3 September 2023
Coral Reef Waterworld is a major waterpark found in the UK, hosting 5 giant water slides, a spa area, a kids gigantic pirate ship amongst an interactive indoor pool with a small outdoor pool too. A place with generations of history, first opening its doors all the way back in 1989, it has now been over 30 years with many people in the Berkshire area and further beyond visit.
Coral Reef can be found in Bracknell, which is in the South West of the UK and is easily locatable next door to Swinley Forest. The waterpark went through a large refurbishment back in 2016 to keep the facilities updated, which included the indoor pool being redone, additional slides being added and much more. After a year being closed, it reopened to the public and still continues to be successful and busy.
This waterworld is open 7 days a week and has many different sessions depending on the time of year and the day of the week. It hosts kids swimming lessons, toddler sessions and the most favourable being the slide sessions. For the most accurate rota of what is on and when, it is best to check the official website however, weekends and evenings are usually when you can find the whole waterpark open.
Adult tickets cost £17.40 whilst anyone under 16 is £12.35, with under fives just being £1.10. They do offer senior discount as well as a family ticket bundle, which can save you money if you are applicable. The Coral Spa is an upcharge to this and there is also a charge of £1.10 for spectators.
Coral Reef Waterworld has a free car park which you can register on arrival and you can also sort this online when purchasing your tickets. For those not using the waterpark, there is a charge and cameras. The venue has a nautical entrance which goes through some of the retail shop before checking in at the desks. Here you can either purchase your ticket or you can show your online booking. Once you have done so, you will be provided with a coloured wristband, which when they are busy they do operate a timeslot session.
The retail shop offers a range of swimming costumes, toys and other swimming tools which you may of forgotten or may need when visiting. You can always buy some snacks here and drinks, as well as collecting any photography if this service is on.
Once you have entered past the desks, you enter into a decent sized changing room where you will find all of the lockers and changing cubicles. This is all mixed and you will always find staff here keeping it dry, clean and tidy throughout the day. Lockers do operate on a 20p basis, which you can get at the entrance and these are fully refundable each time you open the locker. Compared to other waterparks in the UK of a similar status, Coral Reefs changing rooms are one of the best.
Now onto the actual waterworld itself…
The Main Pool & Features
The first thing you notice when walking into the main pool area is the children’s area and the large pirate ship. The children’s area is great for smaller kids who are starting their journey into waterparks and is more a splash area for them. Moving onto the pirate ship, this is a key signature feature for Coral Reef, as it actually has been maintained since the waterpark first opened in 1989. It comes with a few cannons on the side to splash swimmers as they go by.
The rest of the pool has different areas to it, with it having a reasonable sized area to swim in. You have a rapids area which is like a lazy river with a few jets pushing you around. You also have plenty of fountains that go off at random times. You have some minimal themeing around, with a palm tree, snake and an erupting volcano too. You can find a small bubble pool too which you can take time out to watch people going round the rapids and even come out the slides.
When the weather is warm and the days are sunny, you may be lucky to see the outdoor area of Coral Reef. It is just a small outdoor pool area and it is extremely rare to see it open, due to the weather we get in the UK.
With so many features in the main pool area, it has plenty to keep everyone occupied, from adults who fancy a swim to the kids wanting to be a pirate or splash about in the fountains.
The Slides
Coral Reef has five thrilling & fun waterslides, with a slide for everyone. Starting off with the two body slides, which are The Cannon & Aqua Splash. The Cannon is the fastest slide they have and the aim is to go as fast as you can to see if you can be the fastest of the day, or atleast out of your friends & family. With a countdown at the top, you slide down reaching some impressive speeds before splashing down at the bottom. You can then check your time on a board at the end of the slide. Guests over 8 and 1.2m tall can only ride this and we recommend this for anybody after a fast slide and is super competitive.
