If there’s one thing Hippo Leisure has learned from 25 years in the water play business it’s that sometimes you need to pivot. Pool operators need to do the same.
This is the advice we give our customers thinking about water play, including those who recognise it as a means of increasing family visits and revenue, but have concerns. We regularly hear that water supply is an issue, or that a complete overhaul is not affordable, and some customers simply don’t know where to start. However, there are innovative ways to tackle each of these worries. A marked decline in leisure pools over the years has resulted in many being replaced with teaching or lane pools. However, we have worked with our customers to increase revenue through play. The challenge of declining leisure pools has seen our team devise new ideas to get water play into pool halls without disrupting pool users. Our most popular solution has been interactive walls. They provide tactile play with bright and colourful designs, feature touch and sound games, and can even be installed with or without a water supply. This solution wouldn’t have been possible in 1997 when we set out but, then again, it wouldn’t have been necessary. Back then, leisure pools were as popular as ever, yet no one can argue that they have progressed immeasurably since. Trends have changed significantly in 25 years, and the way we understand the world around us has changed too. An abundance of research has gone into the value of interactive water play, and it is now recognised as a means of building water confidence. Above all else, it is inclusive for everybody.
These qualities were important to Newbridge Leisure Centre in South Wales, which wanted to turn its existing leisure pool into a highly interactive water play area for children of all ages and ability groups. With this in mind, we installed a wide variety of features and utilised existing water supplies for all features. More than £50,000 was invested in the first phase of the project to transform the toddler pool into a highly interactive water play area, with our unique waterball being the highlight among other features. After the success of phase one, the client approached us again to see how we could expand the water play offering. We created an entirely new water play space on the poolside, utilising the water supply to the waterball previously installed. The introduction of an interactive water play wall was the main focus and included a touch and sound game, a high-level spray rail and wet pour safety surface. The third and final phase of the project included flooring, a flume speed timer and traffic lights, plus four animal-themed float taking the total investment to more than £130,000. The three installations have resulted in the Newbridge pool being transformed into a highly interactive water play area for the whole family.
The venue has benefited from a significant increase in family visits, enhanced revenue and of course, more fun. No one knows what the future holds for the leisure pool industry, but one thing’s for sure – operators must be prepared to pivot to take make the most of changing trends. From retrofitting to replacing out-of-date features to installing bespoke, new-build operations, there are numerous ways that operators can evolve their pool offering to provide highly interactive water play experiences that will encourage the whole family to return time and time again.
SC2, Rhyl - value: £1,400,000
In 2019, a destination water park launched in Rhyl offering indoor and outdoor water play for all ages and abilities as well as a host of other facilities. Known as SC2, the iconic attraction was designed to generate greater footfall, maximise viability and serve as a catalyst for attracting other investment to the town centre and seafront.
Working with Alliance Leisure, which led the development, Hippo Leisure provided an interactive water play area and slides as well as an outside water play area utilising existing facilities to complete the impressive water play features that would help build water confidence and ensure plenty of smiles.
The large indoor leisure pool has a maximum water depth of 900mm and a beach entry at one end, giving non-swimmers and swimmers equal play opportunities and creating a safe and secure play environment. The pool also features two interactive water play areas - a large interactive play structure and a water confidence zone.
The interactive play structure is the centrepiece of the leisure pool offering plenty of big splash features. The design is based around a high-level indoor platform and staircase that accommodates three slides - a three-lane multi-slide, a wave slide and an Aqua tube - all starting from different levels on the platform.
For those less water confident, an area of the play structure is dedicated to low-level play, with low-level features and smaller toddler slides.
The dedicated water confidence zone can be used at low peak times without the larger play structure, creating a parent and toddlers’ session without the need to open the whole pool area.
Hippo Leisure also made improvements to the existing outdoor paddling pool adding new features and a new layout to make use of the existing water supply locations.
