Wild Waves
Posted by Top-Elephant-2874@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 55 comments
Growing up in WA, I remember when a trip to Wild Waves in Federal Way was the absolute summer pilgrimage (sometimes we would go and it would be cold and drizzling but still we made the most of it, teeth chattering and shivering in our wet swimsuits and eating popsicles bc ftw we were at Wild Waves).
I remember when they got this new wave pool, and man, those waves had a bit of force to them (a grown man died in the wave pool if I recall). TIL we were actually being trained for search and rescue.
andy312@reddit
I almost drown at the wave pool once,went back 100 times again.
GnomesStoleMyMeds@reddit
I might have a death wish because that looks like fun
Top-Elephant-2874@reddit (OP)
I feel like fun for 80s kids = death wish activities.
GnomesStoleMyMeds@reddit
That’s fair. We though moon shoes where awesome and not broken ankles waiting to happen.
TheFeshy@reddit
Strap on moon shoes and try to run from falling lawn darts in them. Classic kid in the 80's fun activity / way to die.
corvus_wulf@reddit
The bop it dent some of us have ....
AlchemistMustang@reddit
I came here to say that I want this simulator.
No-Hospital559@reddit
Reminds me of the wave pool at Action Park.
Mooseandagoose@reddit
This is exactly what I thought of except there aren’t nearly enough people in that pool with him. Action Park wave pool was always so crowded that we all crashed into one another.
Asleep_Onion@reddit
Way more pee in the water too
SidFinch99@reddit
Interesting, it looks like he's doing more of a breast or butterfly stroke, I don't realize that's how they would handle something like this.
kalixanthippe@reddit
I was watching and thinking, "huh, there's an actual practical reason for breast stroke."
Zombifiedmom@reddit
Reminds me of The Wave at Geauga Lake
PickledPixie83@reddit
Once as a kid I got into a wave pool as a decent swimmer with no raft.
I almost died, lol. This would kill me.
Revolutionary_Gas551@reddit
I almost drown in a wave pool when I was 13. I slipped out of my tube, and it was so crowded I couldn’t get to the surface because of all the other tubes in the way. I finally came up in the middle of another girl’s tube. She was probably around 8 and was absolutely terrified. Her mom was screaming at me until she figured out what happened, and helped me (us lol) get to the side of the pool.
Last time ai was ever in a wave ppl!
Babymakerwannabe@reddit
I almost died in a wave pool too! Almost the exact same story. Some kid flipped my tube and I had my legs interlocked with my mum’s. I got so confused under the water I had to follow my bubbles to the surface. I got pulled out by a life guard.
austex99@reddit
I had a kind of similar thing happen in much calmer water! It was one of those walking across foam lily pads things at a waterpark. I slipped off and went directly beneath the one in front of me, and every time I tried to get up to the surface, one of the floating lily pads would move on top of me. I'm sure it was only a few seconds and I didn't actually almost die, but it sure felt like I almost died.
Top-Elephant-2874@reddit (OP)
I think as a Xennial it’s a must to have an “I almost died this one time but it turned out fine lol” story
OskeyBug@reddit
Wild Waves is closing after this summer. After that if you want to go on waterslides you'll have to go to Great Wolf Lodge and get mrsa.
I remember going to Enchanted Village before Wild Waves was a thing.
Thatoneguyfrom1980@reddit
Wild waves is closing down after this summer and I’m very sad about it.
Astrazigniferi@reddit
That trip to Wild Waves at the end of the year as a reward for being a crossing guard was the highlight of the year. It was in June so it was still freezing and we were all too self-conscious about being in a bathing suit in front of our peers to relax, but damnit, we were going to wait in that 45 minute line to go down the waterside! I remember spending a lot of time in the packed wave pool because it was the only thing without a line and where you could stay in the water and feel kind of warm instead of freezing out in the wind.
I haven’t been in years, but I’m super sad that it’s closing after this summer. My youngest can finally swim well enough to take him this year.
Top-Elephant-2874@reddit (OP)
Only the elite few know the joys of freezing your ass off at Wild Waves for a shot at the waterside. 😆
Do you know if they still have Enchanted Village?
Astrazigniferi@reddit
You can still see the Enchanted Village rides from the freeway, so I assume it’s still part of Wild Waves. I think both parts are closing after this summer. The real estate is just so much more valuable than the 3 months of functioning theme park.
