Extreme slides
Extreme slides or speed slides are straight, with a near vertical drop in the middle designed to give the rider the most possible speed. These are called “plunge” or “plummet” slides, and are one of the most fearsome slides due to their height. They can accelerate people up to an average of 55 miles per hour. The tallest plummet slide in the world is Insano at 135 feet, which can bring riders up to 65, 24 mph, located at Porto das Dunas Beach, a part of the Beach Park Resort in Fortaleza, Brazil.
Body slides
Other slides wind down a very curvy path which is not as steep, although some slides allow significant speeds to be obtained. The sharpest curves are usually completely enclosed or have high walls on the outside of the curve to prevent users from leaving the slide; thus these slides can be a long tube or alternate between an open chute and closed tube. G-forces experienced in these slides can range from gentle and family-friendly to surprisingly intense. Most riders will be required to lie flat on their backs, and cross their arms over their chest to prevent injury on these types of slides.
Tube/raft slides
Some slides are designed to be ridden with a tube or raft. These are commonly family slides, and some tubes allow up to 8 riders at one time. These are normally slow and include many twists and turns, and sometimes have pools along their length to simulate whitewater rafting.
Uphill slides
A small percentage of slides are hydro coasters. They shoot riders up and down with water or a conveyor belt. This is normally a “high intensity” water slide. A company called pro slide has recently developed a hydro magnetic water coaster. It uses LIMs to push the inner tube up the incline. The City of North Richland Hills, Texas operates a community owned Water Park that claims to have the world’s largest uphill water slide called The Green Extreme according to their advertising.
Inflatable Water Slides
Inflatable water slides are designed for the home user. They are typically made of a tough plastic material and attach to garden hoses in order to generate their supply of water. Some slides are totally horizontal, encouraging the user to slide ‘along’ them, rather than ‘down’ them.