Human beings come in many shapes and sizes and nowhere is this more apparent than at a water park, a place where big men occasionally scream like little girls. The heat of the Arabian summer gives people a deeper appreciation of water and the UAE’s many water attractions are a key draw for visitors and residents alike. One water park even offers a temperature-based discount: the hotter the day, the lower the entrance fee.
The fast rides and slides in the water parks appeal to those individuals who prefer a little adrenalin with their water. Consequently, these parks resound with screams that straddle the fuzzy borders of terror and excitement.
I am a low-frills, lazy river type of person. When floating gently down stream on a rubber ring, approaching a near meditative state, the hyper-excited screams of other people can actually enhance the appreciation of one’s own silent calm.
But water – even as tame as the water in a water park might seem – is not always our friend. Water kills.
In the US, for example, it is estimated that for children under the age of 10, swimming pools are around 100 times more deadly than guns. The water park’s ever-present, ever-vigilant lifeguards are a constant reminder that fun in the sun can be transformed into emergency and tragedy in the blink of an eye.
The water park’s lifeguards and security staff seem to me to have one of the most psychologically difficult jobs in the world. In the midst of people cooling off and frolicking in the water, they are expected to remain relatively dry, straight-faced and cool-headed.
On the day that I visit, one poor female lifeguard is being harassed by a group of waterborne would-be-playboys. They insist on shouting their telephone numbers at her each time they pass by her station.
She remains cool, calm and indifferent in the face of their puerile persistence. Meanwhile, a security guard puts tissues under his hat to prevent sweat running into his eyes as he patrols the park in searing heat.
In addition to human life, water has also always posed a threat to electronic gadgetry. However, today’s water park attendees are not going to let a few thousand gallons of water come between them and a good selfie. A new device, the selfie stick, is also much in evidence.
If a few hundred selfies is not enough, then the more mercantile water parks have been carefully designed to ensure everyone passes through the gift shop. An abundance of gifts and keepsakes are available here for unreasonable prices.
Beyond the water park, the UAE offers a lot more water-based recreation. Kayaking around Abu Dhabi’s mangroves, for example, is about as far away from a water park as you can get. Paddling through this rich and slightly bizarre ecosystem, I feel like it shouldn’t be here, because trees don’t belong in the sea. Then I look at the distant Abu Dhabi skyline and feel exactly the same way – skyscrapers don’t belong in the desert. The surreal landscapes – both the natural and the constructed – complement each other perfectly.
Kayaking is hard work but the effort is richly compensated with mesmerising views of the natural world, and the opportunity to see amazing sea-life in their natural habitat. Similar waterborne experiences can be had on the UAE’s east coast, aboard the dhows cruising the coastline where the mountains kiss the Indian Ocean. Here, nature inspires awe.
Summer in the UAE is a time for water, the heat demands it. But these attractions are available all year-round, as is plenty of drinkable water. There is much to be grateful for.
Justin Thomas is an associate professor of psychology at Zayed University and author of Psychological Well- Being in the Gulf States
On Twitter: @jaytee156
