Make sure you've got strong swimmers if you plan to do the Ohno and Ohyah drop slides. These two body slides plunge into a 10-foot-deep pool! Volcano Bay does not provide any free towels, so be sure to bring your own if you do not want to rent them (it costs $7).

You do not need to be an expert swimmer to enjoy Universal’s Volcano Bay in 2026, but basic water confidence is highly recommended. Many of the park's primary attractions, such as the Kopiko Wai Winding River and the TeAwa The Fearless River, require guests to wear life jackets (provided for free) or use tubes, which keep you buoyant. However, the "Fearless River" is quite fast-paced and can be choppy, so you should be comfortable with moving water. Most of the water slides end in shallow "run-out" troughs rather than deep pools, meaning you don't need to swim to the surface. The notable exception is the Waturi Beach wave pool, which gets deeper as you move toward the volcano; however, it is heavily patrolled by lifeguards. If you plan on doing the more adventurous "drop" slides, you should be comfortable with a sudden splashdown. For children and non-swimmers, there are extensive "splash zones" and shallow play areas where the water never reaches above knee-height.