Water slide
Encyclopedia
A water slide is a type of slide
designed for warm-weather or indoor recreational use at water park
s. Water slides differ in their riding method and therefore size. Some slides require riders to sit directly on the slide, or on a raft or tube designed to be used with the slide.
A typical water slide uses a pump system to pump water to the top which is then allowed to freely flow down its surface. The water reduces friction so sliders travel down the slide very quickly. Water slides run into a swimming pool
(often called a plunge pool) or a long run-out chute.
in Vernon, New Jersey in the mid-1980s. Their water slide featured a vertical loop but was repeatedly closed due to safety concerns. In the late 2000s, Austria
n manufacturer Aquarena developed the world's first safe looping water slide, known as the AquaLoop. Their engineering featured an inclined loop rather than a standard vertical one. The slide is currently licensed and distributed by Canadian water slide manufacturer WhiteWater West. There are nearly 20 AquaLoop installations around the world. The first installation was in Slovenia
in 2008. The largest collection is located at Wet'n'Wild Water World
in Australia
which houses 4 AquaLoops that opened in 2010. Wet'n'Wild Water World was also the first to install more than one AquaLoop at a single location. The AquaLoop uses a trap-door to release riders down a 17 metres (55.8 ft) near-vertical descent at a speed of up to 60 kilometres per hour (37.3 mph). Riders experience 2.5 Gs
in less than 2 seconds. The whole ride is over within 7 seconds.
by providing not only descents, but ascents as well. There are three different ways water coasters operate: conveyor belt
s, linear induction motor
s and water jets
. The first of its kind was installed at Kalahari Resort in Sandusky
, Ohio
. Known as the Zip Coaster, the ride powers riders up hills using high speed conveyor belts. The second incarnation of the water coaster utilised linear induction motors and specially designed magnetic rafts. The first installation to use this technology was Typhoon which opened in 2005 at Six Flags New England's Hurricane Harbor. The longest water coaster utilising this magnetic system is Wildebeest at Splashin' Safari
in Santa Claus
, Indiana
. This technology has been installed at 11 locations across the world collectively known as ProSlide
Rockets. High powered water jets power the third type of water coaster, generically known as Master Blasters. Manufactured by WhiteWater West, this ride features over 70 installations worldwide. The largest collection of Master Blasters is at Wild Wadi Water Park
in Dubai
where 9 of the park's 16 water slides utilise this technology to power riders to the top of a mountain. In 2010, ProSlide announced that they would be combining the family rafting and water coaster technologies to create a Hydromagnetic Mammoth. The first installation of this variation will be the aptly titled Mammoth
for the 2012 season at Splashin' Safari in Indiana, which will replace the park's own Wildebeest as the longest water coaster in the world.
or vinyl
and nylon
, and are inflated using an electric or gasoline powered blower
. The water slide is attached to a water hose in order to generate the supply of water. There are small sized inflatable water slides for private house uses or larger inflatable water slides for school, picnic, corporate, or carnival style use. There are also swimming pool water slides which users can set up to slide straight into a pool.
Playground slide
Playground slides are found in parks, schools, playgrounds and backyards. The slide may be flat, or half cylindrical or tubular to prevent falls. Slides are usually constructed of plastic or metal and they have a smooth surface that is either straight or wavy...
designed for warm-weather or indoor recreational use at water park
Water park
A waterpark is an amusement park that features waterplay areas, such as water slides, splash pads, spraygrounds , lazy rivers, or other recreational bathing, swimming, and barefooting environments...
s. Water slides differ in their riding method and therefore size. Some slides require riders to sit directly on the slide, or on a raft or tube designed to be used with the slide.
A typical water slide uses a pump system to pump water to the top which is then allowed to freely flow down its surface. The water reduces friction so sliders travel down the slide very quickly. Water slides run into a swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
(often called a plunge pool) or a long run-out chute.
