MAKING A SPLASH!

Wahooo! That's the cry that will be echoing around the latest water park attraction to be unveiled in a few weeks time in the kingdom.

The BD22.6 million Wahooo! located at the Bahrain City Centre, Manama, is described as the Middle East's first indoor water park.

Damien Latham, general manager, above, said the name of the family leisure destination gives the game away: "Wahooo! - it speaks for itself," he explained. "It is a feeling of fun - the kind of noise you make as you zip down a slide and it means the same in every language!"

The two-level 15,000 sqm temperature-controlled attraction is mostly set undercover although it does feature an outdoor section too. It aims to be open by mid-summer after final fixtures and fittings are in place as well as the remaining rides and experiences.

The project, managed by the Majid Al Futtaim Leisure Group, is currently testing five new rides and six have already been installed.

Attractions will include the Flowrider, Master Blaster, Sidewinder, Matt Racer, a multi-level Rain Fortress, a Wave Pool, Toddler Pool and Lazy River.

The Wahooo! Waterpark in Bahrain City Centre has taken on 150 staff as it readies itself for a grand opening in the summer, reports Shilpa Chandran.

The team includes management, customer services and food and beverage assistants plus 68 lifeguards trained by the Royal Lifeguard Saving Society (RLSS). At any one time, 25 lifeguards will be stationed across the park.

Damien Latham, general manager, 34, an RLSS training assessor, said: "Our lifeguards will undergo a very rigourous training procedure here."

Mr Latham, who lives in Janabiya, comes to the island with 14 years of water park experience including senior management duties with the popular UK water park and family holiday destination Center Parcs in Longleat Forest where he was part of its launch team.

Four leading companies are involved in the creation of The Wahooo! Waterpark Bahrain. The rides are being installed by Aqua Leisure, from Dubai, the UK architectural designers are Shankland Cox, the floors and material finishing are being supplied by Malaysia-based Sim Leisure and Almoayyed Contracting Group of Bahrain is responsible for landscaping.

The water park will have the looks of a tropical paradise and feature coconut palms. It is also focused on being eco-friendly by installing a filtration system called the 'Defender Filter' provided by US-based Neptune Benson which experts say is 90 per cent more efficient in terms of energy and water use than a conventional sand-based filter.

An advanced air handling unit will also play its part by stripping out moisture in the atmosphere, regenerating it into water and putting it back into the water treatment process. This will add up to a staggering 24,000 litres of water per day.

The park will have a casual dining, fast food-style restaurant called The Boardwalk with indoor and outdoor terrace seating overlooking the Flowrider. Snack and coffee bars will also be available.

Its retail outlet Wave Pro is already open for mall visitors offering all sorts of sports equipment and apparel including the 'burkhinis' for Muslim women.

The venue also plans to stage birthday parties and corporate events in halls overlooking the Flowrider star attraction. Mr Latham said: "The Flowrider will be the first of its kind in Bahrain and will feature a 3m-high curling wave. As a result we are also looking to run a surfing school outside the normal working hours of the water park to help teach people how to surf."

Shama Uchil, marketing manager, said: "We are already getting such huge number of calls about the park - there's so much enthusiasm for it!"

She believes Wahooo! will change the way people think about water parks. She said: "Normally people think Waterparks are only for the summer months but Wahooo! will be open all through the year and even when its cold, we will be offering a warm pool destination."

The temperature will be maintained at 30 degree Celsius within the park and a pool temperature of 29 degrees, said Mr Latham, who added: "We will keep the air temperature one degree higher than the pool temperature as it helps to take any chills out of the body when you come out of the water."

The Wahooo! Waterpark Bahrain is also planning to stage female-only events with an all-ladies staff. The park will be open for visitors from 10am to 10pm every day of the week.