10 Wild Waterslides Around the World

Location: Beach Park, Porto das Dunas, Brazil

The Insano is the tallest waterslide in the world. If you're insane enough to ride it, you'll basically be jumping off a 14-story building. The slide drops almost straight down, and you fall so fast that the ride only takes four to five seconds. You'll be dumped out into a swimming pool before you even have time to panic—although we can't imagine the trek up to the top will be relaxing.

Location: Schlitterbahn Waterpark, New Braunfels, TX

If you're scared of falling, heights, the dark, or fun, then the BlackKnight Tunnel Slides are not for you. It's dark in the slide's totally enclosed pitch-black tunnel. You'll plunge through 550 feet of twists, turns, and drops, and you won't be able to see what's coming next. At least you'll have a friend to cling to: You'll be sliding on a two-person inflatable tube.

Location: Siam Park, Tenerife, Canary Islands

Experience zero gravity, no spacesuit required. (Just a swimsuit will do.) The Dragon waterslide sends you and three friends on a thrill ride down a chute into a giant cone. You'll slide back and forth in the cone until you experience zero gravity.

Location: Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas

In case sliding down a nearly vertical 60-foot drop isn't terrifying enough, Leap of Faith throws in some real live sharks as well. You'll drop down from the resort's Mayan Temple structure and then speed through a clear tunnel that runs through a lagoon full of sharks.

Location: Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Jackson, NJ

This eagerly anticipated waterslide is almost ready for its victims. Shaped like a snake, the King Cobra makes a great racetrack: Up to four people can compete to be the first to finish on two two-person rafts. You'll be spun through bends and sudden drops before ending up at the mouth of the cobra—watch out for its teeth! (Six Flags tells us this ride will open "any day now," but call the park to check if it's open before you book a trip there.)

Location: Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park, Lake Buena Vista, FL

Cool off with this ski-jump-themed waterslide. The Summit Plummet starts with a ride on a chairlift (and you'll need a lift to get all the way up the attraction's 12 stories). Then brace yourself—you'll slide down 120 feet at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. Feel free to race your friends, as the ride has a speedometer at the end to tell you how fast you went.

Location: Jolly Roger Amusement Park, Ocean City, MD

Stand with your arms crossed at the top of a platform for three agonizing seconds before the bottom pulls away and sends you sliding down the AquaLoop. This brand-new ride features the only looping waterslide on the East Coast, and you'll be blasted around it at 37 miles per hour while hitting up to 4Gs. (Australia's Wet 'n Wild Water World, pictured above, hits the same speed limit but keeps riders at a wimpy 2.5Gs.)

Location: Golden Nugget, Las Vegas, NV

Admire an aquarium from a whole new angle with a ride on the Golden Nugget's Shark Chute. This three-story slide takes you on a thrill ride through the aquarium's center, so you'll feel like you're swimming with sharks and stingrays. Even though you'll be just inches from fierce creatures, you don't have to worry: You'll be protected by four inches of sturdy acrylic windows. Besides, you'll probably be going too fast for the sharks to catch you anyway.

Location: Noah's Ark Water Park, Wisconsin Dells, WI

Stand in an enclosed coffin-like tube and brace yourself—once the floor falls out from under you, you'll be sliding down the Scorpion's Tail at over 50 feet per second. You'll descend 10 stories and whip through a nearly vertical loop. It's like riding a rollercoaster in your bathing suit. Without a seatbelt.

Location:WhiteWater World, Coomera, Australia

The Wedgie's name says it all. "You've been Wedgied by WhiteWater World," boasts the park's website. The ride drops you through a trapdoor five stories above the ground before sending you through a half-coil loop. Before you know it, the brake system kicks in at the splashdown pool, and you're soon discovering how the slide got its name.

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