Water slides are a perennial source of joy for children and adults alike. This is why swimming pools with water slides make an excellent addition to holiday destinations, beyond the usual water parks. Hotels, campsites and resorts can benefit greatly from adding water slides, and there are many options for doing so.
How can you add swimming pool slides to your leisure complex, hotel, campsite or resort, and what considerations do you need to take into account? While swimming pool slides are a great addition, they also need to be planned with practical aspects in mind (including water treatment and safety).
This article will explain:
- Why swimming pool slides should be included in your pool environment
- The importance of water treatment
- How to ensure swimming pool slide safety
- What types of pool slide you can choose from
There are many reasons to install slides in swimming pools, especially in the leisure and hospitality sector. Beyond their appeal to children, they are also an opportunity to create thematic swimming pools and inject fun into aquatic spaces more geared towards adults.
Pool operators can gain a real commercial advantage by adding swimming pool slides, from differentiating themselves from the competition to adding a new potential source of income through surrounding business and services. Moreover, slides extend the offer for leisure centres, campsites, hotels and resorts, opening up the aquatic space to other visitors besides the usual members or residents. All these aspects increase the business turnover and customer retention.
With multiple customization and thematization possibilities, swimming pool slides must be designed with an end-to-end approach, from the initial conceptualization to the final installation. Projects must also comply with local or national regulations. We offer some tips and recommendations for design in the blog article here .
One challenge when operating a swimming pool with slides is contending with the increased number of users and the consequent impact on water quality. This is why water treatment is essential for swimming pool slides.
The best option for peace of mind and continuous monitoring is to use an automated control system with remote measurement and online visibility through a smart pool device. Fluidra Connect offers a great solution to control your pool remotely. Additionally, the Innfopool solution displays pool metrics to users, creating transparency around water quality.
For public pools, continuous measurement of pH and chlorine levels is a must. You will need to control and correct pH regulation (keeping it between 7.2 and 7.6) using acids or CO2. To expand the disinfection spectrum, the use of UV light in combination with chlorine dosing (tablets or liquid) or salt chlorination is recommended, such as Freepool2 or Neolysis .
Another effective way to ensure hygiene for swimming pool slides is to recommend that bathers always shower before and after swimming in the pool. It is a good idea to wash bathing suits and towels to eliminate all bacteria and viruses. In addition to the pool water, the pool surroundings must be cleaned and disinfected, just like any extra features such as showers, stairs, etc., using bespoke products. It is also essential to respect all the pool manager’s instructions, such as restricted access areas, traffic flows, etc.
A key design consideration for swimming pool slides is safety. They are usually primarily used by children, so soft, irregular shapes should be used to prevent friction or safety issues, although there are other elements to look at as well.
Finishing options include ceramic tiles, glass and PVC coating with non-slip materials to avoid risk of falls and injuries in the surrounding areas, while the most recommended construction system for building irregular shapes is concrete.
The depth must also be suitable for all children, varying from 1.2 to 1.6 meters as a recommendation.
There are many methods of production for the slides themselves. Ideally, water slides are made of fibreglass material to facilitate siding around the ride at the desired speed, while avoiding burning the skin due to friction.
L-RTM (Light Resin Transfer Moulding) is one of the best technologies to create compound products such as water slides. It involves inserting resin between two tightly fitting moulds under light pressure. The whole process is supported by vacuum pressure. Fiberglass reinforcement is placed in the mould dry, and then covered with gel coating. This results in a smooth, clean finish.
L-RTM is a sustainable and environmentally friendly technology with great resistance compared to classic moulding methods. It also provides flexibility and a shiny finish.
Once your swimming pool slides have been prepared and transported on-site, they must be tested before being put to use, to ensure safety and optimal performance.
Among the many popular types of slide design that delight users of all ages, there are multiple varieties that could be integrated in your water space. Here, we’ll look at the main types to consider installing, as well as other entertainment solutions for aquatic spaces.
Types of water slides include:
- Totally or partially covered;
- Different speeds: from long tracks with slow speed and open curves, to more straightforward and steep slopes that can attain a high speed;
- Long or short slides: depending on the size available;
- Multiple, single or wide slides: they can be used by a single user at a time, with multiple users in different attached slides, or you can include a wide straightforward slide with plenty of space to race between users;
- Slides with integrated lights or translucent materials: some slides feature LED lights for an immersive experience or translucent materials that allow you to see through the slide (usually in totally covered slides);
- Slides available to ride with inflatable rafts: for single or multiple users at a time.
Splash parks
Water parks and leisure pools can also integrate other aquatic solutions and areas that are designed with kids in mind too. With safety elements in terms of depth and soft elements, splash parks stand out as a great addition. They provide a fun space for the little ones through fountains, interactive jets and other water games.
Lazy and torrent rivers
A lazy river is another additional water ride found in parks, hotels, resorts, and leisure centres. This usually consists of a shallow pool that flows like a river. There is generally a slow current, usually just enough to allow guests to gently ride along lying on rafts. The current is generated by means of a gradual slope in the terrain, aided by a pumping mechanism that allows for the river to continue flowing. There may also be additional scenic elements, such as small waterfalls on the edge of the river. Some connect or lead into swimming pools or wave pools, while others are self-contained courses that simply complete a circuit.
An alternative related option is the torrent river. Torrent rivers feature wave machines similar to those present in wave pools. The waves then push riders (on rafts) around the river faster than they would be travelling on a regular lazy river.
Wave pool
You could also add a “sea” to your tourist facility, for children and grown-ups to enjoy the waves in a safe setting. A wave pool features artificially produced waves whose size, speed, and flow can be programmed to give the feeling of being in the ocean. They can also be used for surfing. Although they don’t feature water slides, wave pools are usually a key part of a leisure centre or water park.
Adding fun features to pools and aquatic spaces increases the value of a facility, differentiates it from the competition, and can enhance it visually as well. Swimming pool slides are an excellent addition, as long as they are designed with safety and optimal water quality in mind to offer the best possible experience to end users. Pool operators can choose from a variety of swimming pool slides, as well as other entertainment solutions, to truly optimise their pool offering.