Next up is Aqua Splash and this is the complete opposite to The Cannon. Aqua Splash is can allow guests of any age and size to ride, but if you are under 1.2m, you do require an adult over 18+ to ride with you. This is a gentle side which can be more thrilling if you ride solo. You can pick from a range of options at the start which change the music and lighting as you go down, and if that wasn’t enough you can select the game mode where you need to hit the touch pads as your going down to score points. Not only that, time matters too so you got to be quick and accurate. With all the different options on the slide, the younger kids will love this as they can ride with an adult whilst the older children and adults have a game to play and can get a bit more speed going down solo. It is good to note you do enter into a pool area at the bottom, so some swimming experiences is useful before you go down alone.
Now moving onto the next three slides which all require a raft. These are collected before you get to the slide at the bottom of the staircase, each slide has a different colour tube and if you let the team know which slide you want, they will provide you the right tube. They have solo and double tubes on each slide.
Starting with Storm Chaser, which is a rocky slide where you go side to side as you speed through different tubed sections before splashing down at the bottom. Giving you a feeling like your on a ship, you can select different lighting and music at the start of this slide, making it possible to ride it time & time again and for it to be different. Guests must be 1m to ride with an adult and 1.2m to ride alone.
Poseidon’s Peril takes on the god of the sea as you rush down a light tube into a large ocean crater which also turns into a large screen that you can customise at the start. You swirl around and around until you find the exit and the slide even offers a photo opportunity, which you can get a free digital download from the screens at the end of the slide.
Saving the most thrilling to last, you have Maelstrom, a ride of two halves. The first half is a gentle soothing ride with pretty lights and smooth corners. Before you have time to react, you will find yourself in a cone section where you go up and down the walls, creating some large splashes. With plenty of twists, turns and special effects as you go down, this ride is certainly for those who are brave and love waterslides.
The Spa
The last main feature to talk about at Coral Reef is the spa, Coral Spa. The spa area is for adults only and you must be 18+ to enter. You will be given a separate wristband for this and there is someone on the desk to check this when you enter. This costs £21.60 but you are given the use of the slides and the rest of the facilities in the main pool area. This being an additional £4, which is pretty good value if you ask us.
Inside the spa area, it has a number of rooms and options. The first area you notice is a relaxing area with comfortable seating and tables for you to relax in. They have a water cooler to get a refreshment and a reception desk for any questions. You will also see a pool in here too, but this is a cool pool, essentially like a large plunge pool. They have 3 saunas to choose from, all ranging in different temperatures, a japanese two storey steam room and even a jacuzzi.
This is the perfect area to get away from all of the noise and children in the main pool and slide area and we have yet to see it busy in here. On our visit, there was less than 10 people in here at all times. We would recommend this as an add on for sure.
Overall, Coral Reef is fun for all the family and is one of the better waterparks you can find in the UK. Offering 5 slides, a large indoor pool and other key signature features, like the pirate ship which has been around since it opened in 1989, it ticks all the boxes for a few hours out. Regardless if you are a couple wanting a spa visit, a family wanting to splash around or fancy the thrills of the giant slides, you can find plenty to do during your visit.
With the refurbishment in 2016, it has allowed the waterpark to be updated and more modernised, adding more thrilling slides and ultimately giving you that feeling of wanting to return in the near future after leaving. We have visited numerous times over the years and as our local waterpark, we are glad this is on our doorstep.
A huge thank you to the team at Coral Reef & Everyone Active who invited us on a media visit to the waterpark. This exclusive visit meant we were allowed to take some footage inside which is usually forbidden. This now means you can have a little teaser of the slides and facilities before your visit. For a more in-depth look, you should check out our TikTok! This was a complimentary visit in return of our thoughts & content provided.
Have you ever visited Coral Reef? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials…
@thrillnation What do you think of the waterslides at Coral Reef? #coralreef #bracknell #waterpark #waterslide #ratings #thecannon #aquasplash #stormchaser #poseidonsperil #maelstrom ♬ Beast Mode - ROKKA
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