Richmond Hill's indoor wave pool features new 100-foot 'blue-tiful waterslide'

Reporter Aileen Zangouei experiences new slide

Yorkregion.com
Jan 11, 2019
Aileen Zangouei

A long, striped blue and red water mat device passes by me in the wave pool floating its way to the deep end.

“I want that!” I shout.

I hop towards the water mat until the ground beneath me is too deep. Finally, I quickly grab it and plop my body up onto it. Success.

The alarms go off and all the children in the pool shriek with excitement and laughter.

Everyone has their fears, and one of mine has always been deep water, being under the water, the way things sound under the water, and sharks….

But no sharks here other than the hanging decor from the ceiling of a shark with goggles.

Waves of water rush toward me, the ones behind them gradually getting bigger. Children are laughing, parents with their young ones are holding on, and life guards have their eyes peeled, especially on those near the deep end walls.

This is how I remember it when I first came here many years ago, when I, too, was but a little child. Even the underwater vents were still in place, which as a little girl I always imagined was a monstrous shark lurking below.

Remembering

I wish I remembered that the change room lockers accept quarters, (loonies in the family change room) and then locks when you remove the key, because I had bought new locks before I went to the wave pool. I also wish I remembered to wash my hair, which a life guard made me do before I was allowed to enter the water.

Although I had seen four women before me go in with dry hair, but wet bodies, I went back into the change room and wet my hair for three seconds. And "wallah," I was permitted to enter the pool.

But first, I walk over to the far side to try the new, improved, 100-foot “blue-tiful waterslide” that I read beforehand has rainbow effects.

Rainbow effects

I’m next to go down the slide, and although I’m feeling nervous, and anxious, I’m also really excited. I sit at the rim of the slide and look down at a dark blue tunnel that is lit with rings of bright colours near the turn. I slowly push myself forward and the stream of water takes me down the slippery slope.

I let out a short shriek before I shoot through the rings of yellow, red, and blue - indeed making a cool rainbow effect. I keep going through the tunnel water slide that transitions from plain blue back to the rainbow effect again.

I remember thinking, “Ah this is scary. ... Oh wow, look at the pretty colours. ... Oh no, its scary again. ... Ahh the pretty colours are back.” All before I splash into the flat bed of water at the end.

The old slide used to have you slide off midair in the end and right into the pool. I like the new slide much better, considering you aren’t submerged underwater in the end, plus it’s a lot faster.

 On the way around to enter the wave pool, I dip my toe in the swirl pool’s shallow water, where the toddlers and adults go to soak in nice, lazy warm water. It’s warm for sure, but If I go all in, I’ll freeze in the wave pool, so I skip it.

Lost and Then Found

The first round of waves finish, which I think lasted 10 minutes. But in the midst of what feels like survival - gulping water and burning eyes from chlorine - it’s hard to tell.

Oh no! One of my silver hoops is missing.

“Yeah, it’s gone,” said someone who had noticed.

I don’t think so.

I swim back to the deep end to find the kids who were yelled at by one of the life guards for play-fighting during the waves.

“Hey, you guys have goggles and I was wondering if you could find my hoop earring for me?”

“Oh, they’ll find it,” their mother assures me.

“I found it!!!” a girl shrieks.

We high-five all around, and I call it a day to stop testing my luck.

From the fast colourful slide, to the waves and the free swim, ‘The Wave Pool’ in Richmond Hill still offers great family fun and activities like it has done in the past, with the exception of the new 100-foot slide.

Open all year round, The Wave Pool also features an on-deck sauna, reclining chairs to simply relax on, water basketball net to shoot some hoops, a special section in the swirl pool for therapeutic use, wheelchair lift right into the water of the swirl pool, and a free WiFi spot.

5 Hopkins St., Richmond Hill

905-508-9283

Hours:

Wednesday: 7:05 to 8:30 p.m.

Saturday: 1:30 to 4 p.m., 4:30 to 7 p.m.

Sunday: 1:30 to 4 p.m., 4:30 to 7 p.m.

Cost:

Under 3: Free

Child: (3-15) $6

Adult: (16-64) $9.90

Senior: (65+) $6.80

www.richmondhill.ca

Aileen Zangouei reports on things to do around York Region, twice a month, and is always looking for new places she can come and experience. If you have a business in York Region that gives people something to do, or know of a place, contact her at azangoueiyrmg.com.