Water Play

THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE

Posted on May 14, 2025

How Water Play is making a big splash in the Holiday Park industry...

In an era where guest expectations are higher than ever and competition is fierce, water play is quickly becoming one of the most powerful tools in the holiday park operator’s arsenal. Across the UK and Europe, parks of all sizes are recognising that innovative aquatic attractions aren’t just for cooling down, they’re driving footfall, extending stays and creating lifelong memories.

For site owners and managers looking to refresh or expand their facilities, two leading players Ustigate Waterplay and Edsun are delivering exciting, energy-efficient, and inclusive water play experiences that cater to every age and ability. From playful splashpads to adrenaline-pumping waterslides, the latest developments in water play are offering a whole new level of engagement for families and thrill-seekers alike.

FRESHWATER BEACH HOLIDAY PARK’S multi-racer slide and Elevations™ have transformed the pool. Photo Credit: USTIGATE WATERPLAY.

DESIGNING FOR FUN, BUILT FOR THE FUTURE
Ustigate Waterplay, with over 50 years of expertise in aquatic play, continues to push boundaries in both design and sustainability. Partnering with world leaders Vortex Aquatic Structures International and wiegand.waterrides, Ustigate creates water attractions that are visually striking, tactilely engaging, and operationally efficient. “Our mission is to maximise fun while minimising resource use,” explains a Ustigate spokesperson.

“Whether we’re designing a brand-new splashpad or modernising an existing pool, every element is planned with inclusivity, energy efficiency, and long-term adaptability in mind.” This philosophy is best illustrated through their recently completed project at Freshwater Beach Holiday Park in Bridport, Dorset.

USTIGATE’S NEW VECTORY™ collection
offers a fresh take on splashpad interactivity.

FRESHWATER BEACH HOLIDAY PARK, DORSET
Freshwater Beach, a popular privately owned holiday park on the Jurassic Coast—underwent a significant aquatic upgrade in early 2025. Ustigate replaced a single-lane waterslide with a multi-racer version capable of entertaining three riders simultaneously.

The transformation also included the installation of Vortex Elevations™, an action-packed water structure filled with climbing features, interactive spray bars, cascading floral showers, and the ever-popular Seeflow™ dumping buckets. According to Tristan Brookes, the park’s Swimming Pool Manager, the impact has been immediate:

“Working with Ustigate Waterplay has been an absolute pleasure. From concept to completion, the process was seamless, and the finished result has far exceeded expectations. The guest feedback—even before opening— has been overwhelmingly positive. We’re confident it will be a major driver of visitor numbers this season.”

General Manager James Newman echoes the sentiment: “This project is part of our wider redevelopment strategy. Not only does the new facility look fantastic, but we’ve also reduced humidity in the pool hall and made the environment more comfortable and efficient to run. It’s a win-win.”

PARK HOLIDAYS’ CHICHESTER Lakeside Holiday Park scooped Swimming Pool Awards in February.

WHAT’S NEW FOR 2025
For operators looking to invest in the latest aquatic trends, Ustigate’s new VECTORY™ collection offers a fresh take on splashpad interactivity. With nine brand-new elements and three innovative technologies—Twistflow™, Pulsespray™ and DualSpray™—children can rotate, push, and pull their way to unexpected splashes and strategic group play.

The collection includes Dynamik, a series of low-level water wall obstacle courses, and Apex, a thrilling dual-sided feature where competitors battle to tip a water bucket over their opponent. Also turning heads in 2025 is the Watergarden range—nature-inspired features such as Helico Butterflies, spinning orbs, and floral showers that provide both sensory stimulation and visual appeal.

Its water play that’s not only fun but deeply connected to the natural world. Ustigate’s CoolHub™ is a multi-functional chill-out zone that blends relaxation with playful engagement.

Available in six Abrio modules, CoolHub™ includes shaded benches, a soft rain curtain, stone weirs for flow play, and integrated solar LED lighting. It’s ideal for extending guest dwell time and offering respite for families between more active water play sessions.

