Jun 05, 2014 Martin Palicki #52 - International 2014, Water Parks 0
Weighing your options – and your guests – in water park rides by Sam Baker, SR Instruments
2014 continues an encouraging trend for growth in indoor and outdoor water parks. Announcements of park upgrades, expansions, new high thrill rides and proposed new parks, all indicate a population enthusiastic about the fun and thrills available at family friendly venues. According to estimates from the World Water Park Association (WWA), more than 82.5 million guests will visit water parks this year.
With increased attendance comes an increased need for ways to accommodate different body types. Estimates vary regionally, but at least one calculation claims over one billion world citizens are considered overweight, with at least 64% of the US population earning that designation. Some of those people are going to be too heavy for some rides to safely accommodate, and park operators need non-confrontational, unbiased ways to address the situation.
Ride manufacturers are well aware of this reality. Their solution has been to supply park operators with recommended weight limits, especially for the most dynamic rides, and for multi-person rides.
Many parks post height and weight requirements, with slide attendants trained to size up riders and politely enforce them. Some parks back up the policy by installing scales at a critical point in the queue to gauge the actual weight of a rider or a group. Insurance carriers and risk management companies have responded favorably to the implementation of scales to help enforce rider safety in this way, as have some OSHA and state health boards.
With the use of standard scales comes the potential for confrontation. To mitigate this and avoid guest embarrassment, readouts have to be covered or angled so that only an attendant can see it. However, this means the attendant is making a determination based on something that the guest cannot see. A less confrontational method is to employ colored lights that are triggered by the reading on the scale, with red signifying “stop” and green signifying “go.”
Some parks have taken a DIY approach, building mechanical scales from kits or installing scales designed for other environments. As mechanical scales contain many metal parts prone to rust, these aren’t always successful in the long term in the humid setting of a water park, whether indoors or outdoors. The wide variety of climatic conditions from Sacramento to San Antonio and from Denver to Dubai, not to mention the particular challenges of indoor parks, makes the selection of scales challenging and worthy of careful investigation.
A specialist provider such as our company, SR Instruments, will offer operators a choice of purpose-built scale systems specifically designed and fabricated for use in water parks. Look for a range of sizes to accommodate the desired number of riders, and for a choice of freestanding or flush-mounted scales. We’ve found from observing our scales used in the field that a red/green light system, used in conjunction with well-trained operations staff, will help take the stress and confrontation out of the equation. If the light stays green riders are good to go, if the light is red, adjustments need to be made to meet weight limits, and since people equate traffic lights with safety, guests don’t often complain.
In finding a scale system, pay special attention to design, materials and construction. Scales made of stainless steel with hermetically sealed load cells and water sealed electronics are ideal to withstand environmental variations. The weighing surface must be extremely tough, chemical resistant, and non-skid. These specifications will help ensure a product that is heavy-duty, long-lasting, and trouble-free for many years. Also look for a solid warranty, and readily available technical service.
Purpose-built scales can also be uniquely customized with software to support data collection, enabling an operator to track the system’s performance. The turn-down rate due to overweight/underweight and other operational details for each ride can all easily be captured by software. The information can be used to inform actions by the operator to help maximize rider participation and minimize rider disappointments.
Finally, look for a supplier that can provide financial flexibility if needed. With everything that is at stake in new attraction investments and guest satisfaction, modern weight technology for enhanced safety and guest accommodation shouldn’t be something to skimp on.
Sam Baker has been the Director – Global Development with SR Instruments since 2008. SR is a US manufacturer of scale systems, used in medical applications, as stand alone scales, for hospitals, veterinarians, zoos, aquariums, fitness centers, and waterparks. Mr. Baker’s career has been in sales, marketing, and new business development.Apr 18, 2018 0
Apr 12, 2018 0
Apr 04, 2018 0
Apr 02, 2018 0
Apr 04, 2018 0
An eight-year team member of Alcorn McBride, Barrows...Apr 04, 2018 0
Projected opening for the new aquarium is 2019. The annual...Mar 03, 2018 0
Taylor Jeffs speaks to InPark about The Goddard Group's...Mar 02, 2018 0
"I brought a creative spirit that connected people, and an...Feb 14, 2018 0
In April 2018, the Dubai Entertainment, Amusement and...Feb 13, 2018 0
Team culture is basic to the company culture of PGAV...Feb 13, 2018 0
"What the fantasy does to its surroundings and what it does...Feb 13, 2018 0
Joe Fox has been a familiar face behind the scenes at TEA...Feb 13, 2018 0
The DreamWorks zone lets guests choose between four highly...Feb 13, 2018 0
We asked each of the conference chairs to share a taste of...Dec 04, 2017 0
JRA Director of Communications Clara Rice speaks about the...Nov 06, 2017 0
"I – quite frankly – want to make a difference and give...Nov 06, 2017 0
Today, designing and building dark rides has become one of...Oct 24, 2017 0
As a family-friendly IP, Peanuts offers just about...Sep 05, 2017 0
InPark speaks with PIXOMONDO's David Garber on specialty...Aug 27, 2017 0
The close relationship between vendor and client has helped...Aug 27, 2017 0
"We partnered with leading studios to create a unique...Aug 09, 2017 0
InPark speaks with Karen Staley, IAAPA Senior Vice...Jul 31, 2017 0
We put on our themed entertainment goggles and plunged into...Jun 28, 2017 0
PHOTO: June Ko, Paul Noland, and Wuthichai Luangamornlert...Jun 12, 2017 0
Ultimately, for a park to be successful, it must analyze...May 30, 2017 0
"There will always be parks that want to aim for records,...May 30, 2017 0
Last year, Six Flags began redefining the coaster...May 30, 2017 0
InPark Editor Martin Palicki sat down with Luc at the 2017...Apr 17, 2017 0
“Working in the industry can be dysfunctional at times,...