What Makes a Great Aqua Park?

Whether you run a play centre, aqua park or a trampoline park, the competition within the family entertainment business is fierce. Having worked with family entertainment centers of all shapes and sizes, we have learned a few things along the way. In this series of articles, we will share with you how to make your venue stand out from the crowd. This time we will be looking at how to make a splash with your aqua park.

Aqua parks are becoming more popular with families who are seeking fun and adventurous outdoor activities to do in their spare time. With the following tips, you can ensure that your aqua park is great and that your visitors have the best day out. Let’s dive right in.

Tips and tricks on building the best Aqua Park

A Range of Activities within your Aqua Park

When you run an aqua park there are a number of activities you can offer that will make your aqua park go from good to great:

• Inflatable Obstacle Course

From climbing to balancing, to rolling, to surviving a blast cannon; there is a huge list of fun obstacles that are available to form an incredible aqua park. A wipe-out obstacle course is the crux of your aqua park so it’s important to get it right. A variety of inflatables is crucial to keep visitors happy. Some may prefer to play it safe, others may prefer more of a challenge. Some examples of water obstacles include monkey bars, flip bags, trampolines, hurdles, slides, climbing walls, swings, and podiums to jump from.

• Aqua Chimp

Test their upper body strength with a series of ropes and ladders. Guests will dangle above the water making their way across the hanging course attempting not to drop. This activity is perfect for those who want to challenge themselves a little more.

• Paddleboarding SUP

A huge craze at the moment is SUP – stand up paddleboarding. This activity is great as it can be attempted by anyone. It is challenging, but once your guests get the hang of it they won’t be able to resist coming back for more.

• Wakeboarding

A little more tricky and intense than paddle boarding, wakeboarding is a big hit amongst adrenaline junkies, which combines elements of acrobatics, water slalom, surfing and snowboarding.

• Waterskiing

Much like wakeboarding, waterskiing is best left to the more experienced visitor or people that have received lessons. This fast-paced sport is difficult to get the hang of, but once they do, they will be thrilled to have somewhere to be able to practice their skills.

• Open Water Swimming at your Aqua Park

More and more people are taking to the lakes for open swimming. It is an invigorating experience that can’t be equalled by a swim in an indoor pool. Open swimming can be a dangerous activity, however, an open swim at an aqua park offers the swimmers the best of both worlds. They experience the thrill of an open swim but in a supervised, safe environment.

• Boats to Hire

For those who prefer a more serene activity, hiring boats is a great way for them to get out onto the water, without having to get wet.

Competitive Element

Wipeout style challenges that offer that competitive element are very popular and make a great aqua park. It works particularly well for group bookings, giving friends and family a chance to engage in a little healthy competition. Racing along the inflatables and trying not to fall off is amazing fun for customers of all ages. For time-based activities and competitions between your customers, we can provide RFID wristbands to help you collect real-time data.

Lessons 

Offering lessons in SUP, wakeboarding and waterskiing is a great way to encourage repeat visits as lessons are generally booked in blocks and pre-paid. The more lessons that people attend the more they will want to visit to show off their tricks. Encouraging older children and teenagers to take up a hobby can be a waste of time. Giving them the option of something a little out of the ordinary might just pique their interest.

Similarly, you could involve the little ones by offering swimming lessons. Swimming is a life skill that the majority of parents insist on their child learning. This will open them up to water-safe enjoyment on holidays and at your aqua parks.

Host Events at your Aqua Park

What could be more fun than a party on a water-based obstacle course? Marketing a ticketed event is sure to attract a lot of attention. Create a party atmosphere with music, marquees and additional entertainment. As always, use the power of social media to reach a wide audience. A great aqua park should always have a strong social media presence.

Parties and Groups

People are always on the lookout for an unforgettable party. It has become quite competitive to throw the ultimate event, whether it is for a birthday, hen party or stag party. By offering party packages at your aqua park, you are giving guests an amazing way to celebrate their special day. The great thing about a group booking is that it introduces visitors who may not have come otherwise, thus widening your audience. Boost your revenue further by offering a great value party pack that we can create for you fully custom to your brand.

Health and Safety at your Aqua Park

It goes without saying that health and safety is the number one priority of any aqua park. Buoyancy aids, wetsuits and aqua socks are a must-have for every guest. At Samurai, we understand the importance of water safety and know that its requirements differ from other family entertainment centres. Last year we became a Water Safety Partner of the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS), and our Aqua Park Socks have become the first of their kind to be a ‘Recommended Product’ for RLSS UK Approved Aqua Parks because they reduce health and safety risks for customers and improve user experience. The gel composition of our socks helps customers grip onto wet surfaces and prevent potential accidents caused by slipping. In addition to being an essential safety item, aqua park socks are a great way to show off your brand and add an additional revenue stream.

Buoyancy aids and wetsuits are also an opportunity for branding with your logos. As visitors share their photos on social media, your brand will be seen by all of their friends and followers.

Value for Money

Every activity centre needs to be value for money. It is not so much about the price itself, but what the customer perceives as being good value. For example, added extras, discounts and loyalty schemes will help potential guests to make their buying decision. Also, the more activities that are on offer add value as a family or group can easily spend an entire day enjoying the facilities.

Offering useful merchandise like bottles, bags, t-shirts etc will add value to your bookings as they can be used again and again.

On Dry Land

Finally, no matter what your active entertainment center is, it needs to offer refreshments in order to be great. If you want to encourage guests to stay for longer periods of time then a good quality, comfortable cafe is vital. Specifically for an aqua park, an area to dry off and warm up after wiping out into the water will be most welcome to your customers.

After following these tips, you can be sure you’re on track to running a great aqua park venue.

Samurai specialises in supplying the active entertainment market with a complete range of customized branded products, from Aqua Park Socks to towels to staff uniforms and everything else you could think of in between. If you’re interested in making your aqua park the best it can be, get in touch with us for some of our amazing, brand-boosting products to make sure your aqua entertainment center is the best!