Traditional water slides
Body slides
As the name suggests, body slides feature no mat and require the person to sit directly on the surface of the slide. There are a variety of types of body slides including simple flumes, speed slides, bowls and AquaLoops - the latter three are explained below.Inline tube slides
Some slides are designed to be ridden with a tube which typically seats between 2 and 3 riders inline. Similar to a traditional body slide, these slides include many twists and turns and come in a variety of types including bowls, funnels and half-pipes.AquaLoop
The first known existence of a looping water slide was at Action ParkAction Park
Action Park was an amusement park, open from 1978 to 1996 in Vernon Township, New Jersey at the former Vernon Valley / Great Gorge ski area, now known as Mountain Creek....
in Vernon, New Jersey in the mid-1980s. Their water slide featured a vertical loop but was repeatedly closed due to safety concerns. In the late 2000s, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n manufacturer Aquarena developed the world's first safe looping water slide, known as the AquaLoop. Their engineering featured an inclined loop rather than a standard vertical one. The slide is currently licensed and distributed by Canadian water slide manufacturer WhiteWater West. There are nearly 20 AquaLoop installations around the world. The first installation was in Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
in 2008. The largest collection is located at Wet'n'Wild Water World
Wet'n'Wild Water World
Wet'n'Wild Water World is a large water park situated in Oxenford, Gold Coast, owned by Warner Village Theme Parks. In 2009, the park received 1,095,000 visitors ranking it first in Australia and eighth in the world. Wet'n'Wild Water World is located adjacent to Warner Bros. Movie World, a...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
which houses 4 AquaLoops that opened in 2010. Wet'n'Wild Water World was also the first to install more than one AquaLoop at a single location. The AquaLoop uses a trap-door to release riders down a 17 metres (55.8 ft) near-vertical descent at a speed of up to 60 kilometres per hour (37.3 mph). Riders experience 2.5 Gs
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
in less than 2 seconds. The whole ride is over within 7 seconds.
Bowl
A bowl is a type of water slide where riders descend a steep drop into a round bowl. They then circle the outer area of the bowl before exiting down through the middle. This style of water slide comes in various styles and is manufactured by ProSlide, WhiteWater West and Waterfun Products. The different variations can be ridden on a 4 person cloverleaf tube, 2 person inline tube, single person tube or as a body slide.Family rafting
Family rafting water slides have the largest capacity of all the different types of tubing water slides averaging between 4 and 6 riders per dispatch. Riders hop in a circular raft and travel down long, twisted 4.5 metres (14.8 ft) channels to the ground. This type of water slide is manufactured by Australian Waterslides and Leisure, ProSlide, Waterfun Products and WhiteWater West. All of these companies manufacture open-air slides while ProSlide also manufactures an enclosed version.Funnel
A funnel water slide requires riders to sit in a 2 or 4 seater round tube. Riders drop from inside a tunnel out into the ride's main element shaped like a funnel on its side. Riders oscillate from one side to the other until they exit through the back of the funnel and into a splash pool. The most common type of funnel is ProSlide's Tornado which is installed at almost 60 locations around the world dating back to 2003. In 2010, WhiteWater West began developing a competitor product known as the Abyss.Half-pipe
Similar to a funnel, a half-pipe features a slide in which riders oscillate back and forth. However, this style of ride does not feature any enclosed sections. On a Waterfun Product Sidewinder or Sidewinder Mini, riders oscillate several times before coming to a rest at the base of the slide. Riders then need to walk off the slide returning their tube to the next riders. On a WhiteWater West Boomerango or Family Boomerango, riders are sent down a steep drop and up a steep hill on the other side, before sliding backwards down another path to the end of the slide.Multi-lane racer
A multi-lane racer is a ride where between 4 and 8 riders dive head-first onto a mat and down a slide with several dips. As an additional component of this ride, both some offer an additional enclosed helix at the top of the ride. ProSlide offer ProRacers and Octopus Racers, while WhiteWater West have designed the Mat Racers and Whizzards. Australian Waterslides and Leisure have also manufactured a standard multi-lane racer.Speed slide
A speed slide is a type of body slide where riders are sent down steep, free-fall plunges to the ground. Almost all water slide manufacturers offer a variation of this type of slide. Proslide offers a speed slide with a trap door, the same trap door found on the AquaLoop.Water coaster
A water coaster is a water slide that mimics a roller coasterRoller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
by providing not only descents, but ascents as well. There are three different ways water coasters operate: conveyor belt
Conveyor belt
A conveyor belt consists of two or more pulleys, with a continuous loop of material - the conveyor belt - that rotates about them. One or both of the pulleys are powered, moving the belt and the material on the belt forward. The powered pulley is called the drive pulley while the unpowered pulley...
