Dash and Splash bring back inflatables pool fun

Two new courses, named Dash and Splash, have been purchased to cater for different abilities in the pool.

‘The aim was to offer something different and exciting for youngsters on the island. It’s something that isn’t – and probably cannot – be offered anywhere else,’ said leisure services manager Danny Le Page.

‘Many people have fond memories of the old Monster Island and we have received a lot of feedback from people wanting to see something similar brought back.’

Both inflatables, plus the blower, rigging and other equipment, cost the leisure centre £8,605, and was the first such investment since Monster Island more than 25 years ago.

It will take just over 1,000 children to use the inflatables for them to pay for themselves, and progress has already been made as 237 children took part on launch day.

‘In the here and now, they will be used twice a week during school holidays for public sessions. Going forward, we hope to offer two public sessions every other weekend. By the end of the year, we hope to be able to offer them for birthday parties,’ said Mr Le Page.

‘At the moment, they take approximately 20 minutes to set up and 10 minutes to take down, but as the team familiarise themselves with the process we expect this to get quicker.’

Each inflatable has an expected lifespan of about five years, dependant on usage, and only one inflatable can be used in the pool at a time.

‘We purchased two inflatables so that we could cater for different abilities and confidence levels, to ensure that as many children as possible can come and have fun.

‘It also means that if we encounter a problem with one of them, we have another that we can offer.’

The obstacle courses are inflated like a bouncy castle but on water.

. Aquafun tickets can be booked at www.guernseytickets.gg/.