AWARD LEISURE NEWS

For us, there is no better feeling than soaking in the Hot Tub in the crisp winter air – it’s so refreshing and relaxing at the same time! However, using your Hot Tub in the Winter is not for everyone, so we’re here to talk about winterising your Hot Tub!

Why Winterise your Hot Tub?

While hard-shell Hot Tubs can be used all year-round, some families prefer to keep their Hot Tub as a Summer-only activity. It’s not hard to see why some people choose this – you’re out in the garden more often in the Summer, kids are off school, the nights are longer… sounds great right?

If you’re not going to use your Hot Tub during the colder months, proper winterisation is vital. If you leave the water in over winter (this includes in the pipework), you’re leaving yourself open to a hefty repair bill in the Spring. Frozen water in the pipework will damage the internal plumbing!

How to Winterise your Hot Tub

Winterising your Hot Tub can be a risky game if you’re not 100% sure what you’re doing. If you don’t get all the water out, you’ll risk damaging the internal plumbing.

If you’re going to winterise your Hot Tub, we recommend getting a professional in to winterise your Hot Tub properly.

Should you Winterise your Hot Tub?

Coast Spas are Canadian-made Hot Tubs, that are designed to withstand the cold UK Winters while keeping running costs low. They are made to be left running all day, every day – even through winter!

If you’re leaving for an extended period over Winter (such as a few months) and cannot check on your Hot Tub, it is probably best to get it winterised.

Not winterising your Hot Tub also means you can use your Hot Tub whenever you want and even try soaking in the Winter – trust me, once you’ve tried it, you’ll use your Hot Tub more in the Winter than the Summer!

Most damage occurs to Hot Tubs from improper winterisation. While you can have a go at winterising your Hot Tub yourself, we recommend getting a professional winterisation and avoid an expensive repair. Or, skip the winterisation entirely and enjoy a relaxing Winter soak in your Hot Tub!

To talk about winterising your Hot Tub or to enquire about upgrading your Hot Tub to a Canadian Coast Spa, Get in touch with our expert team!

BLACK FRIDAY HOT TUB SALE

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Black Friday Late Night Opening Sale Event

Black Friday Hot Tub Sale

Log Cabins are great for expanding your living space into the garden, but can they be used all year round – especially in the darkest depths of a UK Winter?

There are investments and practices you can use to ensure your Log Cabin is just as warm and comfortable in the Winter as it is in the Summer.

Insulation

The best way to keep heat in your cabin is with good-quality insulation. While the cabin walls tend to be thicker, the flooring and roof usually comes thinner. Insulating these is a great way to keep heat within the cabin on those dark Winter evenings.

You can also get varying sizes of log thickness – if you can, invest in a thicker log so your cabin will be stronger, more durable and retain as much heat as possible.

Heating

So now you’ve got insulation sorted to retain the heat in your cabin, you need something to generate it!

The easiest option for a log cabin is to install underfloor heating. They take up less space than a conventional heater and will heat at a considerably lower temperature – making it cheaper to run!

Electric heaters and radiators can be used to heat your cabin but may not be as cost-effective at heating the whole room.

If you prefer a more authentic look for your cabin, you can opt for a log burner! They can be pricey to set up but running costs are low – especially if you have access to free fuel! To keep you and your cabin safe, you should use a HETAS professional and install a carbon monoxide alarm.

Maintenance and Preparing for Winter

To ensure your garden cabin can stand the test of time and stay comfortable Winter after Winter, you need to look after it.

Regardless of whether your cabin is just for Summer or all-year-round use, you need to treat the wood. Treatment types vary in effectiveness, from water-based right through to pressure treatment. You should check every year whether you need to treat the cabin again and look out for rain damage or leaks.

Cabins are a great addition to any household, increasing your usable living space and property value. With a little prior planning and maintenance, you can equip your cabin to be the comfortable, homely space you dreamed of – even in the Winter!

We have a huge range of log cabins available online to suit any budget, need and space available. Shop the range or Download a Cabin Free Buyer’s Guide!

Forget going through the hassle of advertising your Hot Tub and dealing with the endless timewasters – sell your Hot Tub quickly and easily with us!

