Our Story

On a calm and sunny evening, back in 2014, the adrenaline seeking owner of The Jungle Outdoor Adventure Centre, Bobby Carmichael, took to the skies in his paramotor. Flying over Moneymore, the glistening shine of the water caught his eye and he then discovered the 12 acre lake sitting neatly in the outskirts of Moneymore.

Shortly after, he found out that the lake was sitting on the site of an old quarry. The quarry had ceased operations over 30 years ago and since then the underground springs had filled the vacant quarry up with fresh and pristine spring water. Still under the ownership of a multinational Quarry company, specifically the offshoots of Northstone and Farren’s, Bobby approached the owners to purchase the lake, in order to fulfil his dream of opening an Outdoor Waterpark.

In 2019, after a long and drawn out negotiating and purchasing process, ownership of the lake and surrounding site was granted.

Soon after, in late 2019, we enlisted the experts from L Loughran & Sons Contracts Ltd to begin the mammoth task of making the site accessible. At this point, the lake was completely surrounded by overgrown trees, bushes and dense wasteland. The first job was an arduous site clearance to allow site access. This was then followed by a cut and fill operation, to level the grounds and enable future building projects, along with a car park and the areas surrounding the lake.

Lastly, was a huge drainage operation, providing adequate drainage of the lake and allowing for plumbing access for toilets, showers and drains. This groundwork was completed in February 2020.

We were then left with a huge freshwater lake, surrounded by rugged natural landscapes of basalt cliff faces and staggered tree lines. We successfully made the site accessible and laid the groundwork to provide a base for our main pavilion and changing area.

During this time in 2019, we searched high and wide for the very best AquaPark we could find. Obtaining an exciting range of obstacles and slides with the highest safety standards available was our main goal. In came WiBit, the world’s leading floating water park brand.

After many conversations with WiBit, the industry leaders and proud holders of the safest AquaParks in the world, we took the jump and purchased our very own custom made XL Inflatable AquaPark, loaded with obstacles and slides and uniquely identifiable with its striking green and yellow branding.

All Wibit’s products include certification by TUV, a respected German product-safety testing institute and also come with an EN ISO 25469 safety distinction. The aqua parks are made from PVC material that conforms to the European Union’s REACH health regulations, which are considered one of the highest chemical safety standards in the world.

In 2020, our brand new inflatable aquapark arrived!

All set to open in 2020 with our aquapark here and ready to be explored, the Covid crisis landed on our shores. This meant that the opening of the waterpark had to be postponed to 2021.

Not ones to rest on our laurels, we used the extra year to continue upgrading the site. Jetties were installed and the foundations of our modern pavilion building were laid, in preparation for the full install in 2022/23.

The last piece of the puzzle was finishing off the modern and stylish main lakeside pavilion and teaming up with a catering team to offer something unique for our guests to enjoy. After a sizeable £1.3 million investment to bring our main pavilion building up to the standards we set out to achieve, the work is now complete. We’re so proud to have this state of the art, modern building to enhance our visitor experience at Splash.

In early 2023 we got in touch with one of the most exciting food businesses in Mid Ulster and joined forces to serve up their original ideas and culinary passion in our new on site eatery, Top Deck. Additionally, we added on our own coffee hut, The Sipway.

The two Conors, who started the quirky and original CoCo’s Craft Pizza in 2020, later CoCo’s Kiosk, have worked in catering for decades and we’re thrilled to have their skills, creativity and experience at Splash.

The future looks bright for Splash! In May of 2023, we received our Gold Standard RLSS Accreditation, making us the first and only Gold standard AquaPark in the country! We’re delighted with this coveted award, it’s a real reflection of the immense hard work and immense dedication that’s been put into Splash to date – there will be plenty more to come.

Moving forward, we’re looking forward to hosting a number of local schools for end of term trips. Just like everyone else, we’re hoping for a good summer, where families and friends will be able to get outside and enjoy the AquaPark and other water based activities.

Away from water based fun, future events and activities will focus on wellbeing and mindfulness. We already have regular yoga and breathwork sessions and are excited to be able to offer more of this sort of activity!