Pella Aquatic Center Waterslide Restoration
Safe Slide Restoration partnered with Pella Aquatic Center to address aging fiberglass, worn ride surfaces, failed exterior coatings, and other maintenance needs while giving the facility's body slide complex a bold new look.
A comprehensive restoration project for Pella Aquatic Center
Pella Aquatic Center's body slide complex had accumulated the kind of wear that develops after years of operation and exposure. The yellow, orange, and blue slides showed visible surface wear, while portions of the exterior coatings had begun to fail.
Rather than treating each issue separately, Pella used the project as an opportunity to address the slides more comprehensively. Fiberglass repairs, worn ride surfaces, start tubs, exterior coatings, and other maintenance needs could all be handled while the attractions were already out of service.
That also opened the door for a much bigger visual change. Instead of returning the slides to the same yellow, orange, and blue palette, Pella chose a new color scheme that completely changed how the attraction looks from across the pool deck.
The color was only part of the story
From the pool deck, the fading was easy to spot. Once you got closer, there was more going on. Ride surfaces showed wear, fiberglass needed attention, start tubs needed work, and portions of the exterior coatings had begun to fail.
Tackling those issues together gave Pella a chance to do more than freshen up the slides. It addressed maintenance that had accumulated over time while preserving the attractions already in place.
How we restored the slide complex
- Repaired worn and damaged fiberglass areas throughout the slides before refinishing the surfaces.
- Completed a more extensive fiberglass repair at the open-flume start tub to restore the damaged area properly.
- Refinished key ride surfaces with premium gel coat to improve the appearance and condition of the riding surface.
- Cleaned, polished, and waxed interior surfaces to bring back a cleaner, more consistent finish.
- Removed failing exterior coatings and prepared the slide surfaces before applying the new finish.
- Recoated the slide exteriors with a bold new color scheme that completely changed the look of the attraction.
- Refreshed the fiberglass steps and platforms with a textured coating designed for those high-use areas.
A new finish only works if the surface underneath is ready for it
The color change is what catches your eye in the finished photos. The fiberglass repairs and surface preparation are what made the restoration possible.
Taking care of damaged areas, worn ride surfaces, seams, and failed coatings first gave Pella a more complete restoration instead of simply putting a fresh finish over aging surfaces.
A closer look at the ride surface
The transformation was not limited to what guests could see from the ground. At the top of the tower, the enclosed slide start tub also received targeted restoration to address wear and renew the surface before reopening.
When the repair goes deeper than the finish
The open-flume start tub needed more than refinishing. Before a new surface could be applied, the damaged fiberglass had to be properly rebuilt.
Our crew opened up and prepared the repair area, rebuilt it with new fiberglass reinforcement and vinyl-ester resin, then shaped and refinished the surface to bring it back into the ride path.
The finished project looks different because the work went deeper
By completion, Pella Aquatic Center had more than a new color scheme. The project addressed fiberglass repair areas, worn ride surfaces, targeted gel coat restoration, seams, failed exterior coatings, and other maintenance needs throughout the two-slide complex.
Those repairs were paired with a dramatic visual change that gave the facility a brighter, more distinctive attraction heading into its operating season.
"The work completed has been a great improvement for our facility, and we have been pleased with the results. Safe Slide Restoration was professional throughout the process, communicated well with our team, and helped ensure the project was completed successfully."Alex Meyers, Aquatic Manager, Pella Aquatic Center
Repairing the Fiberglass
Common repairs and advanced laminate work addressed fiberglass conditions before final refinishing.
Renewing Ride Surfaces
Gel coat, polishing, waxing, and seam maintenance helped restore key guest-facing surfaces throughout the slides.
Transforming the Attraction
New exterior finishes changed the visual identity of the existing slide complex while preserving the assets already in place.
Is your waterslide showing signs of wear?
Safe Slide Restoration helps aquatic facilities evaluate aging attractions, identify fiberglass and coating needs, and develop practical restoration plans that protect existing assets and improve the guest experience.