Everything about Wave Pool totally explained
A
wave pool is a
swimming pool in which are artificially generated reasonably large
waves, similar to the
ocean's. Wave pools are often a major feature of
water parks.
History
Several locations claim to have developed the first wave pool in the
United States, including
Big Surf in
Tempe, Arizona, in 1969
(External Link
), and
Point Mallard Park's
Aquatic Center, in the city of
Decatur,
Alabama. But Palisades Amusement Park, a famed center atop the New Jersey Palisades across the Hudson River from New York City, had a salt-water wave pool during the 1940s. This was a huge pool whose waves were generated by a waterfall at one end. The pool in Point Mallard Park was developed in the early 1970s after Mayor Gilmer Blackburn saw enclosed "wave-making" swimming pools in
Japan and thought one could be a tourist attraction in the
United States. J. Austin Smith, an
Ohio wave pool manufacturer, worked with the city of Decatur to design and install the wave pool in
1970.
Operation
Wave pools replicate the movement of the ocean one of two ways, depending on the size of the pool and the size of wave desired. In small wave pools,
pressurized air is blown onto the surface of the water, or a
paddle creates force in the water, creating small
ripple-like waves. Other techniques utilize an "accordion mechanism" which opens and closes in order to suck water into its belly (opening) and push it out (closing) to cause waves. However, in high-volume wave pools, a large amount of water is quickly allowed into the far end of the pool, forcing the water to even out, generating a sizeable wave. In these large wave pools, the excess water is removed by being channeled through a return canal where it can be used again to generate another wave.
Types and locations
Generally, wave pools are designed to use fresh water at inland locations, but some of the largest ones, near other seashore developments, use salt water. Wave pools are typically larger than other recreational swimming pools and for that reason are often in parks or other large, open areas.
Safety
Wave pools are more difficult to lifeguard than still pools, and there have been drownings in some. For example, the pool at
New Jersey's now-defunct
Action Park took two lives, and kept the lifeguards busy rescuing patrons who overestimated their swimming ability. The moving water, sun glare, and other factors make them difficult for lifeguards.
Computer automated
drowning detection systems don't work in wave pools. Drowning prevention systems such as Swimguard use underwater cameras and might improve safety.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Wave Pool'.
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