Exciting leisure centres

[Vinnie01]

This is another Picture of the Wave Machine at this pool from the side



and the Motor room



Photography in the Plant room does not need to have a form filled.

[Mr Eggs]

Also I was taking pictures of the wave machine plenum chamber at this pool the life guards said providing there is no people

Tell me more...

[Vinnie01]

I always found these machines very interesting in how they work. I have taken pictures inside the Chambers from in the pool which is how I managed to get that old Pipe.

These Pneumatic Wave machines work by compressing air in the plenum chamber forcing out the water making waves and then allowing air to leave and water to return before doing it again. The Motor Picture only 1 blower works because other has packed up. So Right (as seen from the swimming pool) Chamber is only that makes waves which spans across the swimming pool.

When I was taking Photos as the wave machine was not working most people got out of the deep end to go on the slide it was still roped off. The swimming pool was closed to public due to a club that goes on in there. Most pools have a strict rule on photography because of people taking pics of children and etc and in changing rooms too. As I have signed that form I had permission to do that anyway. Most Lifeguards saw me doing that and did not mind.


In this Picture will show the pipe that moves left and right as it serves 2 of those pipes that I took a picture of in the pool. The Pipes are closest to the Dividing Wall in all the Chambers at this pool while the middle is wider and it has  1 pipe at both ends.



And this wave machine Blower below is at Windsor Leisure pool which works through butterfly valves and is 25 years old.



As for Swindon Oasis I saw a Video on youtube where someone took a video of the pool. I should be seeing their plant room soon too as that has now been arranged.

[Vinnie01]

Those slides seem to start in a connected building but end up in some mangy shed. Hope it's not one of those paedo-dens Chris Morris informed us all of.

The Mangy Shed is apart to the pool as I have just been there it basically it's own splash pool for the slides with a lifeguard watching and making people get out of the pool. As for the wave machine I believe it is Pneumatic because the machine can be heard at the right side near those short slides there is a window to the wave machine plant room and the sounds of the machine can be heard there and I have heard it power up and down.

1 thing I  did not know about this pool is the fact they had timed sessions and exceeded it by being in ques for the Dome buster. I havent rode the storm as I was unsure with my conditions.

Also the locker Key system is very different to the pools I have been in where you put money in for a Key. I have heard from many people this Leisure Centre will get taken over and refurbished. On a Timed Session they would call people with a color locker key band to get out and life guards will hold up the colors. Apparantly the slides were refurbished and no longer has mats.

[Replies From View]

The Mangy Shed is apart to the pool as I have just been there it basically it's own splash pool for the slides with a lifeguard watching and making people get out of the pool. As for the wave machine I believe it is Pneumatic because the machine can be heard at the right side near those short slides there is a window to the wave machine plant room and the sounds of the machine can be heard there and I have heard it power up and down.

1 thing I  did not know about this pool is the fact they had timed sessions and exceeded it by being in ques for the Dome buster. I havent rode the storm as I was unsure with my conditions.

Also the locker Key system is very different to the pools I have been in where you put money in for a Key. I have heard from many people this Leisure Centre will get taken over and refurbished. On a Timed Session they would call people with a color locker key band to get out and life guards will hold up the colors. Apparantly the slides were refurbished and no longer has mats.

Wow, I'd forgotten all this!  Yes, the keys for the lockers are affixed to coloured rubber bands, which people wear around their ankle or wrist, so they are swimming the whole time with these horrible, tight bands squeezing them.  And that's right, a whistle is blown and the appropriate band colour held up so everyone wearing a certain colour band gets out after a certain amount of time.

I'm surprised they've kept that system going after all these years, really - as I said it's been around 20 years since I was last there.

What are the flume names, can you remember?  I remember that the green one may have been called "Sidewinder".  And perhaps one of the others was called something like "Hurricane".

[Mr Eggs]

Code Select Expand

What are the flume names, can you remember?


Dammit,Vinnie....THE FUCKING FLUME CODES!....

[Pseudopath]

What are the flume names, can you remember?  I remember that the green one may have been called "Sidewinder".  And perhaps one of the others was called something like "Hurricane".

According to the Swindon Borough Council website, there are three flumes (or Domebusters as they like to call them):

The Sidewinder

A gentle, spiraling 'starter' flume ideal for younger children and parents. This flume can be ridden sitting, facing forward (with or without a child under 116cm in height), or head first on your front.

The Great White

A fast, head first only ride with two small vertical drops and several twists and turns. Our ultimate thrill ride.

The Storm

Our newest flume, smaller in circumference than the other flumes, allows you to plunge at high speed into the pool at the bottom and to see if you have the 'fastest ride of the day'. This flume must be ridden feet first, on your back with ankles together and arms folded across your chest.

^{Please Note: This flume has a striped lighting effect that can give the sensation of flashing lights. It may therefore not be suitable for anyone with photosensitive epilepsy.}

There's also a waterslide which doesn't go outside the dome called "Lagoon Falls" and the three exciting "hydroslides", both pictured below:

[Vinnie01]

What are the flume names, can you remember?  I remember that the green one may have been called "Sidewinder".  And perhaps one of the others was called something like "Hurricane".

