What’s your ideal day at the water park?
Floating on a tube while dangling your toes in the swirling waters of a lazy river? Braving a series of twists and turns while racing down the flume of a high-speed dueling water coaster?
Whether it’s intense, laidback, or a mix of both, you can choose your own aquatic adventure at South Florida’s water parks, which are opening for the warm weather season.
Several parks are ready to roll out a wave of new features such as interactive structures, themed events and extended hours to keeps the thrills going. Some are even offering savings passes and other discounts to help you keep your cool.
So pack up a beach towel, hat, sunglasses and sunscreen and we’ll do the rest. Here’s what you need to know before you suit up for a day of fun in the sun at attractions in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
PALM BEACH COUNTY
CALYPSO BAY & COCONUT COVE
The county’s Parks & Recreation Department runs two water parks during the weekends throughout the spring.
Calypso Bay at Seminole Palms Park, 151 Lamstein Lane, Royal Palm Beach, has two 30-foot water slides, an 897-foot river ride, interactive water playground, lap pool with diving boards
Coconut Cove at Burt Aaronson South County Regional Park, 20130 Regional Park Drive, Boca Raton, has a 986-foot river ride, lily pad walk, two 4-story high water slides, children’s water playground and recreational pool
Admission: $17 for age 12 and older; $13 for guests age 3-11, 65 and older, and military with ID ($2 discount after 3 p.m.),; $7 for age 1-2; and free for children younger than 1
How to save: Season passes cost $101 for adults, $89 for children and $55 for toddlers
Information: Check discover.pbc.gov for updates on summer hours, dog-friendly Waggin’ at the Waterpark end-of-season events and more information about each facility.
RAPIDS WATER PARK
6566 N. Military Trail, Riviera Beach
The Rapids has been the go-to water park in the county since it opened with four yellow slides on a hill in 1979. Now, more than four decades later, visitors can experience over 40 slides and attractions, including the dueling water coaster Mega Mayhem, spread across 35 acres.
The park’s 2025 season runs through Nov. 30, and includes bonus days during the summer with an extra hour of playtime, said Rapids spokesman Elliott Russell.
“With the park now being cashless, we highly encourage you to pre-purchase your parking, tickets and items online before visiting the park so you can go straight to the fun,” Russell said.
He also has two other tips: “Everyone always goes to the first slide tower, so go over to the Splash Island side first. Bring sunscreen and wear aqua socks or sandals.”
Adults Only Nights will return this summer, giving those age 21 and older “a chance to splash, dance and unwind without the kiddos in sight,” Russell said. Come out from 7 to 10 p.m. on select Fridays for themed nights, alcohol service, slides, a DJ at the Big Surf Wave Pool and foam parties.
Activities: There’s a 25,000-square-foot wave pool, 1/4-mile Lazy River, FlowRider surf simulator, kids’ structure with tipping bucket, body slides, downhill mat racer, tube slides and four raft rides. Mega Mayhem dueling water coaster has three blast zones and four giant bowls.
Special events: Dive-In Movies, Daytime Foam Parties, Adults Only Nights and fall Game Days with college and NFL games on the big screen at the Big Surf Wave pool on weekends
Admission: $45-$60 pick-a-date, $59.99 any day (free for age 2 and younger)
How to save: Silver season pass ($79.99) includes unlimited visits, one-time free general parking and free entry to daytime events. Gold ($99.99) and Platinum ($119.99) season passes each include unlimited visits, free parking all season, discounted friend tickets, bring-a-friend free ticket and in-park savings on food, merchandise and cabana rentals. Platinum comes with additional perks.
Information: rapidswaterpark.com
SHARK WAKE PARK
Okeeheelee Park, 1440 Eshleman Trail, West Palm Beach
Greg Norman Jr., son of World Golf Hall of Famer Greg Norman, founded the first Shark Wake Park in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in 2016. The second park opened in 2019 at Okeeheelee Park for everyone to enjoy cable water sports — no experience necessary.
Activities: A Cable Park offers wakeboarding, kneeboarding, water skiing, wake skating and foil boarding, as well as a floating Obstacle Island with giant slides, climbing towers and jump-off points
Requirements: Must be able to swim. For Obstacle Island, participants must be at least 6 years old and 45 inches tall. For Cable Park and combo options, participants must be at least 10 years old. A cable safety lesson is mandatory for children younger than 10 who are visiting for the first time.
Admission: Obstacle Island costs $35 for one session, $45 for two sessions and $15 for additional ones. Cable Park costs $45 for two hours and $20 each additional hour (rental gear included), or $65 for four-hour access to both.
How to save: family specials, BOGOs, and early bird, twilight and sunset daily deals at sharkwakepark.com/561/pricing
Information: sharkwakepark.com/561
BROWARD COUNTY
CASTAWAY ISLAND, PARADISE COVE & SPLASH ADVENTURE
The county’s Parks and Recreation Department is operating three of its four water parks for everyone to enjoy. (FYI: Tropical Splash at Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium in Lauderhill is closed for the year.)
