Monster Slip and Slide

[Pete79]

Does anyone know where I can get a huge slip and slide from?
Or any advise on what is the best material you have found to make your own mega slide?

I know I can just roll out a sheet of black concrete plastic, but Queensland summer sun and black plastic don't go very well together.
I'm also on tank water, so it will be a case of soap it up first then a bucket of water thrown on just as you hit the slide. It needs to be as efficient (easy to make slippery) as possible.
We tried a normal tarp on a small scale test a couple of years ago, but it didn't work very well.
I thought about getting 3 or 4 of the normal kids slides and joining them together, this is a much cheaper option then a roll of concrete plastic.

To give you some idea of what sort of slide I'm looking for.
I have about 10m of flat ground at the top for the run up.
The slide could easily be about 15-20 meters on the slope before it flattens out.
The slope angle is about 18-20 degrees and the 'flat' section is still about an 8 degree slope.
It's all perfectly smooth ground under the slide and I've got some old camping mattresses that I plan on using to line the fence down the bottom for safety if this thing works as well as I want it to. 

Has anyone else made their own awesome slip and slides with any great success?

[Bird]

buy a few of these https://www.bigw.com.au/product/wham-o-slip-n-slide/p/WCC100000000031005/
$15ea

[Streetkid]

I did a 30 metre slide for a couple 16 th birthdays and used the concrete plastic, I left it doubled up and when used with a generous amount of dishwashing liquid, it was scary quick. At the end of the slide I had a semi circle of old tyres with a big tarp over the top to create a pool. 

[Pete79]

I did a 30 metre slide for a couple 16 th birthdays and used the concrete plastic, I left it doubled up and when used with a generous amount of dishwashing liquid, it was scary quick. At the end of the slide I had a semi circle of old tyres with a big tarp over the top to create a pool.

I like the pool idea at the bottom, have tyres and tarp. Cheers!

[edz]

Bumblings for a couple of rolls of builders plastic 2 m wide 5 m long clear for under $20  https://www.bunnings.com.au/grunt-2-x-5m-100um-clear-builders-film_p0810296 and couple of rolls of 100 MPH Tape

[Bird]

Bumblings for a couple of rolls of builders plastic 2 m wide 5 m long clear for under $20  https://www.bunnings.com.au/grunt-2-x-5m-100um-clear-builders-film_p0810296 and couple of rolls of 100 MPH Tape

wish I had an area suitable for a decent slide

[Rumpig]

We just use the roll of builders black plastic at our place (did it last a few weekends ago), I have most of a 100mtr roll that I just roll out down and the backyard, then roll it up again when finished. The water tends to keep the plastic cool, just set the hose on spray and you look after the soap or else the kids will go mental with it

[Pete79]

Righto, that's a couple of affirmatives for the builder's plastic. So things are getting serious now.

Just paced it out, gunna need at least 35m to cover the slope, plus a bit for the stopping area at the bottom.

The Big W slides are $15 for 4.8m, will need 7 for this job. I think they are a bit light duty, but at $105 for the length I need that works out more then the builder's plastic anyway.

A 50m roll from Bunnings is $83 (20 minute drive away for me) and the same roll is $85 from Mitre 10 (800m from my place).

Just called, they have 1 roll left, so looks like I know what me and the kids are doing this afternoon.

[ScottT]

Righto, that's a couple of affirmatives for the builder's plastic. So things are getting serious now.

Just paced it out, gunna need at least 35m to cover the slope, plus a bit for the stopping area at the bottom.

The Big W slides are $15 for 4.8m, will need 7 for this job. I think they are a bit light duty, but at $105 for the length I need that works out more then the builder's plastic anyway.

A 50m roll from Bunnings is $83 (20 minute drive away for me) and the same roll is $85 from Mitre 10 (800m from my place).

Just called, they have 1 roll left, so looks like I know what me and the kids are doing this afternoon.

 

[Pete79]

 

[Bird]

 

you need a pool to crash in.

[Pete79]

Well V1.0 was a success of sorts.

The black plastic works just fine, though we set it up after 4pm and it was still pretty warm at the spots that were in full sun for any length of time.

No soap needed at all, just water and gravity were more then enough.

Getting going was not an issue. But stopping...... Well, we'll work on that bit......

[idlegossip]

For a constant stream of water try using one of the green soaker hoses with all the holes on the top. Just adjust water pressure enough to just keep it wet without wasting it.

[Streetkid]

That's way steeper than the one I had, good luck pulling up.

[ScottT]

Well V1.0 was a success of sorts.

The black plastic works just fine, though we set it up after 4pm and it was still pretty warm at the spots that were in full sun for any length of time.

No soap needed at all, just water and gravity were more then enough.

Getting going was not an issue. But stopping...... Well, we'll work on that bit......

[Pete79]

you need a pool to crash in

Turns out you might be right.

Tried throwing some rolled up foam under it near the bottom to wash some speed off. The reality was all that did was get me airborne and flying into the fence.

It's packed up again for now, next week we'll work on a safer landing area. Need to get it sorted before my BIL and his crazy 8yr old son come round after Christmas.

[#jonesy]

Is it wide enough you wouldn't want to come off the side at top speed

[Bird]

Just remember.. it only hurts while the pain is there.

[Pete79]

Is it wide enough you wouldn't want to come off the side at top speed

It's not wide enough at the moment, one of the girls did come off the side at full speed. She wasn't happy.

It's still in the testing phase, once I have the stopping part sorted I'll cut the plastic to length and open it out to full width. Just left it doubled over while it's still on the roll.

[edz]

Know anyone with some bales of hay, Not overly soft but better than the fence .. # Note place them about 1.5m from the fence to take the initial impact and it to move  them

[wakychapmans]

It's not wide enough at the moment, one of the girls did come off the side at full speed. She wasn't happy.

It's still in the testing phase, once I have the stopping part sorted I'll cut the plastic to length and open it out to full width. Just left it doubled over while it's still on the roll.

how about those pool noodles? You could run them down the sides. From top to bottom, open the sheet out to full width, then fold the edge around the noodles. That would create a nice "edge" down each side and keep people on the plastic... (or make a nice lip to get air off of)...

one of those anyway...

[Pete79]

I have a couple of big bales here, but they're a bit too big and probably too solid for this job. I recon I can get the pool to work.
We've got one of those 3m long x 1.5m wide blow up ones stashed away somewhere. Only need a little launch pad to get into the pool.

I like the pool noodle idea, we don't actually have any here, but I'm sure I could find something soft to wrap under the sides when it's opened out to fill width.

But unfortunately I'm one of those guys that everyone desperately needs to help them on the week before Christmas (then they do nothing with the info I rush to give them by their stupid deadlines). So it will all have to wait for another week or so before another test run.

[Green rv]

run around with the mower and catch the clippings or something similar
use it as a buffer underneath  down the edges of the plastic
that's if you get enough clippings 
might help keep you all on the runway


Adam

[edz]

But unfortunately I'm one of those guys that everyone desperately needs to help them on the week before Christmas (then they do nothing with the info I rush to give them by their stupid deadlines)..

Perfect trade off, you will do the rush work for them and they set your slide up as part of the deal ..

[paulo]

Chicks dig scars.