The Slowest was the Sidewinder, Middle Head First ride was the Great White and the Fastest which I did not ride is the Storm.

The inside one Lagoon Falls and I have rode that as well as those Hydroslides, I have rode the hydro slide backwards. I notice they close the hydro slides during waves.

Still the same names as mentioned. The are now from the outside instead of green. The side winder is blue on the inside, Great White is white with shades of green from the old color.

Apparantly the Storm is Dark with flashing lights on the drops.

To ride the slides head 1st I found you had to keep your belly in or it will burn. Will take better picture of the water slides from outside when visiting there next time to see the machines.


I thought the Dome Buster was a Particular Slide as I dont tend to give water slides as a whole 1 name like domebusters or Aquazooms (St Albans which the slides are now closed)

[Replies From View]

Thanks for reminding me of all that!  My memory was that they were always green, blue and white, although it'd seem from Pseudopath's post that the blue one was updated or modified at some point since my day.  Or maybe "our newest flume" just means 20 years ago as opposed to 30. 

My memory of Oasis is always jumbled with the Olympiad that opened in Chippenham, which we started going to instead because it was nearer to Bath.  As I think about it again, I do vaguely remember that the three flumes in the Oasis were green.  I could be transplanting three colours from the Olympiad into my memories of the Oasis.  But they definitely had those names and I can't imagine why they'd call one "the great white" if it was green.  Maybe they were only painted green on the outside.

I've just remembered I probably only went on the Sidewinder, as it was nice and slow and also allowed mats (the razor-blade stories must have got to me).  I must have developed my knack of riding feet-first on the points of my ankles and shoulder-blades from Lagoon Falls, which I trusted more.  I saw people going down the really fast flumes head-first, but no way I could have done that.  I was then, and remain now, a big old scaredy-cat.

The ones with lights inside don't ring a bell at all, so either they are truly the newest ones, or I stayed well away from them!

[Vinnie01]

hmm  The Razor Blade Story I have heard from since age of 9. Its not put me off on the Slides. The ones with strip of Lights its the Storm I didnt ride it because of health effects on very fast slides as I can be easily dizzy as I found out from Windsor Leisure Pool. The Sidewinder and the Great White or Lagoon Falls did not make me dizzy the storm might.

I have met a person from Bath at the Oasis while allowing hair to  dry off on the spectators bit before going elsewhere.

The Lagoon Falls only rode once as I kept riding the great white more going head first never bothers me personally.

As for the Sidewinder there is no mats for any of the slides but they still have the slope for the mats at the top. Another thing the water appears to be cooler   on the slides, dont think is same temp as Swimming pool.

During this time the Pool had a Time Limit of something like 1 hour due to being in Ques on the Water Slides and not being able to hear announcements well without my hearing aids. I ended up staying in the pool for 3 hours. It served a good day to pass the time before going to where I wanted to go later on. 1 of the Lifeguard said to me "Gosh you been in for 3 hours you ment to be in there for 1 hour or so".

The Wave Machine can be heard loudly by me as I can hear underwater differently but apparantly that seems to frighten people according couple of Staff. If you go where the wave machine and swim to the right until you get to the edge that goes around in to the next pool with the hydro slides. Look down that edge you will see a large Window to the Plant room. The Vibrations of the wave machine can be felt too.

[Vinnie01]

Here is the Picture I took of the water Slides as I was walking towards this was done with an Old Camera hoping to retake with a Better one on my next visit.

[Vinnie01]

Hey all

              I have managed to get a picture of the swimming pool because it was empty just before they showed me the wave machine which I have filmed



and this was retaken on my HD cam from outside




I have managed to see this wave machine in action from Pool and the Plantroom as it did start up with us in there.

[Replies From View]

They've definitely freshened it up since the last time I saw it from the outside (although the structural scaffolding still looks... temporary).  When I last saw it, it looked a wreck - as per the images that started this thread.

More clearly The Sidewinder, The Great White and The Storm, there.






Now the flumes are all blue on the outside.  Are they the same tubes repainted, or replacements?


Edit:  there's definitely a difference beyond the colours.  Compared with the above pictures, you can see The Storm is definitely a thinner flume with a completely different path from the original.

[Vinnie01]

They were resurfaced I gather repainted too. As the great white is more noticable because of the green can be seen inside still.

[Replies From View]

They were resurfaced I gather repainted too. As the great white is more noticable because of the green can be seen inside still.

I thought the Great White was white on the outside originally.

[Vinnie01]

The Great White being white on the outside I never seen personally as I havent heard of this pool long.

[bomb_dog]

Where was the theme park where someone got decapitated on the log flume? I could have sworn it was Barry Island but I can't find a link *shudder*

This was at Porthcawl. Big list of accidents on the Wikipedia page.

Some waterslides to add to the list - Gloucester Leisure centre had the 'dolphin' and 'stingray' in the mid-eighties. The perfect accompaniment to a 'Disco Swim'. Bit pricey when they were installed, then got better value, then were unlimited, then they installed some 'flash flood' type devices at the top which filled with water before the attendant released it, sending you down the chute at a 20% faster speed. Great idea, didn't really work that well in practice. Ended up demolished to be replaced with a bigger 'proper' swimming pool, boo. They also seem to have been erased from the collective Internetconsciousness,,,

[Vinnie01]

Edit:  there's definitely a difference beyond the colours.  Compared with the above pictures, you can see The Storm is definitely a thinner flume with a completely different path from the original.