USTIGATE WATERLAY’S full suite of waterslides are sourced from their partner, wiegand.waterrides.

SMART, SUSTAINABLE, AND COST-EFFECTIVE
Water and energy efficiency remain central to Ustigate’s design ethos. Key innovations include:

• On-demand water activation: Play features remain dormant until a button is pressed, reducing water waste when not in use.
• Sequenced play zones: Features operate in groups or staggered bursts to conserve water while maintaining the element of surprise.
• Overspray zones: Reclaim and recycle water within the splashpad footprint.
• Remote-access controllers: Manage water usage, maintenance and scheduling from anywhere, via Ustigate’s smart plant room technology.
• Optional solar PV integration: Lower your site’s carbon footprint with solar support from Ustigate’s affiliated power experts, Burnell.

For multi-site operators, Ustigate’s Safeswap™ anchor system allows for seasonal product changes without excavation—making it easy to rotate features between parks or upgrade zones in phases.

CUSTOMISATION AND CREATIVITY WITH EDSUN
French specialist Edsun also brings more than 30 years of aquatic expertise to the table, offering ergonomic, safe, and vividly themed water play features. Their approach is especially appealing to sites looking for highly customisable elements that tie into broader branding or storytelling.

Edsun’s waterslides, made using RTM (Resin Transfer Moulding), are available in family-friendly and thrill-seeker variants. They come with a sleek, glossy finish and can be tailored to suit any environment in colour, layout, and theme. For younger visitors, Edsun’s wading pool accessories—including pirate ships, jungle animals, and water tables—bring gentle play and imaginative interaction into shallow water settings.

Beyond splash zones, Edsun also supplies durable timber and aluminium outdoor play equipment, blending beautifully into woodland or coastal settings. Their comprehensive design-to-installation service includes 3D visualisation, ensuring each site gets exactly what it envisions.

Each play area is more than a feature - it's a destination within your park.

PROVEN RESULTS ACROSS EUROPE
Edsun’s portfolio includes standout installations at major campsites and leisure parks, including Camping Amfora in Spain.

Clients praise the company’s flexibility, responsiveness, and ability to deliver creative solutions that resonate with family audiences. “Our aim is always to provide long-lasting, fun-filled experiences that drive repeat visits,” says an Edsun representative.

“Each play area is more than a feature—it’s a destination within your park.”

EDSUN INTERACTIVE water walls are great for all ages.

NOW’S THE TIME TO DIVE IN
Water play has evolved from passive paddling pools to interactive, strategic, and inclusive play zones that drive visitor satisfaction, boost site reputation, and offer impressive ROI.

Whether you’re reimagining an ageing facility or planning a new development, companies like Ustigate Waterplay and Edsun offer solutions that blend creativity, reliability, and forward-thinking sustainability.

As families continue to prioritise active, outdoor fun, there’s never been a better time to dive into water play!

EDSUN
www.edsunloisirs.com

USTIGATE WATERPLAY
www.ustigatewaterplay.co.uk

UK Pool & Spa Awards
www.ukpoolandspaawards.co.uk

SBLASH AQUA PARK IN PENMAENMAWR, Conwy, was launched last May and immediately captured the public’s imagination.

HAVING A BLAST!

Posted on May 10, 2023

HAVING A BLAST!

Add a splash of waterplay to your on-site visitor appeal...

THE SAILBOAT SPLASHPAD is top attraction at Willen Lake in Milton Keynes.

The height of the season is the ideal time to review your current water play offering – or even a new attraction. An objective survey, with your guests in situ, will help identify strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for enhancements through investment.

“We recommend holiday parks and visitor attractions contact us towards the end of the summer into early September to embark upon a design process if they would like new water play in location for their following season,” advises Michelle Minns-Sykes of leading water play provider, Ustigate Waterplay. “This provides ample time to play around with some great ideas and to apply attention to detail.”

 

TURNKEY APPROACH
The typical duration for a full turnkey solution in design and build, from order to completion, is 16 weeks. A smaller scale aquatic scheme can be created in as little as two weeks.

