New Outer Banks Water Park Coming To Currituck In 2017

Posted By Matt Artz on August 1, 2016

There will be another exciting and fun way to beat the heat next summer, as plans were approved last month paving the way for a new 80-ace water park coming to the Outer Banks, set to open in lower Currituck County in 2017.

Read on for all the details from the official press release (via Outer Banks Sentinel).

Plans are confirmed for the development of an 80-acre water park in lower Currituck County, two miles north of the Wright Memorial Bridge, according to the designer, Aquatic Development Group, Inc. (ADG), a New York-based company that specializes in the design and development of water parks and water ride attractions.

Development of the site will be led by OBX Waterpark Adventure LLC, a newly formed company established to build and operate the water park, owned by Arthur Berry, III and Kenneth Ellis, both 25-plus year veterans in the water park and resort development industry. The attraction will be designed and built by ADG.

“The Outer Banks vacation area has such a rich history with room to grow the recreational leisure market,” says Ellis. “The first-class water park development will be a major draw for visiting families and will allow the Outer Banks to benefit economically from a $45 million project and in turn creating incremental tourism dollars.”

“The location of this development is critical to the draw and appeal of the water park,” said Berry. “By locating the property just off the Outer Banks it allows the area to retain its relaxed beach atmosphere, yet at the same time provide visitors with an easily accessible option for a one-of-a-kind recreational experience.”

Berry and Ellis own Camelback Resort, a 276-acre, four-season destination resort in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, which attracts over 1.5 million guests annually. Camelback Resort features an outdoor adventure park, ski and snowboard mountain, the largest snow tubing park in the country, and the biggest outdoor waterpark in PA. Berry and Ellis opened Camelback Lodge in 2015, a sprawling 453-room hotel with the award-winning Aquatopia, one of the largest indoor waterparks in the country at just over 125,000 square feet.

As veterans in the water park industry, Berry and Ellis will focus on guest expectations by incorporating a unique feature to the OBX water park experience. “By comparison, traditional water parks of this magnitude typically handle 8,000-plus daily guests, yet the OBX water park will set a maximum daily capacity of 4,000 to 5,000.” Berry continues, “Capping the attendance ensures an unparalleled guest experience — unlike any other water park in the country.”

Plans for the 80-acre water park include multiple water slide complexes, massive wave pool, adventure lagoon and lazy river, and a FlowRider surf ride attraction. Over two acres will be dedicated to a state-of-the-art children’s adventure area with a double entry wave pool and other innovative, interactive play areas and structures. Fifty private, wait-serviced cabanas, diverse food and beverage options, and retail venues are some of the many amenities to be offered.

The nautical theme of the water park will draw upon the inspiration of familiar icons, including historic lighthouses, famous pirate ships, the Wright Brothers legacy, all set in an open coastal atmosphere imagined and created by Weber Group, Inc. Weber Group, industry leaders for over 30 years, have produced themed environments for ADG, Disney, Cedar Fair Entertainment, NASA, Great Wolf Lodge, and Crayola.

ADG has completed several projects in the area, including a $25 million three-pool training facility at the U.S. Coast Guard Aviation and Technical Training Center at Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City that features their exclusive wave generation technology.

ADG has also designed and built a one-million gallon wave pool addition and three-acre lazy river expansion at Ocean Breeze Waterpark in Virginia Beach. And at Massanutten Resort near Harrisonburg, VA, the company designed and built a three-story, 42,000-square-foot indoor water park and 88,000 square-foot outdoor complex. The company also designed and built a wave pool used in scenes in the film Life of Pi, which won four Oscars, including the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

The OBX water park is poised to open for vacationers in the summer of 2017.

Construction is set to begin in September.

You can view an artist’s rendition of the proposed layout of the new park in the images below!