Yas Waterworld Unveils Refreshed Waterpark and Splash Pad

The 2024 renovation at Yas Waterworld in Abu Dhabi, led by WhiteWater, showcases a newly designed splash pad and an updated waterpark area with over 13,000 square feet of Life Floor surfacing. This revitalized water experience, equipped with vibrant Life Floor Inlays, brings a fresh aesthetic and added functionality to the park.

Splash Pad Design: Adding Inlays and Games

The vibrant splash pad uses the surface as a key thematic feature. A striking blue river courses down the pattern's center, bordered by sandy shores and thriving greenery. Bright pops of color are interspersed via Inlays from our Pond and Outdoor Exploration sets to enhance the attraction's theme and add a fun search-and-find style game. A hopscotch board designed into the Life Floor surface provides more traditional play opportunities and expands the possibilities for different play styles.

Marah Fortress: RainFortress by WhiteWater

At Marah Fortress, WhiteWater's RainFortress structure offers guests an immersive experience with desert palace-inspired theming that aligns beautifully with the local landscape. The design features geometric paneling on the platforms that resemble stained glass and strategically placed boulders to add elevated natural elements. Beneath the RainFortress, a Life Floor pattern starts at the center with a sand-colored island motif and radiates outward with teal tones rippling like waves.

A larger-than-life turtle graphic was designed into the Life Floor surface as a navigational tool, guiding guests on where to stand when the thrilling dump bucket is about to be released.

Nearby, a prominent 7-meter dolphin reflects a similar visual signal as an area where families with children can relax and engage with quieter ground sprays. Smaller standard Inlays encourage movement, such as the brightly colored fish leading away from slide exits and back to the entry point to keep the fun going all day.

DURABILITY MADE FOR THE SCORCHING HEAT

Imagine the hottest conditions on earth. Standing on the equator in peak summer UV, during a solstice, in full sunlight. Then, stay there for 750 hours straight. That’s the rigorous testing our tiles withstand as they’re certified for UV Resistance in accordance with NSF/ANSI/CAN 50. And that’s not all - they also have to pass slip-resistance and impact absorption testing after UV tests are complete.

“Life Floor brings a wow factor to the area, which helps better area utilization even in those corners where there are less features on the structure as the guests would relax on the floor and probably not even need sunbeds.”

— Lijo Jose, WhiteWater

Life Floor: Enhancing Guest Experience

According to Lijo Jose of WhiteWater, Life Floor has transformed the space by maximizing guest interaction and comfort, even in quieter corners of the waterpark where features may be fewer. The soft, inviting Life Floor surface encourages guests to relax directly on the flooring, making it an integral part of the waterpark experience.

Aquatics is for everyone regardless of age, ability, or play style. We hear from venues all the time that guests stay longer and rave about the amenities where Life Floor is installed. Caretakers feel invited to get on their kids’ level with our cushioned tiles and truly feel like they can play too.

Whether its sitting and relaxing while surrounded by small floor jets or frolicking through dueling water cannons - our surfaces promote positive experiences and people can play boundlessly as they were meant to do.

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The 2024 renovation at Yas Waterworld, with Marah Fortress and the revitalized Splash Pad, celebrates the regional culture and innovative play, making it a must-visit attraction in Abu Dhabi.

To discover how Life Floor can refresh your venue and skyrocket guest experience, ask us for a complementary design rendering and get started on your project!

V3 Sports Center: Elevating North Minneapolis Aquatics

V3 Sports Center serves North Minneapolis, MN and has a mission to “elevate our community through wellness, fitness, and education.” North Minneapolis is a historically underinvested community. According to V3’s research, “In 2019, 54% of the population was Non-White and 20% of the population under the age of 18. In the immediate area of The V3 Center, young adults under 18 make up roughly 40% of the population.” The V3 Sports Center was built in a prominent location and can be seen from downtown Minneapolis and Interstate 94. It has bus line service to further increase accessibility of the facility for the neighborhood.

A generational lack of swimming skills can become a cyclical problem and the first step towards ending those cycles is to provide access. This facility chose to go beyond a simple space by creating a true community hub. With nearly 12,000 kids within walking distance, they implemented thoughtful resources and spaces to engage, transform, and elevate the lives of kids in North Minneapolis. Programs include the John W Hardeman III Boys and Girls Club, summer camps, swimming lessons, childcare, and more. Their aquatics department offers several programs: Swim 2 Learn, Swim 2 Earn, Pool Play, and Open Pool.

