Quaywest Waterpark, Devon

...half an hours drive from Quaywest Waterpark in Paignton, Devon. My husband took my son last year when I was working and he was too afraid to go on the sildes (my son not husband) so he only liked it wet not wild. This year when we all went, I found it to be really wild.


How to get to Quaywest.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Quaywest is situated next to Goodrington Beach at Paington, Devon. Goodrington ...
...golf. We drove to Quaywest Waterpark and the pay and display car park is a good size, we went on a hot day and there were still loads of spaces. It is about a 5 minute walk to the park from the carpark. By car you head towards Paignton then follow the brown Quaywest tourist signs. It is located Brixham bound on the A379 Dartmouth Road.

It is possible to arrive by train if you are on holiday without a car, or just without or car, or ... more

Do you like it wet and wild or just wet? Well, when it comes to waterparks it you like it wild there are lots of slides, if you just like it wet there is a small pool. I hadn`t been to a waterpark for about 10 years even though we are lucky enough to live about half an hours drive from Quaywest Waterpark in Paignton, Devon. My husband took my son last year when I was working and he was too afraid to go on the sildes (my son not husband) so he only liked it wet not wild. This year when we all went, I found it to be really wild.

How to get to Quaywest.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Quaywest is situated next to Goodrington Beach at Paington, Devon. Goodrington is suposed to be Torbays favourite beach. The beach is lovely and sandy, the waterpark is right next to the beach. There are also gocarts next door and crazy golf. We drove to Quaywest Waterpark and the pay and display car park is a good size, we went on a hot day and there were still loads of spaces. It is about a 5 minute walk to the park from the carpark. By car you head towards Paignton then follow the brown Quaywest tourist signs. It is located Brixham bound on the A379 Dartmouth Road.

It is possible to arrive by train if you are on holiday without a car, or just without or car, or if you fancy a change. Many services arrive at Paignton Station which is then a 10 minute flat walk towards Goodrington.

If travelling by bus the Stagecoach company runs many services. The 12 and 12A stop just outside of Quaywest from Torquay, Paignton, Brixton, Kingkerswell and Newton Abbot.

Prices and Opening Times.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Quaywest Water park is open during the summer from 26th May to 5th September. We were lucky as we only just made it as we went this weekend just gone.

During June and September is is open from 11am to 5pm.
Im May, July and August it is open from 10am to 6pm.

It is possible to buy a 2 hour ticket or a whole day pass. We opted for the 2 hour ticket as we were not going anywhere else. You then have to wear a colour coded band and are told when to get out.

As the beach is so close and other entertainment, it is worth buying a day pass if spending the whole day at Goodrington. You can then enter the waterpark whenever you wish within the opening times.

The price of an all day pass:-

Adults over 14 £9.95
Children above 42 inches £8.95
Children under 42 inches £3.50
A family of 2 adults and 2 children £35

It is worth buying an all day ticket if you intend to stay all day as there is not much difference in price, though 2 hours was plenty for us.

Prices for a 2 hour pass:-

Adult £8.50
Child £7.50
Small Child £3.50
Family £29

Season ticket prices:-

Adult £45
Child £40
Small child £29.00

The season passes are photo ID.

Whilst it is not cheap (what is these days), you do get value for money as there is so much to do. Having said that, we did have to queue for the slides so you can`t go on them too many times though I didn`t mind that.

Changing Rooms.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The first thing that we came accross were the changing rooms. There is only one changing room used by both sexes though witihin that there are cubicles. The room is big but I found it quite chaotic though I did go on a busy day. There are lockers right up to the ceiling in rows so you have to walk around people who are standing talking or getting changed. People did not always bother using the cubicles so it was a bit crowded.

The lockers are fairly roomy, my husband and son put their clothes in together though I had a separate one. The lockers cost 20p though this is non returnable. There is a change machine in the room if you don`t have a 20p. I had to go and put my sons goggles back (which are not allowed or necklaces) which cost me another 20p. When I washed my hair at the end it cost me another 20p as I had to get out my shampoo and conditioner and then lock the locker again. It pays to be award of this because if I had waited until my son and husband were out, they could have kept an eye on my clothes rather than me paying again. It still is not expensive but most locker money is refundable and this one wasn`t, though I did expect it to be. It isn`t much though20p.

The other problem with the lockers was that, I tried a few and couldn`t get the money is as they were full. I eventually found one, but I think they must fill up fairly quickly, especially if people are putting in more than one 20p.

The cubicles were a good size and had a mirror. There were bigger ones for families.

Showers.
* * * * * * * *

The showers were just outside the changing rooms. They are outdoor showers all in a long line of about 8. People were going in before the slides to wash the sand off if they had been to the beach. Some people were washing their hair. My husband said it was a waste of time as you couldn`t have a strip off shower. I wanted to wash the chlorine off so I did afterwards. I would have prefered a private shower but it was adequate and good enough to wash hair.

The System.
* * * * * * * * *

You could go on any slide that you wanted in any order, you just had to queue. You could just go in the pool if you wanted. If under 42 inches, children were not permitted on the big slides but had their own little section. There was an attendant at the top of each slide and you had to wait until they nodded to go, so that you did not bump into the person in front of you.

Children are suposed to be supervised by a responsible adult, but where are these adults when the children are deliberately pushing in front of you to jump the queue and even worse, barging you out of the way to get in front.