Certified products can be selected from a nautical theme a sailboat with a captain’s wheel, tipping bucket and cannon to a nature theme picking out a choice of trees and leafy features. All themes offer varied water effects, with several products that also have 360° rotation ability.

MANY PRODUCTS WITH ROTATIONAL abilities place the water directions and water effects in the water player’s hands.

AQUATIC PLAY
Modern day aquatic play has accelerated in terms of its product development in the last 30 years. No longer seen as a static above ground feature that sprays water from a variety of heights and differing directions, there are many products with rotational abilities that place the water directions and water effects in the water player’s hands.

Ustigate’s Splashpad® collections include Toons, Sea Silhouette, Watergarden, Nautical, Contemporary, Classic, Water Journey™, New Fine Mist, Spraylink™, Ground Sprays, Poolplay™, Lazy River and New Coreoplay Playable Fountains. All available in a rainbow of colour choices, many products are complemented with translucent Seeflow™ to reflect aesthetically pleasing and colourful shadows around the environment when sunshine and water are present.

Ustigate’s most popular water play theme is the award-winning Explora water play scheme, designed and developed to engage children to move, push, pull, spin and splash. Explora features Luna with Twistnozzle™ enabling children to push and pull to change the direction of the fine, water sprays and there are a variety of play items with different sized orbs and water effects that invite children to spin and spash.

The orbs in Bobble No.1 and Bobble No.2 are self spinning and invite children to a close-up, hands-on experience with water. “Our new build services include the design, installation, water testing, commissioning and staff training prior to handover,” says Michelle who adds: “Our 57 years of aquatic play fruition provides us with knowledge, experience and expertise and an enquiry begins with gathering information, a meeting, site survey and design brief.”

The award-winning team is celebrating 20 years of aquatic play partnership with Vortex Aquatic Structures International Inc this year. With all projects unique, a typical budget for any water play scheme, location and installation needs to cover the play equipment value, plant room and connection to services.

Ustigate offers a portfolio of 150 individual Splashpad® products and 50 different ground spray options, all formed from collections to fit an abundance of themes and environments. Splashpads and water play projects come in all shapes and sizes starting with supply only of interactive water features to compliment and enhance a pool setting to full turnkey solutions in the design and installation of new facilities featuring inclusive splashpads, Elevations™ and waterslides.

USTIGATE’S MOST POPULAR WATER play theme is the award-winning Explora scheme.

FLOW RATE
Ustigate offers a complete design to installation services and we also collaborate with architects appointed by holiday park operators to design and install new water play facilities. Quite often a holiday park will be enhancing their facilities and the water play will sit within a larger development. The Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group (PWTAG) recommends a recirculation water system will consist of a two tank system; one tank for the clean water and another separate tank for the dirty water.

Following play, water will drain into the dirty water tank and it will only enter the clean water tank when it has passed through UV filtration and water treatment, making it clean and fit for play again. This system is the equivalent of the water management for a swimming pool and it guarantees one body of water to be of the highest quality and safe for public interaction. All water is chased to drain after play resulting in a water play area without any water depth that does not require lifeguards.

A splashpad is designed with age appropriate zones, making it the perfect playscape for young children to build their water confidence as well as providing an arena for older children that arrive with water confidence to enjoy being soaked by a tipping bucket or some cannon fun with their friends and family. There are many products that engage collaborative and cognitive play and the benefits of the Vortex product line available from Ustigate is their playability.

Aquatic play is no longer offered from static products that spray alone because there are products with exclusive technologies such as Twirltec™ and Turntec™ enabling children to take their aquatic play items on a full 360° spin - resulting in twirlling, spiralling water patterns as well as a change of water direction. The products engage children to interact together and the technologies engage children to interact with the products - the water play moves from a ‘beyond control’ tipping bucket to placing the water play and water direction into the excitable hands of the water player; promoting physical, mental and social development as well as maximising fun.