All windows looking into the pool area can be fully closed with blinds to allow for greater privacy. This serves populations such as Muslim women who need modesty accommodations to swim. V3 Sports Center provides specific times for Muslim women and others who need privacy to freely enjoy the pool amenities.

“I will say my favorite story is, since we opened June 22, when I was driving down Plymouth Avenue, and I saw the kids from the Northside Development Center, which is two blocks away from here during their summer camp, walking down to the V3 Center to do lessons. And this particular day, it was their celebration of finishing their six weeks of lessons. We celebrate them at the end of the six weeks. And with that being said, it was just such a good example of why we’re here. Being able to have a space and place in the community where the kids of Northside Development Center can walk here, get quality lessons in a world-class facility, celebrate, and be excited about what they’ve accomplished, all within their neighborhood. I think that was just a beautiful collaboration between our two organizations, which Northside Development Center is a part of Catholic Charities. Early on around aquatics, it’s all about the accessibility, the proximity, and the community collaborations that are happening to benefit people like Northside families.
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— Malik Rucker, V3 Sports Executive Director

Beyond the incredible activity programming, V3 Sports creates meaningful employment opportunities for residents. “While there are countless non-profit organizations working to create economic stability, job opportunities, education equality and neighborhood revitalization, the unemployment rate in North Minneapolis is twice the rate of the rest of the city, and even worse for Black men. While the poverty rate is 15% for the White community in North Minneapolis, it is 42% for the Black community.”

In an interview with us in August 2024, Malik Rucker, Executive Director, commented, “We're up to about 70 jobs. Just last year, we only had about 8. So, we went from 8 to 70 in a year, which is affecting families. It's providing careers right here in the neighborhood, and those are some of the things that I'm super excited about, and we're only in the first few months.”

“The Life Floor gives life to the pool and to the space. A lot of times when you see tile, it’s not as exciting, but having this with the pops of color has allowed us to not have to do as much on the walls. We let the floor lead the way and it’s a beautiful space. I haven’t seen anybody fall or slip, and we know people are going to run. The investment is worth it just by reducing the slips and when people do slip, they’re not hitting the ground as hard. It’s aesthetically pleasing, it definitely lightens up the space, and it works well with the natural light that’s coming in at the corner of Plymouth and Lyndale. The most input I get is just how beautiful it is. People notice it. They touch the ground and try to see how soft it is and if they’re gonna slip. It’s a beautiful addition. ”

— Malik Rucker, V3 Sports Executive Director

“I’m just excited to continue to see families come together. It’s a family space. It’s a destination. There aren’t many spaces in North Minneapolis that the entire family can go to.”

— Malik Rucker, V3 Sports Executive Director

The facility’s architect is LSE Architecture, a Black-owned architecture firm. For their work on this project, they were awarded alongside V3 Sports Center with the AIA Minnesota Merit Award and the Michael L. Schrock Award. Building was completed by RJM Construction.

On a granular level, this fitness center is a great example of a phased project approach. V3 Sports Center completed $26M phase 1 in 2024, prioritizing amenities that would best serve the community. Two selections included a 6 lane 25-meter pool and hydrotherapy pool with Life Floor surfaces. This center now has the first indoor lap pool serving North Minneapolis with multifunctional use for swimming lessons, exercise, and summer camps. Phase 2 will cost approximately $100M and will include an Olympic size 50-meter pool, STEAM programming, and a technology center.

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We’re proud to be part of this incredible fitness center located just 4 miles from our U.S. Headquarters. A sincere thank you to the team at V3 Sports for bringing the V3 Sports Center to life and investing in our community. We look forward to your continued success elevating and transforming the lives of thousands.

Flooring is a Feature: Create Canvases of Fun

Did you know surfacing takes up 50-90% of the space at an aquatic center? That makes it the largest feature with the most potential for engagement. While spray fixtures and elevated structures add 3D elements that create depth, flooring provides visual interest and completes any thematic design in a variety of ways.

