Southwest Florida water parks make a splash

The Great Lagoon is the outdoor pool located at Naples’ Great Wolf Lodge. -COURTESY PHOTO

After taking a big breath and adjusting his blue goggles, Jet Boyd dove into the turquoise pool without hesitation. Boyd, a child who recently lost his two front teeth, is comfortable in the water. He is comfortable jumping on manmade islands within the pool, and he is comfortable swinging from monkey bars placed over the pool. Sun Splash Water Park in Cape Coral is a water lover’s dream, and, according to Jet’s dad, Steve Boyd, “Our membership at Sun Splash has helped make Jet a really good swimmer.” The boy-fish, who checks in with his dad between tours of the surrounding pools and slides, belongs to a swimming team outside of Sun Splash. Southwest Florida is home to a handful of water parks, and while they are great, playful places to spend the dog days of summer, a love for water can be developed in these facilities, too. Along with Sun Splash in Cape Coral, Bonita Springs is home to Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Water Park – and Naples is host to Great Wolf Lodge – while Punta Gorda has a newly reimagined splash pad where kids can play and spray for free.

According to Joe Shaver, who grew up in Cape Coral, Sun Splash was the perfect place for him to hang out as a child. “My mom ran a daycare center in the nineties, and we would bring all of the kids here.” The Sun Splash property provides a collection of activities based around water. The facility’s newest attraction, a massive wave pool built for 200 bathers, was completed last summer. The pool simulates ocean activity with multiple wave settings that keep swimmers guessing. Because the adventure park continues to grow, Shaver now brings his own teenagers to the water park. “My wife and I hang out in the lazy river, while they (his two teenagers) run around the property,” Shaver said, grinning. Membership passes and single-day admission tickets are available at the park, which is located at 500 W. Lake Kennedy Drive in Cape Coral.

Jet Boyd plays leapfrog in one of the Sun Splash pools. -CASEY BRADLEY GENT / FLORIDA WEEKLY

Aside from the wave pool, Sun Splash features Drop Slides, which simulate the feel of free-falling. The Mainstream River tube ride is a ride for both grown-up guests (like parent Joe Shaver) and young kids (like adventurer Jet Boyd). Within Sun Splash, Pirate’s Cove is an adventure for young kids, 48” inches and taller, with slides, a water storm feature, blasters, gushers, geysers and more. Multiple water slides also dot the property. From Terror Tube, Thunder Bump and X-Cellerator – which provide thrilling drops and lengthy runways to slow you down following your ride – to Pro Racers, which offer child-sized slides and just the right amount of excitement.

Nikki Lajoie’s daughters are not old enough to wander Sun Splash alone. “We come here, and I can sit right in the pools with them,” she shared. “The regular park is just too hot during the summer.” Lajoie’s family bought one of Sun Splash’s seasonal membership passes, which range in cost from $49.99 to $79.99. Her youngest daughter, not yet walking, played in water no more than a few inches deep. From crawlers through adults, Sun Splash offers just the right amount of soak for every size.

In Bonita Springs, Hyatt Regency Coconut Pointe Resort also offers a wet respite from the hot summer sun. A quick walk through the hotel’s luxurious lobby, down a cascading tile staircase, delivers visitors to a multi-acre water park; the largest resort pool escape South of Orlando. This setting offers just the type of saturated staycation your family may require before heading back to school mid-August. Day passes are available for the Hyatt Regency Coconut Pointe waterpark through www.resortpass.com, which also provides the opportunity for guests to reserve daybeds and cabanas poolside. Passes start at $90 per person per day. A heated lazy river, encircling the water slides and pool decks, is one highlight at Coconut Pointe. Another unique feature is a pair of dueling waterslides, meant for side-by-side racing. Additionally, a corkscrew-style slide with single and double inner tubes provides visitors with even more water-soaked thrills. The park has a total of five slides, which close nightly at 5:00 p.m.

In Naples, Great Wolf Lodge, located at 3900 City Gate Blvd N, hosts a collection of indoor waterslides. The Naples resort differs from other Great Wolf Lodges because it also features a large outdoor pool. The Great Lagoon is the name behind Great Wolf’s outdoor option, which makes the Naples location truly dynamic. Julia Moran, a public relations representative for the company, shared that Day Passes are available for the Naples Great Wolf Lodge. The company is eager to court local water enthusiasts as much as tourists. Weekday season passes – valid May 1 to Aug. 31- are $90 per person and allow pass holders to visit as often as they like, Monday through Friday, for one $90 payment. Additional passes are available at www.Greatwolf.com, including half-day passes, which allow admission (one day only) from 4 p.m. to close for $36 per guest.

Splash fan Elise Lajoie. -CASEY BRADLEY GENT / FLORIDA WEEKLY

The wave pool is one of Sun Splash’s newest attractions. -CASEY BRADLEY GENT / FLORIDA WEEKLY

Cape Coral native Joe Shaver cools off in the Lazy River. -CASEY BRADLEY GENT / FLORIDA WEEKLY

Outside of the splashy – and slightly more spendy – Hyatt Regency Coconut Pointe Resort and Naples Great Wolf Lodge, nearby Punta Gorda is home to a Splash Park at Laishley Park and a Splash Pool at South County Regional Park. When it comes to kids enjoying the water, Punta Gorda’s facilities make waves. The Splash Park at 100 Nesbit Street, downtown, is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. This is an unstaffed site. Punta Gorda’s Splash Park reopened in February of this year, following property improvements. There is no fee to play at the Laishley Park water feature, which incorporates small slides and ever-popular sprayers.

According to Sean McLaughlin, a representative for the Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce, the reimagined Splash Pad is ADA accessible, “for inclusive play.” New spray features were another addition. He added that the playscape was closed again briefly early this summer, because of an issue with chipping paint, but that the Splash Pad is open and working as of Aug. 1. He said the incorporation of a closed-loop filtration system was another big part of the remodel unveiled in February.

“This filtration system allows us to filter and reuse the water at the Splash Pad,” McLaughlin added. He said making the location environmentally sound has benefited the community, stating, “We are hearing good things from people locally.”

The Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce recently worked to improve the city’s Splash Pad. -PUNTA GORDA CHAMBER / COURTESY PHOTO

A child enjoys the recently updated Splash Pad. -PUNTA GORDA CHAMBER / COURTESY PHOTO

At South County Regional Park Pool, located at 670 Cooper Street in Punta Gorda, the Splash Pool is a shallow water feature within a larger property that provides a heated competition pool and recreational swimming. This is a lifeguard-monitored facility. South Country Regional Park Pool is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., but hours can vary around high school team practices. The entry fee is $3.00 for adults and $2.00 for children aged two to 17.

Whether you are looking for an all-day water park like Sun Splash in Cape Coral or Hyatt Regency Coconut Pointe Resort in Bonita Springs, or simply the opportunity for your kids to cool off for a few hours in Punta Gorda, the region – while not completely saturated – has several options for wet, wild fun.