New Renton aquatic center makes a summer splash

With temperatures in the 70s, 80s and 90s, things at Renton's Henry Moses Aquatic Center are really cooking.

Like a beacon to drivers on Interstate 405, the $5 million public park with its twisted slides, wave pool and more than 300,000 gallons of splashing water has drawn capacity crowds of 600 visitors almost daily since late June.

"We were hoping to get this many people," said aquatics coordinator Dave Perkins. Last Friday, he said, the line of people waiting to get in wrapped around the front of the complex to the adjacent baseball diamond. Often the facility is at capacity within 30 minutes of opening.

The aquatic center replaces the Henry Moses pool, which closed at Liberty Park in 1997 because of extensive leaking. When the aquatic center opened last month, the staff was worried because the facility wasn't getting much use.

But as soon as the last school bell rang, crowds began to flood the front of the facility each morning. Now it's inner-tube-to-inner-tube traffic in the lazy river and a sea of bouncing bodies in the wave pool.

"The 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. session during the week is busiest," said pool manager Jenna Velozo. Some swimmers wait 1-1/2 hours to get in, she said.

She said staff began selling admission wristbands 30 minutes before opening to reduce wait times. "We've gotten some complaints about the wait, but there's not much we can do without being unsafe," Velozo said.

Although fire officials have said the maximum capacity of the facility is 950 people, the 15 lifeguards on duty feel the biggest crowd they can monitor is about 600, she said.

Protocol for getting into the center on a hot day is much like getting into a hot dance club: Wait in line, and wait your turn. When there's room, you get in.

"The woman in front of the line stayed 1-1/2 hours," said a shocked Marilyn Spiry, who stood in line with her grandkids for 30 minutes. "I wouldn't stand here for an hour and a half!"

But for some, the wait is worth it.

"It's really awesome. ... It's like a miniature version of Wild Waves," said 11-year-old Terrin Allerdice, referring to the Six Flags-owned water park in Federal Way.

While he and a group of 10- to 12-year-old boys waited to ride the most-popular attraction, a 245-foot-long, twisting, orange slide, they talked shop: which slide is better, which riding position is fastest, and how they wished the wave pool were just a bit bigger.

"But since it's so close and so cheap, it's worth it," said 12-year-old Chris Schuett.

The new facility was financed with surplus funds from the 2001 city budget. User fees will cover operating costs, and with the high numbers of users this year — and no mechanical problems thus far — Perkins said it may be possible to add some new features next summer, though he would not be specific beyond additional umbrellas and chairs.

So is Perkins afraid the popularity will wane next year? "Oh, it's popular," he said emphatically, while in the distance a girl screamed, "That was so much fun!"

Jessica Delos Reyes: 206-515-5546 or jdelosreyes@seattletimes.com