On Hot Days, Water Park Is the Hottest Ticket in Town

They squared off, six against six, dressed in hot-weather fatigues, their rifles pointed at each other over Safari River.

They ducked as a steady stream of ammunition came their way.

Eventually, though, the combatants got used to it and didn’t even flinch when the shots came their way. That’s because the ammunition was water in this battle, which took place in near 90-degree weather Friday at the Wild Rivers water park in Laguna Hills.

And these visitors, among 4,000 at the amusement park, were not so much fighting themselves as the summer heat.

July and August traditionally mark the peak months for hot temperatures and dry conditions in Orange County. If the extended forecast is any indication, this year will be no different.

Rick Dittman, a meteorologist at WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts to The Times, said Southern Californians can expect above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation through September. The lack of rain this summer, though, is not cause for alarm.

“It’s the seasonal drought,” he said. “So when you talk about below-normal precipitation, it is not a big deal.”

For Orange County residents, the extended forecast means that, at least in the immediate future, finding a place to cool off will be uppermost in people’s minds. Besides beaches, back-yard pools and lawn sprinklers, people willing to shell out a few bucks can find more elaborate drenching amusements in Orange County.

And if the popularity of water parks and water attractions is any indication, people are putting a premium on getting soaked.

Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park opened a water ride, Bigfoot Rapids, last year. Nearby, Disneyland’s Splash Mountain officially opens Tuesday.

“It’s such a trend right now,” said Diane Green, a spokeswoman for Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park. “For whatever reason, people think getting wet is fun.”

That was the case for the people at Wild Rivers on Friday who made use of the park’s collection of wave machines, water slides, swimming pools, sprinklers and streams.

“When you walk around here, you have to expect to get some water,” said Chris Fox, 19, an Irvine resident and one of the park’s supervisors.

Many people have season passes that are put to use as soon as the thermometer begins to climb, said Debbie Hutton, a park spokeswoman.

“I compare this to the local ski resorts,” she said. “When they have great snow, they have great attendance. When we have hot weather, we get crowded.”

On what may be the park’s splashiest ride, the Bombay Blast, the strong of heart can plunge through a 145-foot tube with a 38-foot vertical drop, sometimes reaching speeds of up to 40 miles per hour, and land in a pool.

“It was fast, I couldn’t see a thing because it was all underground,” said Ryan Smith, 14, of Chino, who was wringing out his shirt and suit after taking the plunge Friday. “When you finally get to seeing the light at the end of the tube, you are in the water.”

Ryan, his mother, Kerrie, 36, and four friends said they decided on the park instead of the ocean because “This is a combination of everything,” Kerrie Smith said.

Not everyone in the family agreed. Kerrie Smith said the park’s combination of twists and turns scared her husband away. “He’s chicken,” she said.

The Laguna Hills amusement park has its own beach at Typhoon Lagoon, the site of one of its wave machines, but this one is made of concrete painted in a sand color.

Jani Eigelbach, 32, of Mission Viejo, who was relaxing on the makeshift shore with her family opted for this over the beach and the pool, although she still wished the makeshift beach had sand.

“It’s fun for a day,” Eigelbach said. “I like this for a change. But I’d go to the beach if I had to do this every day.”

At nearby Congo River Rapids, where inner tubes carry people whizzing down a bobsled-like slide, some riders were trying to recover.

“We’re like practically drinking all the water,” said Erica Song, 17, of Los Angeles.

Fred Aranda, 38, said he originally had decided to sit out most of the rides because of back problems. It wasn’t long, though, before he found himself standing in the line for the Congo. “This is a slow one,” he said, adding, “They ached me into it.”

Although they don’t promise the same amount of wetness, Knott’s Berry Farm and Disneyland both offer at least some water. At Bigfoot Rapids, a sign assures people, ‘You Will Get Wet. You May Get Drenched.’ ”

The ride, with 800,000 gallons of water, is the largest man-made white-water river in California, measuring one-third of a mile. Adding to the hot temperatures is a control system in which, when temperatures reach 80 degrees, waterfalls turn on to splash raft passengers.

At Disneyland’s new Splash Mountain, passengers will not get quite as wet.

“We wanted it so it could be enjoyable for people on a cold day,” said Paul Goldman, a spokesman for the Anaheim amusement park. “You’ll get wet, there’s no question about it. It’s designed so you don’t have to take off your shoes and pour the water out.”

But not all of the visitors to these parks had water in mind while trying to cool off. John Foy Sr., 62, who was vacationing from Chicago, was content to sit without a shirt in the shade, watching others take the wet rides at Wild Rivers.

Asked if he planned to test any of the attractions, Foy answered: “I can’t swim.”

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