West Edmonton Waterpark - slides ok for non-swimmers?

[clem24]

I haven't been to the World Waterpark in ages so my memory jogs me on how the slides are laid out.. But do you need to know how to swim to go on the slides? IIRC, there was one slide that flushed you out like a toilet that required you to swim out (and I think that slide has been replaced). Otherwise all the other slides just dumped you out in waist high water no?

I am asking because I am thinking of taking my 5 year old and possibly my almost 3 year old (both can't swim) to the Waterpark.

[ercchry]

the toilet bowl slide is still there... but yes. its the only deep water one. but depth is all relative to height... a 3 year old is not going to be finding themselves in any knee or waist deep water. you also hit the water off balance and with some good speed.

they do have that mellow adventure tube thing on the other side though. that would probably be fun for the kids.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Some slides dump you into pools and some don't.

[JfuckinC]

Get them kids in some lessons! Kids that don't know how to swim miss out on all sorts of shit as they get older. 2 of my roomates can't swim and houseboating sucks for them when everyone else is swimming/rafting the lake.. They can still do it, they just have to rely on floaties lol...

[GS430]

As embarassed as I am to say it, I can't swim. :rofl:

There are plenty of slides that you just kinda' cruise into a shallow area of water. They should be fine for the majority of them, if anything just ask the life guards or people working there.

Definitely don't take them on that toilet bowl thing.


Have fun!

[FraserB]

Most exit to a ~4' pool. There is the one exception which is the round one that drops you out the bottom (10' deep) and several the are just a trough at the end.

Go on the vertical drop ones for sure and the loop. SO CRAZY.:nut:

BTW: They will let a caretaker be at the bottom of the slide to help their kid out.

[ercchry]

that loop one is awesome! i also like how all of the crazy ones now have that pod that drops the floor out on you. really speeds up the line since you have no choice but to go once they lock you in

[FraserB]

The purple and yellow ones that are an 80* drop are awesome and there is never a line.

I went down the double purple one where you catch air, went down the yellow 80* drop, walked back up and then went down the purple 80* drop all in the time it Tomco to go down the one where you sit on the little sled and down the long chute.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

The loop one scares the shit out of me because its like I'm drowning, the skimming one is awesome, so many ways to screw around on that one.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[msommers]

hKN9Oz9Ypk8

[GS430]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
I never met somebody who can’t swim until I moved to Alberta, lol.

Hey man I was born just off the Adriatic, and I can't.

It's a fear of drowning :(

[Sugarphreak]

...

[msommers]

I think it's more a present-time thing. When I went to school, we all were basically forced to take swimming lessons. There isn't one person I know other than my Grandma who doesn't know how to swim.

I feel like there is so much liability bullshit happening these days, schools are less willing to do stuff like that. Do most kids even go on field trips now?!

[Mibz]

I had to take swimming lessons in school, also at summer camp. Still can't do it :P

[ercchry]

learning to swim in an actual lake vs a pool suuucked... im surprised i still like going near the water after that :rofl:

but to be fair, i do not swim for leisure. more so out of necessity for the things i enjoy about the water

[KRyn]

I don't understand how people "can't swim", all you do is thrash about in the water and you are swimming.
:nut: :D

As mentioned, with the exception of a few slides you don't need to know how to swim to enjoy the West Ed water park.

[clem24]

Sweet, thanks for the info! Ya my kids will be in swim lessons at the end of this month. I was forced into swim lessons from elementary through junior high for phys ed.

I can swim, though not very well. At least I have enough confidence in my abilities that I do go snorkeling in the ocean. One thing I still can't do is tread water. But yah, swimming is definitely only necessary for stuff I like to do in the water, never for leisure. I was so bad in swim lessons that I remember I was stuck in like either the lowest or second lowest color (orange, yellow?) for years!! I was literally in the same lessons as beginners/kindergarteners after 3 or 4 years!!! I think they finally let me move on (red?) after a few years cause I was just simply too old, not cause I actually passed. That was embarrassing. :banghead:

[dj_patm]

Originally posted by KRyn
I don't understand how people "can't swim", all you do is thrash about in the water and you are swimming.
:nut: :D


Thats my mentality too... I'm not trying to be mean I just don't understand not being able to swim. I can see being afraid of it but there's nothing to "know" really... Kick your legs and move your arms so that you push water away from the direction you're going... you're swimming?

