Caught on the Floor: New Water Slide Concepts and Project Outlooks
At IAAPA Expo, Polin Waterparks presented two new slide concepts and provided an outlook on upcoming installations, particularly in the Middle East.
(eap) The autumn trade fairs of the international leisure and amusement industry serve as a stage for numerous attraction manufacturers to present newly developed products and announce projects. At the IAAPA Expo in Orlando, USA, which took place last November, the Turkish water slide specialist Polin Waterparks also presented two new slide concepts and provided an outlook on upcoming installations, particularly in the Middle East.
One of the two newly presented products, “Orbix,” is a further development of Polin’s Rift slide. The concept features a dueling raft slide that leads into an imposing, likewise dual-lane ring. There, guests oscillate up and down next to each other several times until the raft loses momentum and exits the element again at the side. When operated with double rafts, a capacity of 720 people per hour is to be achieved. The second new product is a themed raft slide, also designed for dueling operation, named “Xaya”. The installation consists of two Boomerang slides of the “Turbolance” type, in which guests first slide side by side, then descend a drop, and finally slide up a curved wall. A special feature here is the Maya-style design, which can additionally be enhanced with water curtains, projection mapping, sound, and cooling mist effects. Optionally, the integration of a virtual reality system is also possible.
With regard to upcoming projects, Polin announced a further installation of the Stingray slide type: after the first installation went into operation in summer 2024 at O’Gliss Park near Nantes, France, (c.f. EAP 5/2024), the second installation of this type is currently under construction at the Oasis Bay water park in Dubai Parks & Resorts. The park is scheduled to celebrate its opening in February 2026, including a Stingray attraction with customized theming in the style of a giant parrot. In addition, two ring-shaped raft slides of the Rift type as well as an extensive, themed water play structure, also by Polin, are being built.
In addition, Al Ain Zoo in Abu Dhabi will receive several water playgrounds with various slides. Further large slide installations by the manufacturer are, according to the company, scheduled to open this year at the Pyramisa Resort in Hurghada (Egypt), the Tauá Resort in João Pessoa (Brazil), the Shipwreck Cove Water Park in Duncan (South Carolina, USA), and Othaim Park in Dammam (Saudi Arabia), among others.
More information on additional product innovations and projects presented at the trade fair in Orlando can be found in our trade show report “Caught on the Floor”, published in the current issue of EAP Magazine (No. 1/2026). An overview of prices and awards honoring outstanding developments in the global leisure industry in 2025 can be found in the EAP News of 20 November 2025 (“Brass Ring Awards”) and 19 November 2025 (“Thea Awards”). ■
