Do lighter people go faster on water slides?

Heavier people will have more friction force and may slide slower. If the slide is long enough, a heavier person's higher momentum may allow a higher average velocity. I remember when I was a little kid, I was so light that I couldn't even slide on some slides that the bigger kids had no problem with.



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Gravity pulls the rider toward the Earth, helping to speed up their trip down the waterslide. Of course, friction also plays a part. Whether a person rides down the slide on their backs, a mat, or an intertube, the contact causes friction. This can slow the rider down.

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Since the water moves back as you push it, you need to go twice as fast as that or you would stand still. So that's a running speed of almost 80 km/hr, which would be quite impossible even in my idealised calculation that ignores things like fluid drag.

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But speed alone isn't what makes a ride exciting. Consider this: On the average waterslide, riders splash along at 20 to 30 miles per hour. But the average airplane flies 600 miles per hour.

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It depends on the slide. We can recall the weight limit in one slide being around 300 lbs.

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Not to be morbid, and this isn't going to happen if you slightly exceed the weight limit, but if you go totally overboard the whole slide could break and you'll all get seriously injured or killed. A heavier group will keep more of their momentum through the turns and therefore more of their speed.

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Slide must be ridden feet first lying on your back or in a sitting position (sit up to go slower, lie down to go faster).

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Expose to the ride slowly Before taking that water slide, make sure to spend some time exposing yourself or your child to it. Watch others do it for a while or let your child watch how other kids are actually enjoying residential water slides. This will help them prep before actually doing it.

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Different things affect how fast you move down a slide. The surface of the slide, the clothes you are wearing, how heavy you are, and the amount of your body touching the slide all make a difference. Whether the slide is flat, wavy, or spiral makes a difference too.

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My First Waterslide Splash and Slide, Easy Assmebly, 132lb Limit - Walmart.com.

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The simple rules are that the overall angle from top to bottom must not exceed 40 degrees. 35 degrees is more normal, 40 is a little steep. A drop slide can be as steep as 60 degrees at the top, but will need a much longer run out at the bottom to make the overall average angle stay within the 40 degree guideline.

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