Columbus Water Park (Sosua West) to re-open next Friday

J D Sauser · #1 10-10-2009, 01:21 PM

I've only visited Columbus Water Park once on "my" girl's request.
It was quite OK. I was surprised to see tour buses having brought "locals" around for a dip in the water from as far away as Santo Domingo and La Romana (they were leaving at 4PM)!
Anyways, I was asked for a repeat of our little excursion and so we went out there, dressed up for the water just a couple weeks ago, to find it closed without any notice on a Sunday.
Driving by the past weeks, it became obvious the park was kept closed.

On Melany's urgent request I researched the status of the park today:
Their web page seems not to be updated to often as it still boasts a "warning" for an upcoming "show" by "El Fuerte", aka. Omega for late... June.
So I called their phone number posted on the site and was explained that the park was scheduled to re-open coming Friday October 16th. I asked what the reason for the close down was (maybe they went on summer vacation or the pool guards found the heat to be unbearable?

) and was told they had had "algunos inconvenientes technicos" (some technical issues). Yes, one of the slides and pool had been out of order when we visited, and I also had my concerns about the quality of the water.

... J-D.

swellsurfcampcabarete · #2 10-10-2009, 06:36 PM

So many times we have gone there in the last year when their website announced them open; only to find the doors closed with no explanation or notice on the door. IMO, this is positively the worst-run business here on the North Coast (yes, you may know others worse). The one time in recent months that we did find them open, half the slides were shut and the water was a very unpleasant shade of green. We have decided as a family never to try again. Shame really as it used to be a lot of fun and a well-run water park should attract many visitors in a climate like this.

windeguy · #3 10-10-2009, 07:01 PM

It is sad. I wonder how much of the problem is that they only have electricity from the utility about 50% of the time while having to spend exorbitant amounts for it and also for generating their own power the other half of the time.

J D Sauser · #4 10-10-2009, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swellsurfcampcabarete

So many times we have gone there in the last year when their website announced them open; only to find the doors closed with no explanation or notice on the door. IMO, this is positively the worst-run business here on the North Coast (yes, you may know others worse). The one time in recent months that we did find them open, half the slides were shut and the water was a very unpleasant shade of green. We have decided as a family never to try again. Shame really as it used to be a lot of fun and a well-run water park should attract many visitors in a climate like this.

The park is said to have changed ownership. There were even rumors about a big shot US company having bought it.
I only visited it recently as mentioned. It was OK, but yes, I was a little concerned about the risk of bacteria and so forth. The water was very warm and quite likely to be somewhat polluted. We got lucky, it was a nice shade of green

... sorry, I couldn't resist (but what would a pleasant shade of green be?

).

Look, I remember a water park on West Palm Beach's (FL) Military Trail being shut down one summer because the had suffered, if I remember well - an e coli outbread. Given the temperatures and humidity here, "pollution" due to lack of "culture" and poor sanitation (pumps not running on electricity black outs), bad filtering, inadecuate chemical treatment... well... you know...

Still, the girls enjoyed themselves thoroughly and want to go back... so, what can I do, but oblige?

... J-D.

swellsurfcampcabarete · #5 10-10-2009, 07:22 PM

J-D I know the feeling; my children loved that place. I can well imagine that the price of electricity was crippling the water park financially. In this case though, immediately after it was sold to the supposedly North American management, the problems began.

Under the old owners, it was reliably open at least and yes occasionally the water was a 'pleasant' shade of green

but it was really fun. We spent many days there in the last few years.

The new owners, (whoever they are) are a shambles.

Pandaris · #6 10-10-2009, 09:19 PM

The new people (for the last year) who were running the waterpark were from NYC, they left a few days ago. It will be interesting to see what hqppens next.

swellsurfcampcabarete · #7 10-10-2009, 09:48 PM

Interesting (excuse the sarcasm, but....) were they ever here ??

Fingers crossed anyway.

J D Sauser · #8 10-10-2009, 09:56 PM

Yeah, sound promising!

I'm glad I haven't told the girls yet that next weekend...

... J-D.

Pandaris · #9 10-10-2009, 10:18 PM

You were given the facts and like I said, it will be interesting to see what happens next.

jrhartley · #10 10-11-2009, 10:41 AM

they had a concert there not long ago.There was an article written about it, where they were apologising for not actually telling anyone it was on......so much for advertising..they said next time they had one they would do some advertising.........hmmmm good idea