Hot Tub Trade-In

Just like trading in your old car for a shiny new one, you can trade in your old Hot Tub for a newer model.

You can get up to £1,000 towards the value of your new Hot Tub, depending on the age and condition of your model!

Hot Tub Buy Back

If you no longer have time for your Hot Tub, or you inherited a spa with a new house and want the space back, our Hot Tub Buy Back scheme can be the perfect solution for you. Depending on the age and condition of your spa, we can offer you a guaranteed minimum of £500 for your old Hot Tub!

Hot Tub Disposal

Old and broken Hot Tubs are no good to anyone. We can remove and dispose of your Hot Tub safely and hassle free!

All you have to do is fill out our online form, and a member of our dedicated service team will be in touch with you to arrange collection.

Getting rid of your old Hot Tub doesn’t have to be stressful, let the professionals do it for you! With dedicated Hot Tub removal equipment and fully trained expert engineers, we (literally!) do all the heavy lifting for you, so you can enjoy the extra space in your garden or your shiny new Hot Tub!

Hot Yoga is popular over in the US and Canada, but is it as effective as people think it is? We’re talking about using your sauna as a Hot Yoga studio!

What is Hot Yoga?

Hot yoga is exactly that: yoga that takes place in a hot room, such as a sauna. By performing the same yoga moves in a hot room, your muscles require less warm-up, and you can get a deeper stretch.

While Hot Yoga can be beneficial to some, it can also be extremely dangerous to others.

Benefits of Hot Yoga

Heavy sweating is said to help flush toxins from your skin, but this is a little misleading. The way our bodies detoxify is mainly through our kidney and liver – meaning you’re not really sweating out toxins from your skin. Instead, you’re mostly sweating out water, electrolytes and some urea. However, sweating more makes you drink more water, which boosts your overall metabolism to make you urinate more, therefore flushing out your kidneys and liver.

Hot Yoga warms up your muscles, meaning you need less time to warmup. This allows you to go more deeply into each Yoga position.

If you’re looking for a more intense workout, Hot Yoga may be for you. The heated room elevates the heart rate, making the body work harder.

Precautions with Hot Yoga

There are a lot of risks involved with Hot Yoga, just like there are with using a sauna. Follow the guidelines, use your common sense and stop when you don’t feel right.

• Be prepared: Don’t eat a huge meal before the session, but don’t go in on an empty stomach. Make sure you drink a lot of water before your session and bring in enough water to get you through the whole thing. If you’re not feeling 100% beforehand, give it a miss until next time.
• Proper aftercare: The risks don’t stop once you’ve stepped out of the sauna. Ensure you drink a fortified drink such as Lucozade or coconut water to replace electrolytes and take a cold shower to bring your body temperature down.
• Be cautious about pre-existing conditions: If you have any conditions, especially cardiovascular or respiratory conditions you should consult a doctor before going to a Hot Yoga session.
• Don’t overstretch: In the heat, you lose the ability to know where your muscle’s end point is, meaning you overstretch. This could cause you to tear muscle fibres, leading to a strain.
• Know your limits: Don’t try and soldier on in the heat. If you feel unwell, leave the room. If you’ve not done yoga for a while, you are going to want to ease yourself into it, especially with how easy it is to overstretch.

Hot Yoga may be growing in popularity but there are a lot of risks associated with it. If you think you’re ready for a more intense yoga session, you can transform your sauna into the perfect Hot Yoga studio just by turning the temperature down and rearranging bench tiers. See the full range of saunas available online or Download a Free Brochure!

Coast Spas are manufactured in Vancouver, Canada and are the best-built spas on the market today. What makes Canadian Hot Tubs superior?

Build Quality

Canadian Spas are manufactured from quality parts that are designed for long lasting performance. You only have to take a look at the thickness of the shell to know what we’re talking about here!

A spa that was made in China most likely has acrylic that has been stretched to bath-quality thickness and then reinforced with fibreglass. This shell is then put under further stress by having all the holes cut into it for the jets – it’s no surprise there are reports of people stepping into them and cracking the shell!