It sucks because a light rail station just opened nearby. There could have been a whole new generation of kids making new memories of sketchy trips there on the train with their friends and not enough supervision. I’m sad my kids won’t get that.
Defiant_Cookie_4963@reddit
This is the last summer Wild Waves will be open! We’re planning to take the kids so they can experience it. Definitely the end of an era ☹️
Astrazigniferi@reddit
Part of me is devastated that it’s closing. Part of me is shocked that it’s lasted this long.
Defiant_Cookie_4963@reddit
True story
Gogo83770@reddit
Same. It's really showing its age. Too bad. Lots of good memories playing with my swim team friends and neighbors at this park. The less crowded days when you don't have to wait in line at all. Telling the ring of fire attendant to just hit the switch again because nobody else was in line...
Top-Elephant-2874@reddit (OP)
Oh no!! I moved away years ago and looked it up today and was surprised to see it’s still going. Sad to see it end, definitely the end of an era. My dad lost me there once when I was like 4 lol.
Awesome that you are taking your kids to experience it - do they still have Enchanted Village next door?
Reasonable-Wave8093@reddit
just swim in the real ocean though… does that have an undercurrent that sucks you down?
SidFinch99@reddit
They can turn this off to rescue someone if they struggle, real ocean doesn't have that switch. In a real ocean a current or riptide can pull you away very quickly.
In all likelihood they have them train in this before training in the ocean.
Reasonable-Wave8093@reddit
lol i know, thats why its the best for learning.
Muleahcar@reddit
My first thought also. Unless this is in Nebraska or something?
bell83@reddit
Shit, man, I'm in New York and I'm STILL at least a six hour drive from the ocean.
HorrorAvatar@reddit
Probably because the real ocean could kill you.
AquaValentin@reddit
This looks incredibly dangerous. But I would still do this if given the opportunity. I’ve had a good run
LlamaLlamaSomePajama@reddit
stomps foot WHERE'S MY INNER TUBE?!
Gogo83770@reddit
Also growing up in Washington with a swim team that went to wild waves every summer, this pool is much more intense than their wave pool. Sorry to hear someone died. I didn't know that. They have tons of lifeguards, but I guess you can't catch them all.
Unlucky-Monk-8045@reddit
Get this. Worked as a Rec Counselor. We had kids in the wave pool. One went under. I went after him and did a perfect rescue (was life guard trained). The younger life guard on duty actually fought me over who was brining him in. I didn’t understand at all, still don’t.
ThePerfectSnare@reddit
It sort of sounds like a crowd cheering for him and chanting his name. Of course, this only works if his name is Dan.
austex99@reddit
I can swim, but not really strongly, so I'm pretty sure I would drown in that.
lucasssquatch@reddit
I'm going to miss Wild Waves. The owner (at the time) had a kid in my graduating class and opened it for us after hours for one of our senior parties. Those were the days.
Treadingresin@reddit
As both an 80s kid and someone living near the Great Lakes this just looks like an average Summer afternoon activity
FiveCrappedPee@reddit
As a native Chicagoan peeps don't know about the devastation Lake Michigan can havoc. It's no joke and shows no mercy.
The (inland) sea was angry that day my friend.
Wrong-Neighborhood-2@reddit
Now add 30 know winds, drop the pool temperature to 50, and add 50 lbs of gear.
Deep-Ad4351@reddit
All I can think of is the baptism scene from Righteous Gemstones
https://i.redd.it/y6m15354ifug1.gif
shawnofnc@reddit
Boring_Pace5158@reddit
My first thought was the Seinfeld episode where Kramer started swimming in the East River
Dimplefrom-YA@reddit
nope. add some sharks jelly fish and octopi. then we are talking .
CMarlowe@reddit
I prefer not to drown, thanks.
StephInTheLaw@reddit
Where can I sign up for this actually fun wave pool?
Mo-Cance@reddit
I'd love to be on a dingy in that pool, and see how long I could ride it out.
octopusgardeb@reddit
Logical-Cherry9395@reddit
I wonder if my partner is in this sub. If you've every worked at a waterpark, this is a diamond pattern on the wave pool and you can dial up the intensity. We used to do our morning workout to this. WE HATED IT. But, that didn't mean we didn't have a blast after the work out until it was time to open the park.
binger5@reddit
That looks like a good time.
poofandmook@reddit
This is massively impressive.