Carolina Harbor

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Carolina Harbor
Carolina Harbor logo.png
LocationCarowinds, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
Coordinates35°06′16″N 80°56′23″W / 35.104339°N 80.93968°W / 35.104339; -80.93968Coordinates: 35°06′16″N 80°56′23″W / 35.104339°N 80.93968°W / 35.104339; -80.93968
OwnerCedar Fair
Opened1982 (1982)
Previous namesOcean Island (1982–1988)
Riptide Reef (1989–1996)
WaterWorks (1997–2005)
Boomerang Bay (2006–2015)
Operating seasonMay through September
Area27 acres (11 ha)
Pools6 pools
Water slides29 water slides
Children's areas6 children's areas
WebsiteOfficial website

Carolina Harbor is a water park at Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina. Included with the price of admission to Carowinds, the water park is owned and operated by Cedar Fair.

History[]

The water park originally opened as Ocean Island in 1982. In 1989, it was renamed to Riptide Reef.[1] For the 1997 season, Paramount Parks invested $7 million[1] in a 12-acre (49,000 m2) expansion and renamed the park to WaterWorks. Another major expansion occurred in 2006 adding a new Australian theme and changing the name to Boomerang Bay, a name shared with several water parks at other Cedar Fair amusement parks. In 2008, Cedar Fair added a 600,000-US-gallon (2,300 m3) wave pool, Bondi Beach, increasing the total size of the water park to 20 acres (81,000 m2).[2] As part of the multi-year expansion at Carowinds, Boomerang Bay added Surfer's Swell and Dorsal Fin Drop for the 2014 season.

On August 27, 2015, Carowinds announced that Boomerang Bay would undergo a major expansion in 2016 and would be renamed Carolina Harbor. The expansion includes a new wave pool named Surf Club Harbor, 2 children splash areas named Myrtle Turtle Beach and Kitty Hawk Cove, a six-story, six-slide complex named Blackbeard's Revenge,[3] and a new play structure called Seaside Splashworks.

On August 15, 2019, Carowinds announced “Boogie Board Racer”,[4] the longest mat racing slide in the southeast. This attraction has 6 separate enclosed, and open to the sun slides.

List of attractions[]

Thrill level (out of 5)[5]
  1 (low)   2 (mild)   3 (moderate)   4 (high)   5 (aggressive)
Name Opening year Description Thrill
level[6]
Barracuda Blasters 1989 Fully enclosed inner-tube ride that plunges riders into total darkness 4
Blackbeard's Revenge 2016 Multi-slide complex featuring capsule slides and inner-tube slides. Identical complexes exist at Oceans of Fun, Dorney Park, Soak City at Kings Dominion, Soak City at Kings Island, Cedar Point Shores, Knott's Soak City (Adjacent to Knott's Berry Farm), and South Bay Shores at California's Great America. 5
Boogie Board Racer 2021 A six-lane family Mat Racer water slide. It opened as South-East's longest mat racing slide. 4
Coastal Currents 1997 Lazy river ride 2
Hurricane Falls 1997 Four-person family raft ride that takes riders down four stories of unexpected dips and sharp turns. 4
Kiddy Hawk Cove 2016 An interactive Children's play area with water jets, splash areas and more. 2
Myrtle Turtle Beach 2016 An interactive Children's play area with water jets, splash areas and more. 1
Pelican Plunge 2006 Family-friendly two-person inner-tube water slide 3
Pirate's Landing 1997 Family-oriented, multi-level water fortress complete with slides, bridges, and rope ladders 1
Seaside Splashworks 2016 A multi-level play structure with over 80 play elements, including dozens of interactive spray jets, water guns, net bridges, water wheels, six water slides, and a giant 423-gallon tipping bucket 2
Storm Surge 2001 A complex consisting of two body slides and two inner-tube slides all of which are enclosed 5
Surf Club Harbor 2016 A new 27,000 foot wave pool with 8 massive generators and waves up to 6 feet, and interactive water geysers at the base at the pool 3
Tidal Wave Bay 2008 600,000-US-gallon (2,300 m3) wave pool 3

Former attractions[]

Name Opening year Description Closing year
Dorsal Fin Drop 2014 351-foot-long enclosed slide that empties riders into a bowl. 2021
Great Barrier Reef 1982 A small wave pool that was ocean islands first attraction. Closed and removed for Seaside Splashworks play structure. 2015
Sand Dune Lagoon 2006 A relaxation area with pools that included jet sprays and water gushing mushrooms. Closed and removed for the addition of Copperhead Strike. 2017
Southern Sidewinder 1997 A one or two person tube slide that had twist and turns. Closed and removed for expansion of County Fair area. 2016
Surfer's Swell 2014 263-foot-long enclosed slide which plunges riders onto a platform that simulates the movement of ocean waves 2021

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Carowinds History". Carowinds. Archived from the original on 3 October 2010. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  2. ^ "Wave Pool Part Of Carowinds Boomerang Bay Water Park Expansion". Ultimatewaterpark.com. 8 November 2007. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  3. ^ Kulmala, Teddy (August 27, 2015). "Carowinds announces major waterpark expansion, new slides". The Herald. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  4. ^ "Carowinds on Instagram: "JUST ANNOUNCED for 2020! Experience extreme, supreme water slide racing on Boogie Board Racer - the longest mat racer in the Southeast!…"". Instagram.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  5. ^ "Roller Coasters | Adrenaline Rush Activities". Carowinds. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  6. ^ Ratings assigned per Carowinds, where "1" is the least intense and "5" is the most. See their "ride listing". Carowinds. on their website for more specific details.
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