COMPLETE THEMED ENTERTAINMENT

Pirate Beach at LEGOLAND Discovery Cove - Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas, USA

LEGOLAND Discovery Cove Pirate Beach centers their storytelling experience around pirates and island adventure. The triangle gradient design creates an island motif which complements the pirate theming and provides greater narrative immersion. Lighter zones under the main spray fixtures symbolize islands while surrounding blue tones create the impression of water and reach out across overspray areas. DUPLO blocks are spread across the splash pad and add an interactive element for younger children to engage under gentler water sprays.

These bright colors not only provide engagement for patrons, but they’re also eye-catching to visitors as they walk by through the mall’s courtyard area.

Before: Painted Concrete

After: Life Floor

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SURFACE DESIGN that COMPLEMENTs use

Camp Margaritaville - Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, USA

Zero-depth entry pools, like this amenity at Camp Margaritaville, often provide a great way for a wide variety of guests to cool off during summer vacation. Visually, our surfaces add to this narrative by placing sand-colored tiles where the depth of water is shallowest with gradually darkening teal tones that match the increased depth of water.

These beautiful colors complement the overall palette of the structure and surrounding space which adds an aesthetically pleasing element to the venue. Beautiful spaces often prompt guests to take more photos and share them with friends and family which in turn expands word of mouth referrals.

Drains near the entry utilize Daldorado’s DalLUX Drainage System which provides greater safety and a continuous, pleasant visual experience.

Before: Concrete

After: Life Floor

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IMAGINATIVE DESIGN ELEMENTS

Rotary Splash Island at Sammy Haggard Park - Danielsville, Georgia, USA

Life Floor’s thematic Inlays are a popular design element used to inspire imagination while staying within budget. Inlays can be used as surfacing play features such as search-and-find games or hopping activities to encourage movement and engagement throughout different zones.

Before: Concrete

After: Life Floor

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EYE-CATCHING PATTERNS FROM ANY LEVEL

Lakewood Camping Resort - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA

Lakewood Camping Resort has an extensive background with over two decades of award-winning amenities. Life Floor was chosen as the safety surface at their splash pad to further set the resort apart from others with a beautiful design that elevates the visual impact from a variety of angles and floor levels. Guests with balconies overlooking the beach are welcomed with an attractive waypoint visual that would otherwise be blank concrete.

Before: Concrete

After: Life Floor

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PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS WITH STYLE

Northeast Family Branch YMCA - Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Northeast Family Brand YMCA showcases an example of zoning splash pads for different ages and abilities. The darker area features more adventurous dump buckets an engaging transition with bands of alternating colors area under spray rings that lead to the lighter area where calmer sprays are located. Zoning helps caregivers visually recognize areas where kids can play safely and enjoy fun activities during their visit.

Before: Painted Concrete

After: Life Floor

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Games, shapes, and beautiful spaces

Anaheim Courtyard by Marriott - Anaheim, California, USA

With Life Floor’s custom cutting abilities, there are many options to include surface games such as hopscotch, “The Floor is Lava” style play, or search and find activities. Large custom Inlays like surfboards can enhance theming as well while providing imaginative elements that spark fun.

Guests with rooms that face this amenity are able to enjoy looking out over a vibrant courtyard that may otherwise resemble a concrete jungle.

Before: Concrete

After: Life Floor

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STORYTELLING WITH LIFE FLOOR

Immersive designs and bold flooring graphics make facilities truly stand out. Our tiles can be custom cut to feature almost any type of theming, imagery, or patterning imaginable. For truly incredible storytelling with characters or more complex elements, explore our Murals product line to begin imagining one-of-a-kind experiences.

If you have a project in mind, contact us to begin exploring possibilities with our Studio Team’s complimentary design services.

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In addition to providing facilities with beautiful designs, safety surfaces such as Life Floor will improve safety and increase inclusivity for all ages and abilities. Our products provide greater peace of mind to staff and guests with industry-leading safety certifications.

To learn more about Life Floor’s vibrant surfaces, begin a conversation with us and explore what’s possible for your facility with a free design rendering.

Introducing a New Standard for Pool Perimeter Surfaces

In 2024, NSF International published a new section within NSF/ANSI/CAN Standard 50 for surfaces around pool deck perimeters. This section details the criteria that surfacing products meet in order to become certified. Most notably, the standard recommends that pool perimeters should be slip-resistant to increase safety at aquatic facilities.

