FlowRider

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The FlowRider aboard the Royal Caribbean ship Freedom of the Seas

A FlowRider (or Flow Rider) is an artificial sheet wave surfing environment incorporated in many waterparks and hotels. It was originally invented by Tom Lochtefeld, a surfer, for the Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort in New Braunfels, Texas, in which a rider sides down a ramp on a wakeboard into the curl of the wave. It uses an array of high-output waterpumps to produce a stationary sheet flow of water approximately 2 inches thick that flows over a fixed, foam-padded surface. Water recirculates through pumps located in a reservoir. The flowrider onboard Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, and Independence of the Seas shoots waves at 30 MPH, and shoots up to 60,000 gallons of water a minute.^{[citation needed]} The Flow Rider is manufactured by Wave Loch, Inc. of La Jolla, California. There are currently more than 50 FlowRider installations around the globe.

[edit] User equipment

An indoor FlowRider at the Water Park of America in Minnesota

Stand-up boards for FlowRiders were first developed by Carl Ekström. They are about the size of a small wakeboard, since moving water requires less board surface area to maintain flotation. They do not use skegs but instead use their edges to provide stability. Bodyboards for FlowRiders are rounded to afford enhanced maneuverability. Height restrictions of 58"/147cm(standing) and 52"/132cm (bodyboard) are required.

[edit] Cruise ships offering the flowrider

Currently, there are three named ships offering the flowrider. The Freedom of the Seas, which was the first to feature the flowrider on a ship, the Liberty of the Seas, which was the second ship to ever feature the flowrider, and the Independence of the Seas, which is set for its maiden voyage in 2008.