Making waves: Sask Aquatic Adventure reopening for summer

Would you rather take your kids to the park or the lake this summer? How about both?

Get ready to make a splash with Sask Aquatic Adventures reopening its inflatable water parks. The aquatic play zone is a giant, bouncy, obstacle course that floats on top of water.

Gormley chatted with co-owner Steph Baer on Thursday about the water playground.

“We are actually going to start this weekend at our first location at Regina Beach, given the weather is going to hold out for us,” Baer said.

Regina Beach is the first location the water play zone occupied in 2019. Since then, swelling crowds have caused the company to expand to nine different locations across Saskatchewan.

“It’s growing every year and becoming more and more popular,” said Baer. “Plus, as we are going to more locations, it makes it more easier to travel for people in northern locations.”

Two new locations have been added at provincial parks this year: Sandy Bay at Candle Lake, and Greg Lake at Meadow Lake. Other locations are at Tufts Bay at Diefenbaker Lake, Buffalo Pound Provincial Park, Greenwater Provincial Park, Duck Mountain Provincial Park, Blackstrap, and Battleford Provincial Park.

The inflatable parks look like they were dreamed up from the blueprints of a child’s imagination. Giant slides, monkey bars, and climbing walls tower high above the obstacle course. Trampolines and rolling logs cause kids to bounce off into the drink. All blows are cushioned by the water or the inflatable itself.

Baer said one obstacle keeps kids coming back for more.

“The one that people find to be the biggest attraction is the blocks,” said Baer. “You lay on it and you get bounced into the air.”

Restrictions and precautions are put in place so everyone remains safe on the course. Lifeguards are stationed at multiple points on the course and lifejackets are provided with admission fees.

The water park is open all summer, weather permitting. Luckily, the inflatable will not fly away in strong Saskatchewan winds.

“We have a good anchoring system that was put to the test through a couple of wild storms last summer that tested our product quite well,” said Baer. “They seem to hold their place quite well

“(Closure) all depends on the location and which direction the wind is coming, and how fast and strong the wind is. If the wind is too fast and too strong, we will close down.”

Kids should be able to hit the aquatic jungle gym in June and they should be fully operational by July.