At Life Floor, we’re enthusiastically embracing this addition to NSF/ANSI/CAN Standard 50 and we’re proud to share that our Ripple texture is certified to this set of criteria for pool perimeter surfaces. From competitive swim schools to therapy pools, this standard brings positive change to our industry and we’re excited to further our mission of making all aquatic spaces safe and beautiful for all people through this opportunity.

The pool perimeter standard is similar to the version in NSF/ANSI/CAN 50 for splash pads, but the primary differences are that this variation does not require surfaces to be cushioned and the testing criteria only applies to non-concrete surfacing materials.

As part of the certification process for pool perimeter surfaces, our tiles are third-party tested to demonstrate high quality safety in real-world applications. They also show aquatic durability necessary for pool amenities. The 5 criteria include:

• Slip-Resistance

• Impermeability

• Cleanability

• UV Resistance

• Chemical Resistance

Life Floor is certified to the standard and meets or exceeds all 5 requirements.

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If you would like to learn more about Life Floor’s products, please contact us to see if Life Floor would be a good fit for your venue.

Where can Life Floor be installed?

Life Floor is engineered for aquatics and designed for play! Our products can be installed virtually anywhere with proper techniques and have been installed at over 2,500 facilities worldwide. Explore some of our most common application types below and discover how Life Floor may be a good fit for your project.

Splash Pads

Splash Pads are one of our most common project requests and we often see both retrofit and new build construction types.

Life Floor is certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN Standard 50 which was created by NSF International specifically for interactive water play venues, also known as splash pads and spray grounds. As a certified product, Life Floor meets 6 performance-based criteria including Slip-Resistance, Cushioning, Impermeability, Cleanability, UV Resistance, and Chemical Resistance.

It’s common for children to run around spray features to dodge water or re-engage with the amenity from different angles. This area is referred to as the overspray area or apron.

Including overspray areas in surface design is beneficial to increase safety where children are still engaging in play. The Life Floor Studio and authorized designers can easily expand designs to cover these areas in ways that complement the available space.

Without overspray

With overspray

Pool Decks

Pool decks are another of our most popular requests. Life Floor is flexible and durable which allows for tight coping and wrapping around pool edges and fixtures. We also offer high contrast depth markers, no-diving symbols, and other safety messaging that is manufactured from our same high-performance safety surfacing. Our tile modularity means that safety messaging will not lose contrast over time since each color of Life Floor is a different tile.

Custom safety messaging such as “Bench Below” or “Please Walk” signs are available upon request.

Zero-Depth Entries

These commonly slippery areas present a hydroplaning challenge for operators, staff, and guests alike due to the sloping surfaces leading into the water. Adding Life Floor’s cushioned and slip-resistant surfacing at these entry points can enhance safety, design, and accessibility at any aquatic center.

Sometimes, it’s difficult for guests to visualize how deep water is becoming and how quickly. Gradients and colors that symbolize shorelines and water depth can be a good visual indicator of zones. For example, a walkway or lounge chair area can have tan colors that resemble sandy beaches while light blues can represent shallow water, gradually developing into darker colors as water depth increases.

In some states within the USA, pool codes require specific surfacing color options under certain depths of water. Internationally, restrictions are often less limiting, allowing for colorful designs that can extend deep underwater.

For more information about the different types of Zero-Depth Entries, read our blog Reducing Slip and Falls at Zero-Depth Entries.

Waterparks

Waterparks have many areas where Life Floor can be installed to solve common challenges and aesthetically transform the design of a space.

Stairs

Due to the modularity of our tiles, stair nosings and treads will maintain high visual contrast over time. Since our products are slip-resistant, they also reduce injuries that occur on slippery slide towers and ramps.

Elevated Platforms

As WhiteWater’s recommended safety surface, Life Floor is standard on AquaForm structures and Landing Pads. Life Floor is recommended on AquaPlay structures and for splash zones under AquaPlay, AquaForm, and AquaSpray structures.

Landing Pads for Waterslide Exits

Life Floor Landing Pads are designed to meet the safety and quality standards of today’s most challenging aquatic conditions. Our Landing Pad tiles will never absorb water and will remain slip-resistant even when submerged underwater.

Edge Pads for Lily Pad Walkways

Lily Pad Walkways are a popular attraction at waterparks and provide a unique way for children to engage with a small space. Edge Pad Landings that are cushioned with Life Floor allow for safer entries and exits to these types of features. They can also include custom graphics, logos, or colors to complement a facility’s theme.