s, linear induction motor
Linear induction motor
A linear induction motor is an AC asynchronous linear motor that works by the same general principles as other induction motors but which has been designed to directly produce motion in a straight line....
s and water jets
Jet (fluid)
A jet is an efflux of fluid that is projected into a surrounding medium, usually from some kind of a nozzle, aperture or orifice. Jets can travel long distances without dissipating...
. The first of its kind was installed at Kalahari Resort in Sandusky
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. Known as the Zip Coaster, the ride powers riders up hills using high speed conveyor belts. The second incarnation of the water coaster utilised linear induction motors and specially designed magnetic rafts. The first installation to use this technology was Typhoon which opened in 2005 at Six Flags New England's Hurricane Harbor. The longest water coaster utilising this magnetic system is Wildebeest at Splashin' Safari
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari is a family owned and operated combination theme park and water park, located near Interstate 64 and U.S. 231 in Santa Claus, Indiana, USA. The theme park is divided into four sections that celebrate Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July with...
in Santa Claus
Santa Claus, Indiana
Santa Claus is a town in Carter, Clay and Harrison townships, Spencer County in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Indiana, between Interstate 64 and the Ohio River. The population was 2,041 at the 2000 census.Santa Claus was established in 1854...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. This technology has been installed at 11 locations across the world collectively known as ProSlide
ProSlide
ProSlide Technology is a Canadian manufacturer of water rides and water park resorts. They manufacture both traditional slides and innovative rides such as water coasters with conveyor belts, funnel-shaped Tornado slides, and Bowl slides...
Rockets. High powered water jets power the third type of water coaster, generically known as Master Blasters. Manufactured by WhiteWater West, this ride features over 70 installations worldwide. The largest collection of Master Blasters is at Wild Wadi Water Park
Wild Wadi Water Park
The Wild Wadi Water Park is situated in Jumeirah, an area in Dubai, United Arab Emirates next to the Burj Al Arab and the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. The water park is operated by Jumeirah International, a Dubai-based hotelier....
in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
where 9 of the park's 16 water slides utilise this technology to power riders to the top of a mountain. In 2010, ProSlide announced that they would be combining the family rafting and water coaster technologies to create a Hydromagnetic Mammoth. The first installation of this variation will be the aptly titled Mammoth
Mammoth (ride)
Mammoth is a water slide currently under construction at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, Santa Claus, Indiana. Manufactured by ProSlide, Mammoth will be the world's longest water coaster at in length when it opens in May 2012.-History:...
for the 2012 season at Splashin' Safari in Indiana, which will replace the park's own Wildebeest as the longest water coaster in the world.
Inflatable water slides
Inflatable water slides are designed for the home user. They are typically made of a thick strong PVCPolyvinyl chloride
Polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC, is a thermoplastic polymer. It is a vinyl polymer constructed of repeating vinyl groups having one hydrogen replaced by chloride. Polyvinyl chloride is the third most widely produced plastic, after polyethylene and polypropylene. PVC is widely used in...
or vinyl
Vinyl
A vinyl compound is any organic compound that contains a vinyl group ,which are derivatives of ethene, CH2=CH2, with one hydrogen atom replaced with some other group...
and nylon
Nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...
, and are inflated using an electric or gasoline powered blower
Fan (mechanical)
A mechanical fan is a machine used to create flow within a fluid, typically a gas such as air.A fan consists of a rotating arrangement of vanes or blades which act on the air. Usually, it is contained within some form of housing or case. This may direct the airflow or increase safety by preventing...
. The water slide is attached to a water hose in order to generate the supply of water. There are small sized inflatable water slides for private house uses or larger inflatable water slides for school, picnic, corporate, or carnival style use. There are also swimming pool water slides which users can set up to slide straight into a pool.