Water Trampolines
May 19th, 2009 | 
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Normally when you think of a trampoline you don’t picture one in the middle of your favorite lake, but that is exactly where you are likely to see one this next summer. They are called, appropriately, water trampolines and their popularity with the younger generation is rising at an incredible rate.
So what exactly is a water trampoline?
Picture, if you will, a large floating rubber donut up to 25 feet (8 meters) in diameter, the donut part filled with air, and floating in your favorite lake or swimming hole. In the middle, and on top, of this large inner tube the manufacturer puts a large round trampoline mat. So the fully functional trampoline is suspended several feet above the surface of the water and the edges of the trampoline mat are attached to the large rubber donut.
Ever since the popularity of water parks at hotel resorts and theme parks went through the roof, recreation companies have been trying to find a way or product to get kids back into the water at their local lake or river. Water parks and slides are incredibly fun for kids, but they are expensive to build and maintain and there just are not enough out there to keep up with demand. If a family lives in a small town, they often have to drive a day or more to get the kids to a water park. Even then, the incredible crowds and long waiting lines detract significantly from the fun factor.
The answer to this problem may very well be a water trampoline. It combines the fun factor of water sports with the fun and exercise of jumping up and down on a trampoline. It is safe, and probably keeps the kids closer to home and the family. With the incredible number of attachments you can add to a water trampoline, you can make your own personal water park. You can add dive towers, water slides, stairs and plastic logs to climb up on; and even plastic landing platforms so you can launch yourself off the trampoline and land on the landing platform instead of the water.
They are almost completely made out of PVC plastic, so there are no metal frames or exposed springs to bang into if the kids get over-exuberant on the trampoline. They range in size from a small one of about 10 feet in diameter all the way up to the big 25 foot ones.
Of course, you can’t blow one of these up with air by hand. You have to get a separate air pump to fill one of these monsters. The big ones tend to be expensive, so they may be something that a small town would buy for its swimming beach, rather than for personal use. But certainly if you want one, you can buy one.
The small 10-foot water trampolines are generally about $500 to $600 US without accessories. The 25 footers, however, are usually in the $4000 range; again without accessories. They all generally take less than an hour to set up or take apart. Once your water trampoline is in position, you simply anchor it to the bottom of the lake so it doesn’t float away and you and the kids are all set for hours of incredible fun.
Author: Michael Russell
Out on the lake, features like the Aqua Park offer water trampolines, inflatable climbing walls and slides. Visitors take rides across the lake on the Banana Boat and individual jet skis. And landlubbers have a host of dry activities to.
State cracks down on floating structures
State-owned bay bottom can be used only for water-dependent activities, not climbing walls and trampolines, according to Florida law. National wildlife refuge managers also are warnings Jet Sk fef i tour operators about taking people into.
Ascertain if there is enough and proper space for a water trampoline. Most inflatable water trampoline are put in 6 to 10 foot water depth. Additionally, please make sure significant clearance from docks, boats or other inflatable water.
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