Make a splash on KareKare Curl at Aquatica

Are you feeling daring enough to brave KareKare Curl, Aquatica’s newest thrill ride? Open since April, KareKare Curl promises to deliver a gravity-defying sensation of weightlessness as you soar up a vertical wave wall! Translating KareKare from it’s Maori origins you will discover that it means ‘waves’ which when twinned with the rest of its name equates to a ‘curved-shaped wave’ – which is what riders will find themselves riding as they fly out of the tube and up the wave wall!

KareKare Curl is designed for two riders at a time – as the raft needs to be correctly balanced. Guests need to be 48” (1.22m) tall to ride and an individual rider’s maximum weight for KareKare Curl is 250lb (17st 12lb / 113.4kg), while both riders’ combined weight cannot exceed 400lb (28st 8lb / 181.4kg). Both you and your ride partner will have to step on some scales before riding, and although this might seem a little embarrassing, remember that it is all about your safety. If your combined weight is a little high, you will have to change rider groups to a more suitable weight pairing. One advantage to being in a heavier duo though, is the more you weigh, the higher you will go up the wall!

Riders face each other as they travel 35ft down a striped enclosed tube, before climbing back up the wall to experience an amazing weightless feeling. At just 361ft long the ride lasts around 30 seconds, and the line moves pretty quickly – there will be the chance to ride again and again!

With plenty of other slide rides to thrill all members of the family, it’s easy to see why Aquatica has been voted the ‘Nation’s Best Outdoor Water Park’ by USA Today. Take a trip on Ray Rush, the family raft ride where you are launched by water jets into a tube, before sliding out onto a pair or manta ray wings. More family fun awaits on the Walhalla Wave ride – where you will slip and slide through a series of twisting tunnels – hold on tight! Afterwards, hop onto an inner tube and slide down the Whanau Way, which consists of four colourful raft slides with waterfalls. This is a slide for single and double riders – and, of course, you’ll have to try each path to see which one is your favourite!

Get in a spin over at Tassie’s Twisters, a raft ride with a difference! Cross the relaxing Loggerhead Lane lazy river to reach the island at its centre – before climbing the tower for the ride. Board a raft and wait to be shot out into a massive stripy bowl, where you will spin around and around before being launched into the calm lazy river – try not to get too dizzy!

Feeling a bit competitive? Why not race against the family on the Taumata Racer? Grab a mat, and launch yourself down one of eight slides headfirst – who will get to the bottom first? The Omaka Rocka also features twin slides – where single riders speed down large purple and blue tunnels that twist and turn all the way to the ground!

Prepare to drop feet first over at Ihu's Breakaway Falls, Orlando’s steepest multi-drop tower of its kind! Face the other riders waiting nervously in the coloured tubes – who will drop first? Feel the floor give way as you are plunged 40ft downwards, before slipping and sliding your way through a 360-degree water slide. This is certainly not a ride for the faint hearted!

If you are a nature lover, make sure that you try the Dolphin Plunge – an incredibly popular slide where you slide underwater into the domain of the dolphins, who you might be lucky enough to see racing along the tube next to you! There are also viewing windows near to the ride where you can spend more time watching the dolphins at play.

With so much to see and do around Aquatica, it’s the ideal family destination for your Florida holiday. Soak up the sun and relax on one of the sandy beaches, let your worries drift away on the lazy river, or experience the thrills and spills of the exciting slides! If you fancy front-of-the line access, check out the Quick Queue add-on to your ticket. This will get you straight to the action for Whanau Way, Omaka Rocka, Ihu's Breakaway Falls, and Taumata Racer an unlimited number of times, with a one-time use for KareKare Curl and Ray Rush, as these are both the latest additions to the park. Contact us for more details on SeaWorld and Aquatica ticket packages!

Have you ridden the KareKare Curl yet? Which is your favourite waterslide at Aquatica? We’d love to hear from you and see your photos – drop us a line using our social media channels!