NH Float Keeps Head Above Water

Drew Kane, co-owner, sits atop the float tank with Co-owner Mike Simpson. Photo by Christine Carignan.

Amidst the hustle of the daily grind, most people barely have time to catch their breath let alone shut the world out for an hour. But letting cares float away is driving the success of NH Float in Londonderry.

The first “Flotation Center” in the state, NH Float offers flotation therapy or what most know as sensory deprivation. Customers choose to float in either an 8-foot-by-4-and-a-half-foot tank or in a more open float room that resembles a large bathtub.

In either case, customers float in 8 to 10 inches of water that is filled with 1,200 pounds of Epsom Salt and warmed to 94.5 degrees so when in the water, people can’t tell where water ends and the outside air begins. “It becomes a silky solution,” says Drew Kane, a co-owner of NH Float. He adds the effect is a near zero gravity environment where instead of sinking into the water, customers float effortlessly on top of the water like a cork.

Both float options are in soundproof rooms though customers are also given earplugs to shut out ambient noise. Customers also control the lighting whether they prefer lighting or complete darkness.

“We want you to be relaxed and chill,” Kane says, explaining the peace and tranquility of the experience. “It’s hard for people to turn off. Here, they are peaceful for an hour. The environment is so unique, they come out with a post-float glow.”

Kane is passionate about floating, extolling the relaxation and health benefits, and he is on a mission to introduce the experience to others. He proudly points out that since opening in November, more than 400 people who had never floated before have become customers.

NH Float has about 80 floats scheduled each week. “We’re steadily booked,” says co-owner Mike Simpson. And, during the holidays, they sold 500 gift certificates despite being new. In January alone, NH Float generated $15,000 in revenue from 262 scheduled floats.

To make it easy for clients, NH Float provides towels, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and make-up wipes, and also has a “primp room” with cotton swabs, moisturizer and hair dryers. And, while people can don bathing suits, NH Float recommends floating au naturel. There is also a relaxation room that offers books, adult coloring books, water, tea and chocolate.

As for hygiene, water is filtered between sessions through a carbon filter that purifies it to the same quality as drinking water. The water is then infused with ozone and treated with UV Light as well as hydrogen peroxide. “This is highly sanitized,” Kane says.

This is the first business for Simpson and Kane who met as juvenile probation officers, which is still Simpson’s full-time job though Kane has since quit to devote himself full time to the business. Simpson knew nothing about floating until he met Kane, an aficionado who spoke often about his passion. After Kane tried unsuccessfully to launch a similar business in 2016, Simpson offered to go into business with him.

By March 2017, they’d found the perfect space. Simpson’s father, Ken Simpson, also a business owner, helped secure the building for the duo, who invested $120,000 of their own money to launch the venture.

Kane says many people doubted they could make the business float. “In less than three months, we made more than my salary as a probation officer,” Kane says. In fact, demand is so high they plan to add a third float room by year end. They are also looking into building their own tanks and are consulting with hotels and luxury condos that may want to install float systems.

“I want to be the float king of New Hampshire,” Kane says.

For more information, visit nhfloat.com.