Spraylink™ and Ground Sprays are all round favourites that will appear in all designs because of the fact they are inclusive and popular with all ages and abilities. The most popular ground sprays are straight up Jet Streams, arched Water Tunnels, Team Sprays where children work together to cover up nozzles to create a bigger splash and Hop and Star because children love to bounce and splash.

Sustainability, environment and economy are key drivers for our future and remaining active outdoors is key to our good health and livelihood. The IPCC of the United Nations have advised heat waves are expected to become more frequent, more intense and longer lasting because of climate change. Trending worldwide is more planting, climate shelters, cooling stations and less carbon emissions to slow the rate of climate change.

DIPPY THE DINOSAUR helped boost visitor numbers to Roarr park by 18 per cent.

ECO CREDENTIALS
Ustigate has introduced their new Fine Mist collection featuring Refresh and Glomist with solar LED’s - products designed and developed by Vortex to keep us cool! Refresh is an attractive, arched product with two refreshing misty water effects; also provided with a UV stable toeguard. Glomist is offered at two different heights, provided with integrated activation, either three or five misty water jets and solar LEDs. The solar cell battery is rechargeable.

Both Refresh and Glomist are low consumption water misting products that are fed from potable water making them economic to run and environmentally friendly to local landscape. Also launched in March this year, Ustigate offer a choice of six pre-designed Coreplay Playable Fountains that include Sunset, Rainbow, Ocean, Volcano, Firework and Wave! A choice of animated dancing water jets with sequenced water movement and colourful lighting.

Ustigate offer the addition of solar PV to reduce the carbon footprint of the facility and electricity costs. Water is conserved via the manual setting of the height of the water features as well as grouping play items together for feature activation on at the same time. Controllers provide information on water usage, water treatment and critical plant room equipment. Remote access is available for facilities that have an internet connection in the plant room.

“This methodology conserves water as well as adding to the excitement and anticipation of not knowing which water feature will pop up next,” explains Michelle. “If for any reason children are being entertained elsewhere, the water play will be in sleep mode until children come along and press the button to start the flow. “ The majority of the Splashpad® Product Index is available with a Safeswap™ anchor providing the ability to exchange products in the future without the need to break the ground.

 

The Safeswap™ anchor system enables a water play area to be established in phases as well as guaranteeing a facility will remain modern and cost effective to modernise in the future. For group operators with several splashpads, products can be rotated between sites to keep water players intrigued and excited. Our ground sprays can also be exchanged for a variety of different and fun water effects. A water play facility is designed and built for life with water play products offered with a 25 year warranty.

Michelle advises: “The Ustigate team is proud of all of our projects in our 57 year history and the fact we are renowned for providing high quality aquatic play facilities. “Three of our projects have been awarded Water Leisure Venue of the Year at the UK Pool and Spa Awards for three consecutive years,” she points out.

Michelle adds: “Pick a company to work with that has been in operation for the same duration as the warranty because it proves they will still be trading and available to honour the warranty for its full life term.” She concludes: “Take the time to visit some sites where you can see the choice of water play products in operation; it is a big investment and quality and maximising interactive playability should be at the forefront of decisions.”

Ustigate Waterplay
01322 424445
sales@ustigate.co.uk
www.ustigatewaterplay.co.uk

TOP TIPS FOR SPLASH PAD CARE

Posted on February 15, 2023

TOP TIPS FOR SPLASH PAD CARE

The experienced water play team from The Splash are available and ready to assist with any winter maintenance queries you may have offering full on-site solutions. With a cold snap firmly upon us, Technical Director, Greg Seale, shares some of his top tips to help with winter maintenance.

Greg urges on-going upkeep such as blowing leaves away and clearing the surface of the splash pad from any debris. Treat the surface with your recommended de-greener, this will help to protect the rubber and assist in preserving the surface of your splash pad. Make sure all pumps and pipes are drained and valves have been opened to allow for expansion with the fluctuations in temperature, in accordance with your winterisation manual.