The water parks’ season runs weekends only from April 5 to June 1 and Aug. 16 to Sept. 28, and daily from June 4 to Aug. 10. They also are open on Memorial Day (May 26) and Labor Day (Sept. 1). All three are free for children younger than 1.
Visit broward.org/parks for information about each facility listed below.
Castaway Island at T.Y. (Topeekeegee Yugnee) Park
3300 N. Park Road, Hollywood
Activities: A Caribbean-themed swimming lagoon, two wading pools and interactive water play features such as slides, water cannons, rain curtains, palm trees, hose sprays and buckets that continuously spill water
Special events: Splashtacular Fridays (June 20 and July 18) and K9 Water Festivals (dogs-only weekends on Oct 11-12, 18-19)
Admission: $10 all day, $6 after 3 p.m.
How to save: Silver and Gold season passes available for individuals and families
Paradise Cove
C.B. Smith Park, 900 N. Flamingo Road, Pembroke Pines
Activities: A Paradise Pipeline has four, five-story-tall waterslides; there’s also Sharky’s Lagoon and Parrot’s Point (water playgrounds), Crazy Creek (410-foot-long tube ride)
Admission: $15 all-day, $10 after 3 p.m.
How to save: A Gold season pass is available for individuals and families
Splash Adventure
Quiet Waters Park, 401 S. Powerline Road, Deerfield Beach
Activities: Interactive children’s water playground has slides, tunnels, turn valves, wheels and levers, plus there are water curtains and a large water-dumping bucket that fills and empties at regular intervals.
Special events: Splash Eggcitement! (Saturday, April 12), Splash Evenings on select Fridays and Barktoberfest (dogs allowed for one weekend only, Oct. 4-5)
Admission: $6 daily, $4.40 after 3 p.m.
How to save: Bronze, Silver and Gold season passes available
AQUA CHALLENGE
Tigertail Lake Recreational Center, 580 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach
Broward College’s Aqua Challenge, which features an inflatable obstacle course and playground on a lake, has “so much going on for summer 2025, it’s hard to keep up,” said Jose Sierra, the center’s coordinator.
“The Aqua Challenge water park expands every year, and we have three new pieces going out … plus we’re redesigning the whole layout,” he said.
They are planning to install a bridge piece that can be climbed up, over and under, an obstacle course addition with vertical bumpers to weave between, and a universal hub that has a shady pavilion for participants to hang out, rest and enjoy the day, he said.
“We’re doing it bit by bit so we don’t actually ever close the whole Aqua Challenge, and the transition should be fairly seamless,” Sierra said.
Also in the works this season: summer camps, a reduced-price lifeguard training program and additional party packages.
“We’ve even extended our operating hours (for summer only, starting June 3) until 6 p.m. to take advantage of that beautiful Florida sunshine,” Sierra said.
Admission: $25 per one-hour session
Requirements: All participants must know how to swim, be at least 7 years old and 48 inches tall. Children between 42 and 48 inches must be accompanied by an adult. A life jacket provided by the facility must be worn and fitted by a staff member.
Information: tigertaillake.com/aquachallenge
CALYPSO COVE
6200 Royal Palm Blvd., Margate
The city’s Caribbean-themed aquatic facility is now open weekends only, through June 8 and then from Aug. 11 to Sept. 28. The park will be open daily from June 9 to Aug. 10. Entry is free for guests younger than age 2.
Activities: The Caribbean-themed aquatic facility features three pools, including a plunge pool, a zero-depth pool with water-spraying animals, palm trees with tipping coconuts and a play structure, and a six-lane lap pool.
Admission: $12 for guests age 5 and older; $5 for age 2 to 4
How to save: There are discounted rates for Margate residents ($6 for guests age 5 and older; $2 for age 2 to 4)
Information: margatefl.com/528/Calypso-Cove
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
TIDAL COVE
JW Marriott Turnberry Resort & Spa, 19999 W. Country Club Drive, Aventura
If you’re looking for thrill rides, Tidal Cove has six of them: the free-falling Aqua Drop, steep-dropping Boomerango, the Constrictor with high-banking turns, uphill water slide Master Blaster, the spiraling Whizzard and wave-riding FlowRider Triple.
“New to the park this year is our limited-time Seasonal Passport of Fun, providing amazing value and discounts all summer long,” said Jeffrey Mikus, the resort’s director of recreation. “In addition, we’ve added more celebration space for social gatherings in the Sky Loft, which overlooks the park and golf course and can accommodate up to 50 people.”
Activities: There are seven water slides, a FlowRider Triple, Kids Cove, Lazy River, Laguna Pool and Oasis Adults Pool.
Admission: A resort day membership ranges in cost from $25 to $500; free for children age 3 and younger
How to save: A Seasonal Passport of Fun allows unlimited entry and other perks from April 30 to Aug. 30 (except during May 25-28 and July 3-6) for $595 per person; email tidal@tidalcove.com to purchase
Information/tickets: tidalcovemiami.com