I have to say that most of the children were accompanied and well behaved, but the ones that weren`t were really annoying. I am not an old fuddy duddy and I did not mind waiting, (especially after I had been on the first ride) but manners don`t cost anything and they make the day more pleasant.

The Slides.
* * * * * * * * *

You are advised not to ride on the slides if you have a medical condition (it certainly raises you pulse rate) or if you are pregnant.

There are 8 sildes in total in different categories.

I started off on a mat slide and it was fast. If going again I would probably start off on a tyre one as they are a bit more sedate, to ease myself in gently. I finished off on a tyre slide and really enjoyed it though you really have to hold on tight.

On each slide, a small amount of water continually flows down the slide. This is to eliminate friction and probably help to speed you up a bit. I lay down on all of my rides (except the tyres) because I didn`t want to sit up. However, lying down flat does make you go faster.

There are 3 categories of rides for which I will start of with thrill seekers. I certainly wasn`t looking for a thrill, I went on these in the middle.

Thrill Seekers
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wild Kamikaze - This is a straight down one with bumps. It starts off quite high and the descent is quick and bumpy. It does provdie thrills, I was nervous to start but did enjoy it (I think). Before I went on this one, my 8 year old son asked me if I would be alright to which I replied yes whilst thinking I may just have to go back down the steps again. At the end of this the water is shallow and you skim to a stop.

Screamer - Did I scream? Hell no. I was too busy holding my breath to ensure that I didn`t swallow any water. It is an enclosed speed slide where you skim to a stop. Some girls were counting and it takes about 10 seconds for a man to get to the bottom. I couldn`t count, I may have forgotten to keep my mouth tightly closed. It was fast and you do get splashed with water in this one and have a few turns to negotiate (negotiate, no chance, you have no control). It is a relief to skim to a stop as it slows you down quickly and you don`t go underwater.

Devils Drop - Unfortunately (fortunately) for some reason this one was not operational. It is a 65 foot freefall into the black hole. It is a bit like a freefall slide into a dark tunnel. I went on this about 10 years ago, I was braver then. It must have been scary but the thing that I remember most was the pain, yes pain. When you `skim` to a stop, your swimming costume almost cuts you in two.

Fun Rides.
~~~~~~~~~

Surf Lagoon - This ride entails that you sit on a tyre. You go down fairly quickly around several bends but then enter a splash pool which brings you to a halt, slowing down the ride. You then enter the next slide going fast again. I liked this one as it was not completely adrenaline filled. The only thing with this ride is, if you didn`t enter the pool in the right place and were carried on through the current, you got stuck in the pool. Several times i had to get off the tyre and walk over to the next slide and get on again.

Raging rapid - This was similar to the one above but slightly longer and faster with more bends. Both had several pools on each slide meaning that you could actually afford to breath.

Taking it Easy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taking it easy? I wouldn`t have picked this name. These slides entailed sitting on a mat.

Wet and Wild - Wild and swirling water sweep you twisting and turning into a huge splash. It took lots of muscle power to keep hold of the mat. It kept making you jump into the air. It was quite scary as you went quite high up the sides on corners.

Corkscrew - Another one, splash, spin through banked curves and enhanced straightways. Fast and furious, keep hold of your mat.

Sidewinder - Another similar one of twists and turns classed as a `take it easy` slide. How, my muscles were working overtime.

With these mat rides, the pool was quite deep at the end. You really do plop into it and go right under water. My bottom hit the ground on a couple of these. It didn`t happen with my husband and no, mine isn`t exceptionally big. It was not so much the slide that was scary (it was though), but the splash at the end.

Kids.
* * * * *
For children under 42 inches who were not allowed on the main slides there were 2 childrens areas. The child needed to be under 8 to use these.

Submarine Adventure - Obviously I didn`t go on this but it was a submarine. It sprayed in places making it fun and it had a slide. The children could explore the sumarine inside.

Toon Town - All the family could enjoy this, a family pool with a slide.

Pool.
* * * * *

The pool is heated to 80 degrees and is lovely. It was a bit crowded though, it was not possible to swim for this reason. Nice for those who did not wish to go on the slides though, but would be a bit boring for 2 hours. It is nice to chill out in after the slides aswell.

Food.
* * * * *

Believe me, you soon need to refuel your muscles after 2 hours on these slides. We decided that we wanted to sit down so we went to the Brewers Fayre Pub/Restaurant just accross from the waterpark which was very good. There was a food outlet in the waterpark selling burgers, hotdogs, sandwiches, pizza and fish and chips as well as drinks. I can`t quote any prices but we had a quick look and they seemed pretty reasonable.

Do I recommend Quaywest Waterpark?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Yes I do, honestly. I am not as brave as I used to be so I found some of the rides a bit scary, but I did enjoy them. The slides are not slow. I only went on each one once and a 2 hour ticket didn`t allow much more (though I did stop before the rush for a shower). It would not be any good for anyone not confident in water as you go under at the end. As already advised it is no good for those with a medical condition or if pregant.

If you like it wet but not wild, I don`t really recommend unless you are going with a wild family and you can chill out in the pool. If you all want just a pool, I would go to a bigger pool.

For thoses on holiday or wanting to spend the whole day, I would recommend a day ticket. As it is possible to go in and out you can then enjoy the rest of Goodrington and spend time on the beach or participate in other activities. Two hours was enough for me but Goodrington is lovely, I will problably go there another day.

The website is www.quaywest.co.uk

e-mail : sales @quaywest.co.uk 

...less