H2OBX Waterpark set to open next year in Currituck

A $46 million waterpark is now under construction in lower Currituck County and developers are hailing it as one of the most innovatively designed and uniquely located waterparks in the world.

Earlier this week, invited guests enjoyed a preview of the H2OBX Waterpark, which sprawls across 80 acres just off  U.S. 158 in Powell’s Point,  three miles north of the Wright Memorial Bridge, the northern gateway to the Outer Banks.
The park, designed for up to 5,000 patrons a day, is scheduled to open next summer.
Developers says that, “H2OBX Waterpark will complement the region’s unique tourism offerings when it opens, delivering world premier attractions, superior guest service, and an exciting new option for fun and entertainment to the hundreds of thousands of families who vacation in the Outer Banks each year.”
 
H2OBX will deliver more than 30 waterslides, pools and attractions, combining several first-to-market and enhanced slides and experiences. Waterslides will offer varying degrees of thrills, lengths, drops, turns and intensity. Guests can ride the waves on a Flowrider, float along an adventure river, body surf in one of two wave pools, and anticipate an exhilarating 1,000-gallon bucket dump. H2OBX will offer an array of traditional rides and pools, and developers say, “that’s where classic waterpark recreation ends and innovation begins.”
 
H2OBX has been carefully designed and themed to pay homage to the history and culture of the Outer Banks, developers say. Enhanced attractions include Twin Tides wave pool, which will deliver the fundamental ocean-simulated current, tide and waves that guests love, but with new dual “beachfront” entrance points on opposite ends.

A revolutionary Adventure Lagoon includes climb, crawl and balance soft mat obstacles and swim zones. Also unique to H2OBX is an immersive, multi-level, pirate-themed, play structure that reveals a smart design offering more waterslides and interactive water effects. 

“H2OBX will also feature hybrid waterslides, special effects including aqua-lucent lighting, gravity defying enhancements, increased thrill factors to undoubtedly deliver one of the most cutting-edge waterparks ever constructed,” according to a news release.
 
In addition to thrill, H2OBX has places to chill. More than 50 private cabanas, including a premium cabana village, will offer first-class amenities and luxury guest service in a private oasis setting. Shaded seating areas, multiple food and beverage outlets offering variety and quality, from snacks to gourmet, a Wright Brothers flyer themed bar, and free Wi-Fi are among the many offered conveniences.
 
Once opened, developers say that H2OBX will create more than 200 full-time and seasonal jobs that will benefit the area’s economy.
 
“We are very excited to be working with the entire Outer Banks community to deliver a world-class waterpark that will deliver an exciting new entertainment option for vacationers,” said Arthur Berry III, H2OBX developer. “H2OBX will further benefit the area through pre-and post opening job creation and draw additional tourism to the area.”
 
H2OBX developers Ken Ellis, Arthur Berry III, Tim Gantz and Jeff Malarney each bring substantial experience in their respective fields — waterpark development, planning, operations and market tourism. 

Ken Ellis, president and CEO of Aquatic Development Group (ADG), a waterpark design/build company, is also co-owner with Arthur Berry III of the Camelback Resort, home to Aquatopia, the largest indoor waterpark in the northeast and Camelbeach outdoor waterpark. Tim Gantz is the former owner and operator of America’s largest outdoor waterpark, Noah’s Ark, and Jeff Malarney, former Navy judge advocate general, has been intimately involved in the North Carolina vacation rental industry, recently serving two terms on the North Carolina Real Estate Commission, and is a local Outer Banks resident and practicing attorney.

 “This has been an extraordinary project because of my own personal involvement and vested interest in H2OBX,” said Ellis.  “I’m extremely proud of the talented and diligent team at ADG, the innovative slide design by WhiteWater West, the sophisticated details by Weber Group, and the work put forth by so many others who have created such a unique waterpark plan. H2OBX is going to be incredibly innovative because we have the full force of the industry’s best people behind it.”

For more information about H2OBX Waterpark, visit www.OBXwaterpark.com
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