How To Draw A Swirly Slide

Who said jobs have to be boring?

Water slides. They come in all shapes and sizes. Swirly or straight, water slides undoubtedly add a little spice to any swimming pool and put a smile of the faces of kids and adults alike. But I bet you've thought about how they were made...

Similarly to roller coasters, water slides have to go through a lengthy testing process, to make sure they are a good enough quality before the general public can be unleashed onto them. As with many impressive feats of engineering, one of the final stages of these processes must be for one brave soul to test them out. This is where the professional water slide testers come in, and no, we're not joking.

If you consider yourself a thrillseeker, a strong swimmer and wouldn't be too upset at the prospect of being paid to travel to different waterparks (sometimes globally) to ride flumes then you might want to read this. So, let's dive right into our guide on how to become a water slide tester.

Do you need any qualifications?

You might not be too surprised to learn that there is no official water slide tester qualification you can get to start out in this career. This isn't a job that pops up very often but when it does, testers are chosen based on their observation skills and personality, rather than qualifications.

How have the professionals made it?

It seems like becoming a water slide tester needs not only skills and enthusiasm, but a certain degree of luck, too! As companies don't seek to hire testers every day, good timing has played a large part in how the professionals landed their own roles.

Back in 2013, Sebastian Smith landed himself a £20,000 contract with First Choice Holidays by winning a competition. The 22-year-old beat over 2,000 applicants in the competition and toured the world for six months, testing out water slides at different SplashWorld resorts.

Asides from winning competitions, most water slide testers seem to land their dream jobs through a build-up of experience (lots of work in waterparks and resorts), having good interpersonal skills and simply applying for the job!

What skills do you need?

Water slide testers are expected to rate the slides they test on a number of factors, the main ones being:

Adrenaline - how exciting is the ride?
Splash - how big was the splash at the end of the ride?
Safety - the most important factor!
Unique features - what is the stand-out feature that makes the water slide different?

So you need to have good observation and communication skills in order to provide accurate reviews of the slides you test. Being an analytical thinker would be helpful too, as you need to be able to assess how safe a water slide is and whether it is working the way it should. Being willing to give things a try is also key and if you have a fear of heights, this may not be the right job for you!

Being a good swimmer is an essential skill for this job too. You need to have confidence in the water as your job would be to literally throw yourself into pools all day! You would also need to have a good level of fitness - you'd be surprised how tiring it can be, having to climb all those ladders to get the top of the slides. You might need to be prepared for the occasional bruising, too as this job has a pretty high physical demand!

Interests

An interest in travel would be incredibly useful for this job as most water slide testers end up visiting various resorts around the world to test out new water features.

Though this one is pretty obvious, having a keen interest in water slides and rides, in general, is a must-have. To be considered as a serious candidate for such an elusive job, you will need to be able to demonstrate some serious passion for water-based fun!

Getting yourself involved in other water-sports might be useful too, and there are plenty of options out there. In addition to water slides, why not try getting involved in more niche water-based activities? There are so many unusual watersports to try, such as:

Octopush
Synchronised swimming
Water skiing

Being active on social media might help you land a job as a water slide tester too as lots of waterparks and resorts will be looking for ways to promote their new features. As one of the first people to ride the new slides, documenting your experiences can also end up being a large part of the job!

Where to get started

Though it isn't very often that the opportunity to become a water slide tester comes up, it's important to be prepared and always have your eyes peeled. There are two main types of organisation that would be looking to hire water slide testers:

Travel agencies and tour operators
Waterparks

However, as much as we love to encourage you to follow your dreams at Fledglink, you might also have to grapple with the harsh reality that you might not manage to land yourself a full-time job as a water slide tester for a while. Instead, we'd suggest looking to enter the industry from another route!

Engineering is one way to get into the water slide business. Get yourself involved in the creation of water slides, engage your creative streak and design them yourself! Alternatively, lifeguarding is a great way to earn money either part-time, seasonally, or full-time! Depending on what type of qualification you get, you can also travel and work abroad as a lifeguard.

Build up your skills on the Fledglink app

Good soft skills and knowing your own strengths will help you to get any job, whether it's water slide tester or professional tea taster! Use the Fledglink app's personality quiz to learn more about yourself and discover useful resources to help prepare you for a rewarding and fulfilling future!