Buying a Home Waterslide

style=’mso-element:field-begin’>style=’mso-spacerun:yes’> SEQ CHAPTER h r 1style=’mso-element:field-end’>One of the hottest products for sale this summer has been the inflatable home water slide. It’s a great alternative to swimming pools, and many are surprisingly large for something designed to go into your backyard.

Waterslides are slides that have had friction reduced by the water flowing down them. The first problem with home water slides is that while they are slides coated in water, it’s hard to keep them well-covered with water. If you have an outside water outlet with pressure strong enough to cover the slide well, the hose will probably tend to slip off; if the pressure isn’t strong enough, children can run into enough friction to send them tumbling down the slide, or off of it.

This is why you should always set waterslides up on grassy areas, with relatively soft ground. Falling children shouldn’t be injured by falls onto such areas. Keep other large toys, like trampolines and bicycles, at least ten feet away as well, and enforce a rule of no horseplay.

If you think you can handle the hazards (which, in the end, aren’t much worse than on the average playground), start looking. The Six Flags series, sold at Wal-Mart and Target as well as several other places, are good to start with. Prices range from about $200 to about $500 in 2006, and the waterslide you get at that price can be surprisingly large. If you have a small backyard, take measurements before buying one; you should also ensure you have an outdoor electrical outlet you can use for your waterslide.

The best ones have more than just a basic slide. A faux climbing wall, consisting of handholds built into a steep slope, can provide almost as much fun as, and much more exercise than, the slide part itself. A few are divided into dual slides, for racing, and others are extra high. The one thing you should not allow is lingering in the pool of water at the bottom; down here, children in the water have a chance of being hit by others rocketing down the slide.

Another thing to look for if you’re anything like me is a slide that can hold at least four hundred pounds. One of this size is safe for adults to use; and who hasn’t looked out at their kids and wished that they could play like that too? Ask yourself if the extra expense to buy a sturdier slide (which incidentally will be safer for your kids as well) is worth it. Smaller kids, however, will probably have more fun; they typically get a faster ride.

Another thing you need to be aware of: the waterslide will be a draw for the whole neighborhood. It’s a good idea to make sure that parents send signed notes with kids letting you know that they’re okay with their son or daughter playing on it.

Make certain you keep your receipt in a place where you can find it. While most of the slides are fine, you may have problems after a while with the pump or other components of the waterslide. And you absolutely must anchor it down with the supplied anchors; if any of them are missing from your package, return it immediately. Do not use it without the anchors.

My favorite of all these waterslides is the Six Flags Banzai Falls Mega Racer; it has a twenty-two-foot long dual-lane slide with a two-foot deep catch pool at the bottom, and the nice climbing wall at the back; and it can hold about four hundred pounds. It does have the problem with the water hose popping off, but you can use bunjee cord or other things to anchor it if you’re clever. And the size and thrill of the Mega Racer makes it worth the headache of jerry-rigging the hose.

One last thing: when you put the slide away, do everything you can to ensure it’s dry, and store it somewhere with air circulation. You can get dry chemicals that absorb water from your hardware store, and I recommend it. The last thing you want is to spend a fortune on this nice toy and then have it mildew into uselessness.