With our systems, we recommend maintaining residual power to your system sequence controller to ensure that all system sequences are saved, so your splash pad is already programmed ready for opening next year. Ensure you have followed the full winterisation process recommended for your system and features. On-going support and training makes the shift between the seasons easy to navigate with the support of The Splash.

Whether it is technical advice or onsite assistance, the experienced team from The Splash can provide quick support for any splash pad service issues through it’s professional, nation-wide maintenance team. If you have a splash pad that needs winter maintenance, get in touch with the team for all your splash pad solutions.

The Splash
E. enquiries@thesplash.uk
www.thesplash.uk

MAKING A VIRTUAL SPLASH

Posted on October 27, 2022

MAKING A VIRTUAL SPLASH

 

Visualising a splash pad that hasn’t been constructed can be challenging so using Virtual Reality technology, The Splash has revolutionised the process of designing a splash pad that is perfect for your holiday space. Renowned for pioneering a more sustainable approach to water play with their Eco Splash range, the latest innovation from The Splash enables users to view their bespoke splash pad, within any proposed setting, from the comfort of your office.

Users now have the opportunity to get a feel for how space flows, perspective and visual assistance in decision making around layout and features, prior to any building work commencing. Due to the design and manufacturing capabilities at The Splash, all features are custom-designed and made to order which allows endless theme options to either compliment or coordinate with any location.

VR plays an important role in evaluating design concepts and can also be used as a sales or presentation tool with other team members. If you’re considering a new splash pad, or an update on an existing facility and would like to discuss Virtual Reality visualisation of your project, contact enquiries@thesplash.uk https://thesplash.uk

SPLASH ATTACK!

Posted on August 2, 2022

SPLASH ATTACK!

Go big, or go small but make the most of those aquatic attractions...

TURN YOUR SWIMMING pool into an exciting aquatic playground.

 

Arguably, the swimming pool is one of the main pulling factors for holiday locations; great for swimming and even better for guaranteed family fun. If you have ticked the swimming pool box with an unimaginative tank of water, you are missing some vital opportunities to stand out from the crowd. The pool should not feature as a stand-alone.

For instance, add a few well-being features and you can be offering your guests a top-notch spa experience. A perfect example is the Plas Coch leisure complex, one of the stand-out attractions at the five-star holiday home park, holders of the Holiday Park Pool Of the Year title in the UK Pool & Spa Awards. The swimming pool, super spa, treatment area and gymnasium are open all year round for customers to swim and relax. The leisure facility has recently undergone some aesthetic works to offer more privacy including a spectacular tint effect added to the glass building to give a beautiful mirror effect from the outside.

 

SWIMMING POOLS are great for swimming and even better for guaranteed family fun. Pic. Ribby Hall

 

With top drawer aquatic access even more of a variety of water-based activities to the regular timetable such as snorkelling, pool kayaks, underwater explorers and private occasion pool parties. Guests can unwind by a tropical pool, take a soothing dip in a hydrotherapy bath, or indulge in a cleansing Dry Salt Chamber treatment, all specially created to provide pampering for mind and body. “During the 2020 lockdown, we all had our fair share of problems to overcome,” says the centre manager.

“We took the time and used it wisely, by working hard at making our Leisure complex the best it has ever been, and one of the best in the holiday park industry. “We had mechanical parts fixed and upgraded in our pool plant rooms, which made opening up to our customers that much easier prior to lockdown.” Wellbeing, beauty and fitness facilities are also among the new features waiting to welcome 2022 visitors at the multi award-winning Celtic Holiday Parks.

 

THE PLAS COCH leisure complex is open all year round for customers to swim and relax.

 

PICTURE PERFECT
Celtic Parks’ picture-perfect Pembrokeshire locations are near the market town of Narberth (Noble Court and Croft Country Park) and overlooking Amroth Bay (Meadow House Park). “Parks are no longer a one-size-fits-all proposition, and we intend to deliver the type of experience which people have been telling us they want from a holiday,” says Celtic’s Huw Pendleton. “They still expect fun, but many would rather visit a cocktail bar than a clubhouse, enjoy gastro-pub style meals, and enjoy treatment rooms with first-class facilities and ethical, organic products.

