saunas to choose between. The Scandinavian Masters Series sauna holds up to 15 with a panoramic sea-view window and a serious wood-burning stove. The Shepherd’s Hut is smaller, cosier, and built by local hands in Kent – wood-fired and right on the seafront.

All of our locations take large private bookings. Hen dos and big birthday celebrations are a regular fixture. Get in touch with your preferred location, group size, dates, and the occasion and we’ll sort the rest.

Sauna temperatures run between 70 and 100°C, monitored by our attendants throughout. Temperature gauges are visible inside, and staff are always on hand.

If you start to feel too hot, step outside, cool down, and give yourself around ten minutes before heading back in. Listen to your body.

• Under 5s are not permitted in the sauna.
• Ages 5 to 12 can join private sessions only. We also run dedicated family sessions at all sites – designed around younger guests with more flexibility for cool-down breaks.
• Ages 12 to 18 can join social sessions with adult supervision.
• No under 16s in any water at 15°C or below – that includes cold plunge barrels, ice baths, and cold showers.
• Ages 5 to 16 may use hot tubs, hot showers, and our ambient plunge (16°C to 20°C) with a signed waiver and continuous adult supervision.
• Children under 16 must be supervised at all times.

A guardian waiver must be signed on-site before any minor uses any facility.

Sauna and cold water therapy are not suitable for everyone. We recommend consulting your GP before booking if any of the following apply to you:

• Pregnancy
• Cardiovascular conditions, including high or low blood pressure, heart disease, or a history of heart attack or stroke
• Epilepsy
• Asthma or other breathing conditions
• Arterial disease
• Active joint or muscle injury
• You are currently taking medication that affects circulation, heart rate, or temperature regulation

If you are unsure, please check with a medical professional before your visit. You can also read our full terms and conditions before you arrive. Our team is not able to advise on individual medical circumstances, but will always do their best to make your session as comfortable as possible.

Each sauna is cleaned between every session. Finnish-style saunas are naturally hygienic environments – the combination of high heat and good ventilation keeps conditions well in check.

Barrel sauna, electric cube sauna, four cold plunge whisky barrels, our famous boat shower, a drinks and snacks pod, and a fire pit – right on the beach. There are public toilets directly behind the site. Lockers are available (bring your own padlock). Valuables are left at your own risk. Security cameras are on-site.

Sauna capacity: barrel sauna seats 6 for social sessions (8 for private). Electric cube seats 6 for social (8 for private).

A 12-person wood-fired sauna, two cold plunge whisky barrels, a bucket shower, communal and outdoor changing areas – and the sea right on our doorstep. Public toilets are in the harbour building.

A barrel sauna, wood-fired hot tub, two cold plunge whisky barrels, bucket showers, and a fire circle – tucked within the grounds of Macknade Fine Foods. Changing time is included within your session hour for private bookings.

Our largest site. Two wood-fired saunas (the Scandinavian Masters Series and the Shepherd’s Hut), a hot tub, ambient and chilled cold plunges, bucket showers, warm indoor showers, a wellness café, and a dedicated indoor event space.

The hot tub is included in every session at Folkestone, which is why all sessions here are 2 credits regardless of the day.

It varies by site. Folkestone has the most extensive menu – flatbreads, hearty noodle broths, granola, coffee, cocktails and cold drinks. Margate has barista coffee, cold drinks, snacks and a selection of alcoholic drinks. Whitstable runs a pared-back menu focused on wellness drinks – juices, kombucha, electrolytes and CBD soft drinks. Macknade is set within Macknade Fine Foods, so there’s plenty available nearby.

Each location page has full menu details.

Yes – craft beers, cocktails, wine, prosecco and cider are available at most sites. The one rule is no alcohol inside the sauna or cold plunge areas. Heat and alcohol don’t mix well, and we’d rather you enjoy both properly.

Soft drinks and snacks are welcome. Free water refills are available at all sites. Please keep food and drink outside the sauna itself.

We stock organic Dead Sea salt scrubs in peppermint, lavender, and rose – £5 a pot to use on-site, or £10 for a take-home version.

We also have a range of seasonal treatments. Head to our treatments page to see what’s on at your nearest location.

A sauna ritual rooted in German and wider European sauna culture. Water infused with essential oils is ladled over the hot stones, releasing a rush of steam. The heat intensifies, the aroma fills the room, and the ritual – guided by an Aufguss master – runs around ten minutes. It’s a shared, immersive practice that takes a standard sauna session somewhere quite different.

Margate
Wednesdays 8 to 9am

Whitstable
Wednesdays 9 to 10am

Macknade
Tuesdays 6 to 7pm

Private bookings
Full refund (minus a 2.5% card processing fee) for cancellations 48 or more hours in advance. No refunds within 48 hours.

Social sessions & events
No refunds, but you can reschedule up to 48 hours before. Genuine emergencies are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Full site hire
Full refund (minus 2.5%) with two or more weeks’ notice. No refunds within two weeks, though rescheduling may be possible.

Yes. Cancel at least 48 hours before your session and we’ll credit your Sea Scrub Sauna account so you can rebook at a time that works. Cancellations within 48 hours can’t be refunded.

Monthly memberships run on a credit system. You get a set number of credits each month to spend across any of our sites. Off-peak sessions cost 1 credit, peak sessions cost 2 credits. Folkestone is always 2 credits as the hot tub is included in every session there.

All monthly members can bring one friend per session using their credits at the standard rate. Credits reset on the same date each month as your sign-up date.

Annual membership costs £30 per year and gives you around a £3 discount on every social session booking, plus 20 to 30% off private bookings and event discounts. It stands alone – you don’t need it in order to take out a monthly membership.

It varies slightly by site. At Margate and Whitstable, Monday to Thursday is 1 credit and weekends are 2 credits. At Macknade, Monday to Friday until 3pm is 1 credit – from Friday 4pm and all weekend is 2 credits. Folkestone is always 2 credits unless you’re booking in for a 45 minute Express Session.