[GS430]

Originally posted by dj_patm


Thats my mentality too... I'm not trying to be mean I just don't understand not being able to swim. I can see being afraid of it but there's nothing to "know" really... Kick your legs and move your arms so that you push water away from the direction you're going... you're swimming?


hahah hey it baffles my mind too. I'm athletic and everything and it just doesn't click for me.

[dj_patm]

Originally posted by GS430



hahah hey it baffles my mind too. I'm athletic and everything and it just doesn't click for me.

Don't worry, that sounds like me with Golf. I am probably the worst golfer of all time and I actually think I have gotten worse with practice...

I blame it on my vision :nut: . 20/20 in one eye and having another eye that I can barely see out has to have some effect... :dunno:

[Mibz]

http://i.imgur.com/mGTzLsG.gif

[clem24]

Bwahahaha here they are.. The Canadian Swimming Badges:

http://www.guidingproject.info/catalogue/swimming.html

Stuck on yellow and orange for who knows how long LOL.

[blitz]

Haha, I remember those.

Failed Orange 3 times!

[Sugarphreak]

...

[ercchry]

i recall getting to maroon or blue before it changed to numbers... i think i was in 11 when i was told i didnt have to go anymore... and since that was during the "test" where we had to do laps for over an hour when it was 12 degrees out and there was white caps on the lake... i stopped :rofl:

[masoncgy]

OMG... I remember when I passed "Blue" and opened up the card to see my badge and the little swimmer guy in the corner was missing from it... like he drowned... hahaha.

I should see if I can find it... I think I still have it tucked away somewhere.

[max_boost]

I am gonna fulfill my childhood dream of going to the waterpark. Swimming like everything else is practice lol just gotta keep doing it.

Sofa king glad I can swim now, not great but good enough. Definitely get your kids in lessons lol I went 20 years between lessons and can honestly say it was one of the hardest things to learn lol age 30 and can't even blow bubbles lmao

[Cos]

.

[Myrrinda]

Originally posted by GS430


Hey man I was born just off the Adriatic, and I can't.

It's a fear of drowning :(

You know you're more likely to drown if you CAN'T swim, right?

Everyone should at least know how to tread water.

[GS430]

Originally posted by Myrrinda


You know you're more likely to drown if you CAN'T swim, right?

Everyone should at least know how to tread water.

LOL After all these years, I never thought how stupid that sounded.

[max_boost]

Hahahahaha lol more like if you can't swim, you will drown lol I don't know if there's a "more than likely" in there :D

[ercchry]

you know whats NOT easy? trying to get to shore when you get dumped from the raft on the river between banff and canmore. pretty sure i'd be dead if i couldnt swim :nut:

[TomcoPDR]

Originally posted by FraserB
The purple and yellow ones that are an 80* drop are awesome and there is never a line.

I went down the double purple one where you catch air, went down the yellow 80* drop, walked back up and then went down the purple 80* drop all in the time it Tomco to go down the one where you sit on the little sled and down the long chute.

I still say someone should oragnize a private group buy. $7,000 for 3 hours for the whole place, max capacity 1,800

http://www.wem.ca/pdf/groups-world-waterpark.pdf

Regular adult admission, packed with strangers = $35

So at $7,000, all you need is 200 people to break even at regular fare, except you get the whole place to your own group.

[sillysod]

I took my 5 year old there last Saturday. I also took him there when he was 4.

The slides all have a height ruler on them, they won't let you take your little one on any of the potentially dangerous slides.

There were a lot my son wanted to try that they wouldn't let him. There are probably only 5 or 6 slides in the entrie facility that you will be able to use.

Some of the slides allow for life jackets (that they rent there).

I have found though that the wave pool seems to be the biggest hit for him. He loves going out in a life vest and floating in the waves.

[D'z Nutz]

Originally posted by clem24
Bwahahaha here they are.. The Canadian Swimming Badges:

http://www.guidingproject.info/catalogue/swimming.html

Stuck on yellow and orange for who knows how long LOL.



Originally posted by blitz
Haha, I remember those.

Failed Orange 3 times!


Haha I just got the yellow badge before they stopped using that system! Those assholes!

[msommers]

I got my grey and then didn't take any lessons after that. The colours were a much more enjoyable system than the numbers I think.