Seattle's Hot Tub Boats Are the Best Year-Round City Adventure. Here's What to Know!

In a swimsuit. On Lake Union. In March. There's no WAY that would've happened if I wasn't shoulders-deep in 100+º water, and let me tell ya, it was AMAZING.

Photo by Amanda Bloomquist, edited by me.

Shoutout to Lake Union Hot Tub Boats for making this post possible! All opinions are always my own.

Seattle's hot tub boats became THE Seattle thing to do and for good reason–you have epic views of the skyline and gasworks park, you're warm and cozy in a steaming pool of water, and you're on a boat, which is totally Seattle in and of itself.

Table of Contents

After I first laid eyes on a hot tub boat, full of happy people toasty warm and floating around the lake while I was freezing my butt off in a kayak, I knew I had to experience one for myself. So, our group of rad ladies got together to hit the high seas of Lake Union aboard one of these bad boys.

We arrived 15 minutes early as suggested by the website, just in time to use the restroom, change into our suits in their custom built hut on the dock–complete with two changing rooms and a storage bin for any extra belongings–assign a captain, and go over all the safety protocols. Rex is a professional, and after our short intro, I felt totally at ease with our captaining skills.

The Boat

The boat is teardrop shaped with the wood stove front and center, which is what keeps the water at a comfortable temp.

Lake Union Hot Tub Boats Seattle (4).jpg — Photo by Rex, edited by me.

Pro tip:

If the water gets too hot, close the wood stove compartment to smother the fire. It won't go out, don't worry! You could also just jump in the lake too ;) It's COLD but rad. Speaking from experience.

Lifejackets are in a small storage compartment in the back. Lake Union Hot Tub Boats supplies water and waterproof phone cases (because they know you'll want those Instagram vids) and there are two insulated, open-air compartments on either side of the boat meant to store drinks or hold items you won't mind getting wet.

Pro tip:

Don't put anything in those compartments you don't want wet. Boats come by with decent wakes, which splashed a good amount of water into each, soaking all the clothes we thought we'd need. We didn't need them, but we didn't love them getting wet either. I recommend leaving everything in the storage bin back at the dock.

We hooked up to the provided waterproof speaker and cast off for an epic two-hour adventure.

If you see another hot tub boat, give them a wave!!

Lake Union Hot Tub Boat, Seattle, Washington

After motoring around for a bit, dreaming about the houseboats we'd someday buy, we shut off the engine all together. There weren't too many boats out on that cold day in March, so we happily floated, chatted, drank, and jumped in the lake for a quick COLD swim before heading in.

How Many Friends Can Come Aboard?

Six! That's you and five of your favorite people.

Six allows a good amount of space to move around and sit comfortably.

Do I Need Boating Experience?

Nope! No previous boating experience required. Rex or Rekko (the father-son duo who founded and run Lake Union Hot Tub Boats) will walk you through the safety protocols: where to go (and not to go), and how to steer the vessel.

As Rex noted, "it sounds like a Prius," meaning it's silent, aside from the occasional sizzle of water washing against the hot wood stove. All you have to do is turn a dial to move forward or backward. You'll steer using a wood beam attached to the rudder. It's a bit awkward at first, but you'll get the hang of it!

How to Reserve

Head to the website linked here, and search for available calendar days (in green). Make sure to plan ahead! They get booked up fast!

What's Provided?

Towels
Waterproof phone cases
A bottle of water for each person
A speaker

Packing List

Swimsuit
Sunglasses – Here are my go-to Amazon sunglasses I take on every adventure. I always wear my cheap ones on adventures like these, just in case they accidentally fall off the side of the boat.
Sunscreen
Dranks if you'd like – Cans only. No glass is allowed aboard Lake Union Hot Tub Boats
Extra water – Hot tubs are very dehydrating. It's best to be over prepared in this case!
Clothes to change into when you're done soaking