“Many of our guests are repeat visitors, and relatively new to the concept of a park holiday, so we are constantly challenging ourselves to ensure they have something fresh to look forward to.” “Our record bookings for next year suggest this is no flash in the pan, and I’ve every confidence that we will be investing and raising the bar even higher over the next twelve months,” adds Huw. You don’t always have to think big. Cornish holiday park Trevornick, has unveiled a new £180,000 investment called The Splash Zone.

 

USTIGATE are perfect pool partners whether your plans are big or small.

 

It provides a new space within the existing swimming pool complex at Trevornick, where young (and the young at heart!) guests can run, jump, play and splash. The Splash Zone contains two tipping buckets, fountains, water jets, and a raised trickle stream, making it perfect for babies, toddlers, non-swimmers and those unable to access the pool itself. General manager Adrian Tribe says: “We are so thrilled to have opened The Splash Zone after weeks of hard work by all involved to bring it to completion.

“We had a good year in 2021 and re-investing that success back into the park will be great for the guests and for us. It’s a brilliant new addition to the resort and we can’t wait to see the guests really making the most of it this summer.” If you are thinking swimming pools then think water play to give your guests the extra wow factor. Leading aquatic suppliers, Ustigate design and build their water management systems to accompany all of their aquatic schemes whether they are super charged water park attractions. Nowadays a pool experience doesn’t just sit with a pool, it sits with designing a space to maximise the fun to be had for everyone in that footprint.

 

CELTIC HOLIDAY PARKS has invested in well being to complement its swimming pool offering.

 

PLAY PARTNERS
Ustigate encourage you think big when it comes to aquatic play. For nearly 20 years, they have partnered with Vortex Aquatic Structures, offering a portfolio of 300 products, including a vast choice of waterslides, Elevations™ and individual play items to heighten aquatic experiences and to entertain a multitude of guests at every given time.

A waterslide is great as either an open or closed flume, running inside, outside, or both. And now with modern technology, experiences are enhanced with high-definition multimedia technology; enabling an experience to be unique and different at the touch of a button. There are also low-level products that add character and activities for young children such as frog, turtle and fish with their 360° rotation abilities, all suitable for installation in zero and shallow depth.

There are taller features that are designed to arch and spray over pools and lazy rivers and products of varying heights that resemble leaves, trees and flowers that offer a variety of different water movements and effects. Whether you are planning for big or small aquatic attractions, look for the surprise element. Let your imagination match and exceed the expectations of your customers.

 

HEATED SWIMING POOL at Trevornick Holiday Park, Holywell Bay, Newquay, Cornwall

ECO-FRIENDLY BESPOKE SPLASH PADS

Posted on February 15, 2022

ECO-FRIENDLY BESPOKE SPLASH PADS

Innovators in splash pad design, The Splash by Kingcombe Stonbury, with over 20 years experience in splash pad design and installations have launched their advanced, interactive Eco Splash product range, designed to provide a more environmentally friendly solution for splash pad water usage.

This tried and tested system that conforms to PWTAG, can save up to 50m3 of water per day; a huge water saving over the annual demands of a busy attraction.
Not only does it offer improved sustainability, the cost-saving benefits to running this advanced system are hard to ignore.

The Splash are specialists in providing bespoke, interactive water play equipment that is a win, win for holiday parks. The tried and tested product range is manufactured in the UK and is a cost-effective solution to water play.

In-house design offers endless opportunities for high quality bespoke play equipment, tailored to each customer needs. Popular design themes with above ground and in-ground features, as well as shaped water shifters, include seascapes, countryside scenes, space adventures, aquatic animals as well as dinosaurs and schematics based on historic periods such as Medieval times.

If your current splash pad needs updating, The Splash can design and manufacture features that will fit on your current base, saving significant time and expense on the refurbishment on your splash pad or paddling pool. Talk to the sales team to find out how switching to Eco splash could benefit your holiday visitor offering.

