“We expected a lot,” Thaman said. “We knew that the fun factor was going to be three of four or five times that of the previous park.”
In the opening weekend alone, the park saw a 50-percent increase compared to Water Raves’ opening weekend last year, and saw the most visitors — 2,500 — in a single day (June 8). Park capacity is 1,400, but Thaman said it has yet to close due to exceeding capacity. She said the park monitors attendance.
For Kettering residents, admission to the park costs $3 for youths and $3.50 for adults. For nonresidents, the cost is $6 and $7, respectively.
Adventure Reef occupies the same footprint as Water Raves, but has added an interactive splash pad, a waterfall pool, a lap lane/vortex area, a water playground, a shaded shelter and two slides believed to be the highest and fastest in Montgomery County.
Dave Miller, Moraine Parks and Recreation and Splash Moraine director, said he expects Adventure Reef to continue to see high attendance.
“With the number of pools closing down, the option for a large number of people to go places is reduced,” Miller said. “So Kettering may see a higher volume of traffic either from the extreme temperatures, or because people won’t make trek way down to Kings Island and The Beach.”
Splash Moraine closed in the fall of 2009, but Miller said it could reopen in 2012.
Dayton has just a handful of area water parks, including Sycamore Trails Aquatic Center in Miamisburg, Tipp City’s Tippecanoe Family Aquatic Center and the Troy Family Aquatic Center.
Huber Heights plans to break ground on a new water park by Memorial Day 2012.
“There is a huge demand for quality recreational experiences in Kettering and a huge demand for water in Kettering,” said Bill Tschirhart, the Kettering parks’ business services manager. “We gave them exactly what they wanted.”
The public appears to agree.
Stephanie Brandenburg of West Carrollton was at the park last week when temperatures were in the mid-90s. She said the park was more crowded than she would like, but it was fun for little kids.
“It’s good for mothers with children,” she said.
Many of the kids said the slides were the primary draw.
“The yellow slide is faster than the blue one,” advised Kettering resident Robert Jenkins, 10, “but they are both good.”
Kyle Bauer, 19, also of Kettering said he was looking forward to swimming in the pool, which is set to open Monday.
“There’s not enough deep end,” he said of the rest of the park, which is 3 feet at its deepest throughout much of the park, and 4 feet deep under the slides.
The pool, whirlpool and sauna also have been upgraded and enlarged, and a translucent retractable roof and expanded pool deck were added to the rec center/water park.
The water park and pool improvements were part of a $10.9 million, two-year, rec center improvement project, which was designed based on feedback from the community.
The rec center added nearly 8,000 square feet of fitness space, doubled the fitness equipment, repurposed rooms for more group fitness classes, improved entrances and provided general upgrades throughout the complex.
The renovations, which were paid for by a 2008 bond issue and money from the city’s capital improvement fund, also are expected to be complete Monday and will be unveiled to the public in a grand opening event from noon to 4 p.m. June 25.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7325 or jikelley@Dayton DailyNews.com.
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