To adhere to stringent regulations, Canadian Manufacturer Coast Spas shells are composed of acrylic, vinyl ester skin coat, multiple layers of hand-rolled fibreglass; this is then reinforced across high-pressure areas with a 1.25-inch steel angle iron to produce the strongest built spa shell in the industry.

Energy-Efficiency

Canadian spas are manufactured for the Canadian climate – namely the long, ridiculously cold winters!

All Coast Spas Hot Tubs come with the option of full-foam insulation. This is perfect for minimising running costs, even through a gruelling UK winter.

Rigorous Testing

Unlike spas that are manufactured in Asia, Canadian Hot Tubs & Swim Spas must undergo stringent testing to ensure they are safe, environmentally friendly and of the superior build quality that they claim to be.

Coast Spas have also gone through extra testing to be one of the first Hot Tub manufacturers to be recognised for their high quality standards by being awarded ISO certification since 2003. The ISO 9001:2015 certification is the highest internationally recognised quality standard for manufacturing; meaning you can rest easy knowing that your Coast Spas Hot Tub is one of the best-built Spas in the world.

Coast Features

Alongside Canadian spas being superior quality than cheaper spas on the market, Coast Spas have a host of extra features that make your Hot Tub experience as simple and stress-free as possible, including:

• Hydro-Cyclonic Filtration: A pressurised filtration system that passes UK health codes. The pressurised system traps contaminants from re-entering your hot tub once the pumps are turned off. It is also housed away from the bathing area, keeping your water cleaner for longer.
• Infinity Edge: Coast Spas manufacture the only portable infinity edge hot tubs and Swim Spas in the world! Not only does it eliminate the need for a filter grate or bobbing skimmers, you can look out at unobstructed views from the comfort of your Hot Tub.
• Technology Innovation: You can monitor and control your Hot Tub from anywhere in the world with an app on your phone and utilise the advanced features on a touchscreen control panel.

If you’re deciding which Hot Tub manufacturer to go for, Canadian manufacturer Coast Spas are the clear winner. With year-on-year innovation and a commitment to constantly improving quality, you can be sure that their spas will stand the test of time.

Save This October on Hot Tubs

Saunas are a great addition to a wellness routine for both your body and mind; but they can be dangerous if not used properly!

Don’t Overcook Yourself

The longer you stay in your sauna, the bigger your risk of dehydration and other effects. If you’re new to saunas, start off small – about 5-10 minutes at a time. No matter your experience level, try and cap your time at 15 to 20 minutes.

Or, take your advice from the godfathers of saunas – the Finnish. They advise that saunas are for relaxing, not just counting down the minutes. Leave the sauna once you feel hot enough – easy enough to remember!

Rest After Exercise Before Your Sauna

After strenuous exercise, you need to let your heart rate come down to resting levels before going into the sauna – generally about 10 minutes.

Avoid Where Alcohol is Concerned

If you’ve recently been drinking alcohol, avoid the sauna. Alcohol increases the risk of dehydration, hypotension, arrhythmia, and sudden death syndrome – not worth it!

Stay Hydrated

You’re purposely increasing your body temperature – meaning you’re going to sweat. Prolonged exposure will result in lost fluids, so it’s important to keep yourself topped up by drinking water before, during and after your sauna session.

Be Aware of Other Conditions

If you’re ill, avoid the sauna until you’re recovered. Pregnant women or those with medical conditions such as low blood pressure or history of heart attacks should consult their doctor before using a sauna.

Bring a Friend

Not only does this make the sauna session more sociable, you have someone there if problems do occur.

Take off Jewellery

Metal jewellery will heat up in a sauna, and can cause irritation or even burning!

Cool Down Afterwards

The risks of saunas don’t disappear once you step out – you need to lie or sit down for at least 10 minutes, and then take a cold shower or dip in a plunge pool to bring your body temperature down to normal levels.

By following just a few simple steps (and some common sense!) you can safely enjoy the health benefits that comes with regular sauna sessions! If you’re deciding whether a home sauna is for you, Download our Free Sauna Buyer’s Guide and view the full range of indoor and outdoor saunas available online now!

No matter which way you look at it, Hot Tubs are a major investment. They require thought, planning and research to make sure you get the right one for you, at the right price. So, what should you think about when deciding how much to spend on a Hot Tub?