The Splash
enquiries@thesplash.uk
https://thesplash.uk

 

 

 

 

FIFTH MVP AWARD FOR VORTEX

Posted on August 6, 2021

FIFTH MVP AWARD FOR VORTEX

Available in the UK via Ustigate, Vortex has received a Most Valuable Products award in 2021 for its Astra collection, as voted for by the readers of Aquatics International Magazine.
The new Astra offers three unique Splashpad® experiences, each with its own fun. Astra No.1 and No.3 provide a halo of water which rains down from above for children to run through. No.3 also features a Twirltec™ ball so children can rotate the water stream to create a beautiful spiral pattern. With three spilling Seeflow™ buckets, Astra No.2 encourages social interaction. Many children can play at once, and anticipation builds as the children see the buckets fill up before they spill.

Ustigate Water Play
Tel. 01322 424445
www.ustigatewaterplay.co.uk

GAME CHANGERS

Posted on May 5, 2021

GAME CHANGERS

THE BRIDLINGTON CENTRE has proven to be a huge success with an estimated 50,000 plus people visiting the facility in the first six weeks alone.

With more than 100 aquatic installations under their specialist belt, Ustigate’s aquatic play schemes are assembled for a variety of budgets. Experience and expertise enables Ustigate to respond efficiently to all enquiries, carrying out prompt site surveys, calculations and designs to allocated budgets for all sizes of projects both indoor and out. In conjunction with long term aquatic partner Vortex International, Ustigate’s product portfolio includes waterslides, Elevations™ play structures, the award- winning Water Journey™ collection and over 300 individual and interactive Splashpad® play items, with the majority being available with the Safeswap™ Anchoring System. Particularly thought-provoking for holiday destinations, the Safeswap™ Anchoring System provides clients with the ability to exchange features for alternatives in the future, without the need to break the ground again.

FRESH APPROACH
This system enables all water play facilities to stay fresh and modern for years to come and it also enables a water play facility to be built in phases. Each anchor can be capped, provided with a ground spray or home to an above ground feature. The Safeswap™ system is particularly helpful when building a water play project according to budget constraints as it enables the infrastructure to be placed in year one and an array of aquatic play products can be purchased annually and assembled over the course of, for example, a five year plan. A multi-site holiday park operator can also alternate products of the same flow rates between locations to keep visitors intrigued and entertained. Alternatively, or additionally, the joy of Splashpad® is a trend that has encompassed the nation and its popularity continues to grow. An area dedicated to a multitude of water play items, a splashpad is set in a zero standing water environment, making it entirely inclusive and 100% safe without any lifeguard requirement. The trend is fuelled by the inclusive pleasure involved and the fact aquatic play product development has come on a very long way. Twirltec™ enables children to turn products 360° and Orbs and Twistnozzle™ feature widely throughout the award winning Explora range, enabling children to move, twist, spin, splash and change the direction of the water jets.

DIPPY’S SPLASH ZONE has been successful at extending the length of a visit and has increased park revenues through added value sales

WATER JOURNEY
Ustigate Waterplay and Vortex have also recently added “bouncing and splashing” to their offered activities via “Hop” from their Water Journey™ collection. Hop encourages children to physically jump on three soft, padded stepping stones to be rewarded with a bigger and higher splash from the ground up. Water play has been proven to promote water confidence, happiness, excitement, exercise, cognitive behaviours and group play. All factors that aid and promote good health and social development. Interactive aquatic play is being incorporated indoors and outdoors to promote water confidence at a young age and to deliver good health and wellbeing for all ages and abilities. Being with friends and families and being active indoors and outdoors is what makes us happy, fit and strong and the pandemic has taken its toll on everyone’s physical and mental wellbeing because we have never spent more time at home indoors and away from our loved ones and activities. The negative impact of Covid closures has been great on humanity and the leisure, hospitality and aviation industries given all was brought to a standstill in 2020. The roadmap out of the Covid pandemic must also remain cautious to ensure we continue to move in the direction of a healthier and more positive future. Exercise and staying outdoors have been recommended the whole way through. An outdoor Splashpad® with several features and a recirculation system is certainly a safe, clean and exciting place to be. Inclusive water features such as the KirkleathamWalled Garden set the scene for peace and tranquillity, a shining example of Ustigate’s inclusive aquatic play schemes promote happiness and physical fitness for everyone involved.

