Sauna in the heatwave
Ireland hit 30° this week and the yard was busier than ever. Here is why the sauna makes more sense in a heatwave than you might think.
Temperatures broke 30° across Wicklow and Arklow this week — rare enough to feel like an event. And the yard was busy. More busy than a wet Tuesday in March, more busy than a Bank Holiday weekend in May. People showed up in the heat to sit in more heat, and it made perfect sense.
Here's why: when the ambient temperature is 30°, the cold water gets you properly. Your body is already warm from the outside, so the contrast when you step into the harbour is sharper, cleaner, and lasts longer than it does on a grey November morning. The heat of the sauna pushes you further into that contrast — and when you come out the other side, the breeze off the sea hits you in a way that is genuinely hard to describe.
Summer is our favourite time at the yard. The sessions are longer, the evenings are light until late, and everyone is a little more relaxed. If the weather holds, we are running evening slots until 10pm across both locations. Book ahead — it is not just us who noticed the heat this week.