Set a Budget – And Stick to It

Do some research here. Look at your finances and decide how much you can realistically spend. Many reputable companies offer 0% Finance over 3-5 years which could be an option – if you can afford it.

Another Hot Tub cost that should be called into consideration is ongoing costs – how much it costs to run, any repairs, maintenance, chemicals and services. Hot Tubs have different running costs depending on features you add on as well as the quality of the spa itself, so is worth bearing in mind.

Decide Your Dream Features – and be Willing to Compromise

Your Hot Tub will become your little slice of luxury heaven – if you’re planning on investing, why not get everything you want on it?

Do you want full-foam insulation, to keep running costs minimal? What about a luxury 24” waterfall for an unparalleled shoulder massage? What about seating, do you want all seats or a lounger for full relaxation?

Adding on extra features will of course come at an extra cost. If your dream model won’t fit in with your budget, be prepared to drop or swap out some features.

Be Realistic

Cheap Hot Tubs are currently flooding the market, usually imported from China and are of sub-par quality. Unfortunately, these spas appear to be all-singing all-dancing, with every feature imaginable for under £5,000. These may seem like a great deal on paper but will usually cost you more than the Hot Tub is worth in running costs, repairs, and eventually disposal.

We are huge advocates of the Coast Spas brand, for their incredible build quality, warranties and running/maintenance costs. While you may invest more up-front, you will save more in ongoing costs while enjoying your spa for years to come.

Pay for the Warranty

This is more important than features – so if you’re deciding between extra jets or a longer warranty, go for the warranty! This ensures you can relax knowing that your Hot Tub is covered.

You also want to research the company to see how long they have been operating – make sure they’ve been around long enough that they’re likely to be able to honour the warranty should anything happen!

Consider Pre-Owned

If you cannot get the features and warranties you’re looking for in your budget, it may be a good idea to look at pre-owned or ex-display Hot Tubs. Showrooms are always rotating stock, and we run a buy-back scheme so there is always a discounted deal! To see the ex-display and pre-owned deals we currently have, check out hottuboffers.com!

Buying a Hot Tub is something that needs a lot of research and thought about your situation – no two Hot Tub customers are the same! If you know ahead of time what you are looking for in what budget, you can start your exciting Hot Tub shopping adventure to find your dream model!

Award Leisure have showrooms in Staffordshire, Birmingham, Warwickshire, Lincoln, London and Cheshire. They all have a large range of Hot Tubs on display and expert staff on hand to answer any questions and help you find your Hot Tub. Get in touch with us to book an appointment or Download a Brochure!

Teaching your kids to swim is an important skill they need to learn as early as possible. Learn when you should start their swim training to keep them safe.

Benefits of Early Swim Sessions

Swimming sessions with your infant or toddler are a great way to get your child to enjoy being in the water and can teach them some valuable drowning prevention skills from an early age.

If you have your own pool or Swim Spa, you can teach your children the basics from the comfort of your own home, being great quality family time while teaching your kids valuable life skills.

What Can you Teach Them in a Swim Spa?

There are loads of fun and easy games you can play with your kids to get them used to the water, including getting them to blow bubbles under water (acclimatising them to having their head under water), through to using a front float to get them used to the horizontal position they will take when swimming.

This article from Today’s Parent gives 5 great games you can play with your child to prepare them for swimming – and enjoying it!

No Substitute for Safety

Even if your child has swimming lessons, they are not a substitute for supervision.

If you opt for a Swim Spa over a swimming pool, it may be easier to reduce the risk of accidentally falling in if your Swim Spa is not sunken.

If you have a social gathering around the pool or swim spa, take turns in watching the kids. Ensure that you have a barrier or gate around the water to avoid them accidentally wandering in and getting themselves into trouble without you knowing.

Teaching your kids to swim early means they are more confident in the water, and you can all enjoy quality time as a family in your swimming pool or Swim Spa!

If you’re looking at investing in a Swim Spa, we have a range of 15 different models, ranging between 13 and 21ft long. With fully customisable features, you can create the perfect model for your home. View the whole range online or Download a free brochure!