Ustigate Ltd - Water Display Specialists
Tel. 01322 424445
www.ustigate.co.uk
www.ustigatewaterplay.co.uk

CROWD PLEASERS

Posted on May 5, 2021

CROWD PLEASERS

PROSLIDE’S KIDZ RIDES can be accommodated in either indoors or outdoors

Keep ahead of the competition, with stand-out attractions….
In an often crowded market, holiday parks and resorts understand the need for differentiation. More and more destinations are setting themselves apart with attractions like high-performance water rides that deliver impactful return on investment and draw in the ever- important guest demographic: families. Water parks have been shown to differentiate parks and resorts by increasing guest satisfaction, occupancy rates, perceived value, and secondary spending on things like concessions. ProSlide’s KIDZ Rides are part of its WaterKINGDOM suite of water rides and attractions and are purposefully designed to cater to a park and resort’s family guests, leaving them with an exciting and memorable Experience that keeps them coming back. ProSlide’s KIDZ Rides provide families the excitement of a water ride with the comfort and safety envisioned and designed for kids. They offer a ‘graduated ride experience’ that allows younger guests to aspire toward a more advanced ride as they age, while still providing distinctive, high-performance water slides that also mirror their adult counterparts in design and experience. This ensures that no matter the age, there’s always a ProSlide ride for every age group.

SMALLER FOOTPRINT
ProSlide’s KIDZ Rides also boast an array of benefits that make them the ideal fit for holiday parks and resorts. The ride’s smaller footprint allows them to fit any vision and topography. Add to that an easily customisable ride path, ProSlide’s KIDZ rides can be accommodated in either an indoor space or an outdoor one. Being able to customize the rides means they’re also the perfect attraction to add to an expanding family entertainment area. ProSlide’s latest KIDZ Ride additions have made some of the most impactful debuts imaginable at world-class water parks around the world in the past 12 months. The world’s first KIDZ RallyRACER at Atlantis Aquaventure in Dubai, UAE, brings the pinnacle of a competitive water racing experience to young riders for the first time ever.
Utilising ProSlide’s patented RallyPOINTS – portions of u-shaped flume with low divider walls – that appear at multiple sections throughout the ride, young riders can see and hear their competition as they race side-by- side. The exclusive design merges the excitement and action of the original RallyRACER® with the industry-leading design considerations present in ProSlide’s KIDZ rides. The debut of the KIDZWAVE® at Soaky MountainWaterpark in Tennessee, USA delivered the park an iconic water ride purposefully designed for its family customers. Like the KIDZ RallyRACER®, its design and experience are inspired by its larger counterpart, the TornadoWAVE®. By incorporating ProSlide’s award-winning TORNADO® technology, the KIDZWave sends young riders on a thrilling journey up the arched wall.
During 2021, ProSlide has even more exciting installations of KIDZ Rides coming up in parks all over the globe. Europa-Park’s Rulantica in Rust, Germany is set to install an industry leading aquatic play structure with multiple ProSlide KIDZ Rides like serpentine TWISTERS and the competitive, multi-lane ProRACER®. UP AND COMING NovaHills in Mui Ne, Vietnam will also enjoy an array of KIDZ Rides, like the KIDZ ProRACER® and KIDZ TWISTER, with their brand new dedicated KIDZ Zone coming this summer. ProSlide’s KIDZ Rides are making a dramatic impact at hotels and resorts around the world, increasing guest satisfaction and ROI, while also cementing themselves as the ideal destination with world-leading water ride attractions to set any park or resort apart.

ProSlide
Tel. +1.613.526.5522
info@ProSlide.com
www.ProSlide.com