Oasis Leisure Centre Swindon - Saturday 1 March 2014

Date: Saturday 1 March 2014
Venue: Oasis Leisure Centre Swindon
Who Went: Just me

Getting To Swindon

The outing began when I caught the 12:43 train from Bath Spa to Swindon. Having reached Swindon about half an hour later, the Oasis Leisure Centre was just a short walk away.

Oasis Leisure Centre

The leisure pool, known as the Lagoon Pool, claims to be Swindon's premier fun pool. This pool includes a wave machine. In order to have as many slides as possible, I didn't go in the Lagoon Pool at all.

In addition to the Lagoon Pool itself there are also the following water slides.

Sidewinder

This blue slide is a closed tube all the way down. It is snake themed, and the easiest of the three but still great fun.

Great White

A wide white closed tube all the way down. This slide is shark themed, and more thrilling than Sidewinder. It includes a short steep drop shortly after the start and another short steep drop about mid-way. For this reason you must slide this head first on your belly.

Storm

This narrow tube slide is black all the way down. It starts with a pitch dark clockwise spiral. Mid way there's a straight bit with a strip lighting effect. The rest of the slide is another pitch dark clockwise spiral, before you finally exit into the landing pool. You must slide this feet first on your back, with your ankles together and arms across your chest.

Sidewinder, Great White and Storm are known as the Domebuster Flumes. To access them you go up a staircase enclosed within a tall tower.

There is one other slide, Lagoon Falls, but that was closed on this occasion. The following details of it are what I already know from having been on it on my previous visit in December 2012.

Lagoon Falls

This slide is located under the main dome and above the Lagoon Pool. Therefore you have to go up a separate staircase to access this slide. The slide is open-topped all the way down and gives a slow, gentle ride. Shortly after the start there is a bend to the left, followed by a bend to the right and another bend to the left. Finally there's a clockwise spiral (one circle) before you land in the catch tray.

Session Overview

Having changed I entered the pool and slides area around 13:45. Knowing I was only going to get an hour in there, I headed straight for the Domebuster flumes as I wanted to have as many goes on them as possible. For that reason I ended up not going in the fun pool at all during the session.

I began by sliding the Sidewinder, followed by the Great White and Storm. Now that I had been down all three slides once, having as many slides as possible in the remaining time was more important than continuing to slide all three flumes round robin. At this point the queue for Sidewinder was the longest, whereas the queues for the other two slides were considerably shorter. I enjoyed sliding Great White and Storm in sequence four times. Sliding Great White head first on my belly was great fun in that I entered the landing pool in the right position to swim breaststroke across it to exit it.

Since I was determined to slide Sidewinder more than once, and there were now only four people waiting for it, I went on Sidewinder next. This turned out to be my second and final go on that slide for this visit. Afterwards I enjoyed Great White and Storm again. When I returned to the top of the tower, an announcement was made telling all swimmers with green wristbands (my colour) to leave the pool. Nonetheless I was able to enjoy my l the slide I was queuing for, the Great White. Having to go down this one head first on my belly meant it was a good one to finish with before leaving the pool.

Summary of my sliding in actual order:

Sidewinder
Great White
Storm
Great White
Storm
Great White
Storm
Great White
Storm
Great White
Storm
Sidewinder
Great White
Storm
Great White

Cumulative summary of slides:

Slide	Total
Great White	7
Sidewinder	2
Storm	6
TOTAL	15

Oasis Café

Having left the pool area and dressed, I went to the Oasis Café for a much-needed Americano coffee before I left the Oasis Leisure Centre.

Journey Home

After leaving the Oasis Leisure Centre, I went for a walk around the town centre for a while before returning to the railway station around 16:20. When I got to the station the 16:30 Bristol Temple Meads train, which I hoped to return to Bath on, was running late. It finally left Swindon at 16:51. Thankfully there were no further problems, and I reached Bath Spa at 17:20.

Outro

Highlights

Sliding the water slides Sidewinder, Great White and Storm again.

Lowlights

Lagoon Falls closed on this occasion.
Slide queues longer than I'd have liked at times.
Having just over an hour in the Lagoon Pool, it would have been nice if the session had been longer.

Summing Up

Altogether a fun afternoon out. It was great sliding Sidewinder, Great White and Storm again, having first been down them in December 2012. It's a pity the three Domebuster flumes were much busier than on my debut visit in December 2012, and thus I had fewer goes on Sidewinder, Great White and Storm, but never mind. Also it's a pity the Lagoon Falls was closed and thus I was unable to go on that slide. My total count of 15 goes in one hour on the Domebuster flumes was reasonable considering the queuing times for them.