Sloped Ramps

Life Floor is ADA Compliant and can be installed on any sloped access ramp. These commonly slippery areas especially benefit from Life Floor’s slip-resistant properties.

Locker Rooms and Bathrooms

Locker rooms and bathrooms are typically added onto projects that already include a pool deck or splash pad to take advantage of lower installation costs per square foot or square meter.

Since these facility features are often connected to aquatic amenities, they are typically wet and slippery especially near showers and entrances. Wet carpet mats are unsightly and can harbor harmful bacteria or mold which require them to be replaced and cleaned often. Life Floor offers a beautiful alternative that complements facility design and is easy to clean.

DRY PLAY

Life Floor is engineered for aquatics, but some customers enjoy the superior cleanability and cushioning of our products. This is especially true on Cruise Ships where lightweight, IMO Certified products such as Life Floor are highly sought after.

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To get started on your project, begin a conversation with one of our Account Executives to find out how Life Floor can solve your surfacing-related challenges.

What Exactly is Life Floor?

For anyone familiar with our product, they know that Life Floor is an aquatic safety surface with endless design opportunities. What many people don't know about our flooring, especially if they haven't seen or experienced it in person, is exactly how it looks, feels, and functions. Let's dive into the details! 

MATERIAL 

Most people have seen or experienced pour-in-place aggregate products commonly used for safety surfacing at playgrounds and they assume that Life Floor must be similar. While our product is also cushioned, our tiles are entirely different.

Life Floor is made of a closed cell foam-rubber which means it’s impervious to water and easy to clean. The compressive nature of this unique material is what also makes it a safer option than concrete. Our tiles’ impact attenuation has been third-party tested by NSF International to prove that they can cushion guests if any slip-and-falls occur.

CUSHIONING  

To achieve any level of impact attenuation, materials require a certain thickness. What does that look like with Life Floor?

Our standard 3/8" (10 mm) tiles are most commonly used on splash pads and pool decks and have been tested to a minimum fall height of 1'-0" (0.3 m). For more robust needs such as slide landing pads, we offer 7/8" (22 mm) tiles with a minimum fall height of 4'-0" (1.2 m). We also offer a layered system that can be customized to protect at even greater heights. 

SIZING

Many customers wonder if Life Floor can be rolled out like rubber matting products used in other applications. Our surfacing doesn’t come in sheets or rolls. Instead, it is a modular system with a standard square tile size of 24" x 24" (610 mm x 610 mm) that is adhered to a substrate such as concrete. As a result, any customer looking for minimal replacements, especially in the event of any accidental damage, can swap out individual tiles without replacing an entire floor. 

For additional shapes, our triangles and rectangles are half tiles, our hexagons are 20" (508 mm) from edge to edge, and our custom cutting possibilities are endless. Our proprietary precision-cutting system allows us to cut any shape, logo, or image from any number of our square tiles making Life Floor a popular choice for designers and customers looking to accurately depict specific imagery. 

INSTALLATION

But what about the grout? Again, Life Floor works differently. Our tiles are adhered to substrates like concrete with a commercial-grade waterproof contact cement adhesive. No material is applied in the joints between tiles. Instead, they are installed tightly adjacent to one another. Due to the natural closed-cell properties of our tiles, these joints are easily cleaned and do not harbor microbial growth. The finished look of our installations is continuous, allowing for more organic designs, like the one pictured above, to be achieved.

SLIP-RESISTANCE 

Our grooved Ripple tiles are uniquely slip-resistant as verified by third-party testing. Even our Slate tiles feature a MicroTread texture for added traction. Life Floor products are engineered to perform best when wet which creates a solid grip for bare feet on our surfacing. As a result, guests of all ages experience aquatic spaces more confidently—playing, swimming, and splashing in ways that would be impossible on slippery surfaces.  

SEE & FEEL LIFE FLOOR YOURSELF

The best way to experience Life Floor is by visiting an existing installation. For anyone curious about local facilities that feature our product, we've created an installation map to reference. 

To see and feel Life Floor for yourself, we also encourage you to order a product sample. We have a variety of options depending on your needs available in our sample store. 

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Looking to learn a bit more about Life Floor? Our team would love to connect about your aquatic needs.