The Storm slide is stood out compared to the other slides because the tube is not so wide. There was Picture of what it like inside this slide I didnt get round to it myself and it does show strips of lighting that goes around the tunnels and spaced out between each other when you go fast it may produce flashing  like lighting thats why they dont recommend that slide to any people with photosentive epilepsy.

[Vinnie01]

The Wave Machine Chamber Photos from the Pool side



and this one is the butterfly Valves that works in the wave machine plant room as there was 4 of them. Didnt get the blower because it was too dark and it started up with us in there. The Valve looking at is its exhaust valve.

What can be seen on the side is the hydraulics that turns it




This Valve is from Swindon Pool

[Vinnie01]

Some waterslides to add to the list - Gloucester Leisure centre had the 'dolphin' and 'stingray' in the mid-eighties. The perfect accompaniment to a 'Disco Swim'. Bit pricey when they were installed, then got better value, then were unlimited, then they installed some 'flash flood' type devices at the top which filled with water before the attendant released it, sending you down the chute at a 20% faster speed. Great idea, didn't really work that well in practice. Ended up demolished to be replaced with a bigger 'proper' swimming pool, boo. They also seem to have been erased from the collective Internetconsciousness,,,

As for Disco swim appears that Oasis in Swindon has a Disco Splash, I never been to it myself.

[Replies From View]

Discos in swimming pools, whatever next.  I bet some business types hold important meetings in swimming pools, and stand up to their nipples in chlorinated water in smart suits and ties and everything.

[Ginyard]

Probably aiming to keep their company afloat.

[Replies From View]

If that appeared in any written comedy, people would complain that the set-up was too obviously contrived to reach the punch line.

And quite right too.

[Ginyard]

Don't drown my pun.

[Replies From View]

Well, I will drown your pun, and then you won't have a pun anymore.

[Vinnie01]

Personally  I don't like music in the swimming pool as my swimming pool does do this on a Sunday which is club for people with disabilities to swim. They play music during that time which is something I wouldnt have a swimming pool and many people think the same about it. Doesnt feel right

[holyzombiejesus]

I remember when Newcastle-Under-Lyme built their new leisure centre in 1977; it's still there, The Jubilee Baths. There were 3 really exciting things about it; one, a slide. Just a straight kids slide, no tubes or twists and turns, just a slide. Secondly, you got a coloured wrist band on the way in so they could limit how long you spent in the pool. Thirdly, and most thrilling of all, was a hairdryer. It looked a bit like a hoover nozzle and cost 2p to use. The fountains on the roundabout outside used to be lit up with a solitary coloured light bulb and I remember my mum and dad excitedly waking my sister and I one night to take us on a tour of the 'illuminations'. We thought it was incredible, although not as thrilling as the hair dryer, obviously.

[Replies From View]

I remember when Newcastle-Under-Lyme built their new leisure centre in 1977; it's still there, The Jubilee Baths. There were 3 really exciting things about it; one, a slide. Just a straight kids slide, no tubes or twists and turns, just a slide. Secondly, you got a coloured wrist band on the way in so they could limit how long you spent in the pool. Thirdly, and most thrilling of all, was a hairdryer. It looked a bit like a hoover nozzle and cost 2p to use. The fountains on the roundabout outside used to be lit up with a solitary coloured light bulb and I remember my mum and dad excitedly waking my sister and I up one night to take us on a tour of the 'illuminations'. We thought it was incredible, although not as thrilling as the hair dryer, obviously.

Near the real Newcastle (where my parents took me on holiday from 1984-88) is a place called Whitley Bay, and their leisure facilities in the 1980s were about the same.  There was a wave machine as well though (which I hated - felt like I was drowning), and a small diving tower with people you could see bloating up and down inside.  There was no roundabout with fountains outside, though - that sounds nothing short of amazing.

[Don_Preston]

Vinnie01, all your lovely photos of swimming baths and the machinery really makes me want to go to a wave machine valve factory to see how they operate!

[Vinnie01]

Vinnie01, all your lovely photos of swimming baths and the machinery really makes me want to go to a wave machine valve factory to see how they operate!

I have filmed 2 Wave Machines in Action, I Filmed the wave machine from North Herts Leisure Centre from the pool side and the plant room (unattended but positioned 3 cameras in there and one was hanging over that pivoting pipe of the working blower.)

Can be found here  - Shows the Tour of the Plantroom and wave machine in Action from Poolside and Plant room

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb9JwI4Nicw


I managed to film the one at the Oasis Swindon in Action from the Pool and in the plantroom as it started up with me and the manager in there.

This is one that has butterfly valves that was too filmed in action which is here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkskpIiBESw

They are both different systems where the North Herts does not use butterfly valves but a pivoting pipe.

Which is on this image, this pipe serves 2 pipes that can be seen in the pool when looking through the bars.