Ross-on-Wye Booking Terms, Health Notice and Guidelines

Our service. Suvi Sauna Ltd ("we") runs a staffed wood-fired sauna and two cold plunges in the garden of The Riverside Inn, Wye Street, Ross-on-Wye HR9 7BT. Our service is the sauna and the cold plunges only. The Riverside Inn is a separate business, and the rest of its premises and grounds are not part of our service.

Health notice. You must not use the sauna if you:

• suffer from high or low blood pressure or any heart or circulatory disorder or suffer from epilepsy or diabetes;
• are pregnant; or
• are prone to dizziness or fainting.

The same applies to the cold plunges. Do not use either the sauna or the cold plunges if you feel unwell, have a fever, or have drunk alcohol or taken drugs. If you have any other medical condition, or take medication that heat or cold can affect, check with your doctor first. You are responsible for deciding whether the sauna and the cold plunges are safe for you.

Children. Under-8s are not admitted. Anyone aged 8 to 15 must be accompanied by an adult, who must be a parent, guardian or other adult family member and stay in the sauna with them or just outside with a clear view of them throughout. The adult making the booking must be over 18. When booking for an under-16, you confirm that you are their parent, guardian or other adult family member and you accept these terms on their behalf. You must also ask our staff on arrival for the under-16 waiver form, which records your relationship to the under-16, and sign it before the under-16 enters. 16 and 17 year olds may use the sauna without an adult only if a parent or guardian over 18 made the booking and has accepted these terms on their behalf. Under-16s must not use the cold plunges, and signs at the cold plunges say so.

Using the sauna. The sauna is wood-fired and usually runs within 70 to 100°C. It holds up to 20 guests, with seating for 10 on each side. Take it steady: we recommend up to about 15 minutes at a time, then take a break and cool down. Leave at once if you feel dizzy, sick or unwell. Drink water before and after. Swimwear must be worn. No eating, alcohol, smoking or exercise in the sauna, and no glass, metal or flammable items. Only our hosts pour water on the stones and tend the stove and ashes; sit back from the stones while they do. The stove has a safety rail: stay behind it and never touch the stove or the stones. Take off jewellery and take care with glasses and contact lenses. Sessions last 60 minutes. A gazebo is provided for changing, and small lockers are available for valuables. Bring swimwear and a towel to sit on, and arrive about 5 minutes early to change and meet your host. Suvi Sauna is alcohol- and drug-free. Our hosts may refuse entry, or ask you to leave without a refund, if we believe you are unwell, under the influence or not following these rules. Leave the sauna tidy, close the door and take your belongings with you.

The cold plunges. We have two cold plunges, each about the size of a bath, where you sit or lie. The water is chilled and kept at between 8 and 15°C, and is filtered and treated with chlorine, which can irritate eyes, skin or airways, so tell your host if you are sensitive to it. The area around the plunges has non-slip decking, but it can still be slippery when wet, so walk and don't run. Enter slowly and don't jump or dive in. Control your breathing and stay in for no more than about 3 minutes at a time. Get out straight away if you feel numb, dizzy, confused, short of breath or unwell. Cold water can cause cold shock (affecting breathing and heart rate within the first minute), and longer exposure can cause loss of muscle control and hypothermia, which can lead to confusion, unconsciousness or death. Do not use the cold plunges after drinking alcohol or taking drugs, or if you do not meet the health notice above. Under-16s must not use them. A host is on site during your session, is a trained first aider, and a first aid kit is available, but our host cannot watch every guest at every moment, so look out for each other and tell the host straight away if you need help. Using the cold plunges is your own decision.

The River Wye. The River Wye is nearby, about 20 metres from the sauna across a stretch of parkland. The river and the parkland are separately owned and managed, are not on the land we operate on, and are not part of our service: we do not operate, supervise, lifeguard or risk assess them, and we have no control over the water, its depth, currents, temperature, quality or access. Our staff are not trained or authorised to give safety advice about the river or to supervise anyone in or near it, and do not encourage river use; anything they say is general conversation, not an assessment of conditions or of your suitability. If you choose to go into the river, whether during or after your session, that is entirely your own decision and at your own risk. It is not part of your session, and we are not responsible for anything that happens in the river, in the parkland, or on the way to or from it. Going from a hot sauna into cold open water is especially risky. Cold water can cause cold shock (affecting breathing and heart rate within the first minute), loss of muscle control within about 10 minutes, and hypothermia within 20 to 30 minutes, which can cause confusion, unconsciousness or death. Only enter if you are experienced and well, within your limits, never alone and never after drinking. Standing outside the sauna is a perfectly good way to cool down.

Risk and responsibility. Sauna and cold water use have inherent risks, including dehydration, burns from the stove, stones or steam, dizziness, fainting, heat-related illness, cold shock, hypothermia, strain on the heart and slips on wet surfaces. Other risks include uneven ground, other guests and equipment, including the stove. You take part voluntarily and accept those risks. We take reasonable care but cannot remove every risk. Nothing in these terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or anything else the law does not allow us to limit. Otherwise, we are not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged belongings (small lockers are available) or for the condition of the river or the land between the garden and the river. You are responsible for damage you cause to the sauna, the cold plunges or other equipment by misuse or by not following these rules.

Emergencies. If someone needs medical help we may call emergency services and share relevant details with them.

Booking for others. If you book for other people, you confirm that you have their permission and that you will share these terms and the health notice with them before the session. The health notice is displayed at the sauna, and the under-16 rule is displayed at the cold plunges. Each person who enters confirms by doing so that they have read the notices and meet them.

Your data. We use your details to run your booking and keep records for safety and legal reasons, including this declaration. Full details are in our Privacy Policy at suvisauna.co.uk/policies/.