AquaLoop

An AquaLoop is a body water slide made by WhiteWater. Single riders are dropped down a near vertical slide and into an inclined loop. They are usually located in water parks.

History

Canadian manufacturer WhiteWater developed the world's only looping water slide, known as the AquaLoop. There are nearly 60 AquaLoop installations around the world. The first installation was at Terme 3000 water park, Slovenia in 2008. Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast was the first to install more than one AquaLoop at a single location. The AquaLoop uses a trap-door to release riders down a 17-metre (56 ft) near-vertical descent at a speed of up to 80 kmh (40 mph). Riders experience -2.5 Gs in less than 2 seconds. The whole ride is over within 5 seconds.

Ride

An AquaLoop is launched from a 17-metre (56 ft) platform. A single rider is loaded into a launch chamber where they stand with their hands across their chest. After a countdown, a trapdoor opens and the rider immediately drops 16 metres (52 ft) inside a near vertical slide. The rider accelerates to 60 kilometres per hour (37 mph) in just 2 seconds before entering the loop element. This element is a variation of the traditional vertical loop because it lies on an angle of approximately 45°. This variation of a loop is called an inclined loop. The 165-metre (541 ft) slide is over within 7 seconds.

Installations

60 Installations in the world

Similar water slides

The first known existence of a looping water slide was at Action Park in Vernon, USA, in the mid-1980s. Their water slide featured a vertical loop but was repeatedly closed due to safety concerns.

WhiteWater also developed the Flatline Loop which features a fast, downward-spiralling helix after a trapdoor release. The first installation was Triton's Twist at Funtown Splashtown. It was marketed as a looping water slide despite riders never actually experiencing an inversion.

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