Calypso Cove Aquatic Facility — Attraction in Margate

This is a reasonably nice little waterpark. The slides are fun (as long as the kids are over 42" according to their signage), the splash pad playground area is nice, the pool is often packed and a bit murky looking but that's par for the course with these places. We just avoid the pool and stick with the other attractions. The snack bar has great prices and a typical selection, we've never had a disappointing experience there. Nice hot water showers in the bathrooms, too. All in all, it's nice and pleasant.

I do want to mention their policy for inclement weather because I found it really confusing. So they have a sign clearly displayed that says if the park is shut down for lightning within 30 minutes of your arrival, you can get a refund. Last time we were there, the alarm sounded before we even got on the slides, it was probably 5 minutes or so after we arrived, so of course we made our way back to the ticket booth to get our money back. The lady inside told us that we would have to wait 30 minutes AFTER the alarm sounded. I replied that waiting would mean we were there for more than 30 minutes, so what was the deal with the sign warning us that we wouldn't get a refund if it had been more than 30 minutes. She basically shrugged and reiterated that we needed to wait another 30 minutes. There was no reassurance, no explanation that I'd misunderstood, just basically, "Oh well, thems the rules, too bad."

Of course I was a bit annoyed, from my perspective it seemed like this was some kind of catch-22 situation where you can't get a refund after 30 minutes, but you're required to wait 30 minutes, so basically the whole refund thing was a scam, so why not just say "no refunds"? I was in the entryway explaining this to my daughter when the woman in the ticket window waved me over and snapped in an angry way that we would get our refund, because although it's not expressly stated on the sign, the rule is that it can't be more than 30 min between arriving and the alarm going off - not 30 min after we'd entered the park in general. My main issue is, WHY DIDN'T SHE JUST TELL ME THAT TO BEGIN WITH?? How many angry, flustered visitors must this woman face before she learns to just explain it the right way the first time? Or just redo the sign so it's accurate? I don't know, I just found that kind of baffling. Having worked with the public before myself, the very FIRST thing I'd have said is "YOU ARE GETTING YOUR REFUND, DON'T WORRY". And then you can explain everything else after that. Or not. As long as it's clear they will get their money back and aren't being scammed by some catch-22 deal. I'm still annoyed that she basically refused to reassure us, and then acted resentful that I told my daughter it seemed sketchy. What did she expect?

Anyway... other than that I like the park, we've always had a great time there. But they really need to clarify that rule so people...

I would give this place 5 stars but I am giving this place 4 stars. I give this place 4 stars because.. it’s small, it’s perfect for the toddlers and for those who don’t want to wander around some huge park all day with small children. The price is reasonable and they have concession food available to buy. The height regulations are 42” for the big slides.

I am marking this place without the extra star because the lifeguards are not on the same page. One lifeguard told my 4 y/o that it was ok to use arm floats “as long as he can float in them” then the lifeguards changed positions or shifts and the next refused to allow him to use them. It caused my son a massive meltdown. As a parent and as a small child we need consistency so that we avoid scenarios as such. It makes it easier all around for everyone if there is consistency. When we arrived to the entrance my son was A quarter inch off according to their height sign to be allowed to ride the bigger slides. Which isn’t the big deal I get it however, my son had a doctors appointment 2 days ago and we knew for fact that he was 42’ on the dot. I told them I could pull up his paperwork and/or we could grab our tape measure and they refused to allow it. Mind you we noticed the sign was not in level ground. Again is that part a big deal.. no but it does add to why they aren’t getting 5 stars from us.

11 months later review- We decided to give it a go again this year as my son wanted to have his 5th birthday at a “water slide”. So that’s what we did. We booked the indoor room they had available. It’s spacious, looks nice and has a kitchenette. Plus- there is A/C. If you want this room book it fast. Warning: it is expensive and it’s pay per hour. You must do what ever set up and break down in that time rented. You also must clean up everything including take out the trash.

When I booked it, I did it in person in the off-season. I was given the opportunity to view the room and while doing so, I was pleased to see the upgrades being made to the park. In that time, the manager was very informative about the state regulations for water slides changing. They went from 42” to 48”. It was a bummer but it was out of their control. I voiced my concerns about our previous experience- which I see now above the numerous amounts of typos (sorry) and the manager apologized and that “being on the same page” as a facility was recognized and miscommunication was worked on for this year. The price DID go up but as explained to me, due to the parks upgrades and city of margate they had to do it.

Communication to our party guests was great. We were concerned that because it was the indoor room that guests would have a hard time knowing where to go. They were on it.

Overall, our second experience was fantastic. I will happily give this...

Price has almost doubled from $7 to &12 pp for those without a margate ID. I live in Coc Creek. As a parent of a 13 year old, I just watch my kid and his friend(s) but I have to pay for entrance for myself and 2 tweens/teens, and suffer listening to country music blaring over the loud speaker in this sweltering summer heat... I've tried sitting in different locations but it's always impossible to hear when trying to make a phone call, or listen to voicemail with the volume of the music always so high. I've had relatives that I've brought who have complained about the volume of the music over the years. I wouldn't mind paying the increased cost for entrance, if I could sit inside in the AC and watch out the window, with even a little softer volume of music, so I can make a couple calls for the 1.5-2 hrs we spend there or even read a magazine article from time to time while watching my son. It's just too loud. I considered buying the season pass, and have purchased it in past years, but wouldn't do it at this new price for season passes for non margate residents.

The staff is always very friendly, professional and keep the environment safe for the kids by using responsible, professionally-trained, lifeguards. It is usually clean except for patrons leaving their trash on and around the chairs when they leave. I usually pick up the trash upon arrival bc I don't ever see any employees walking around in the time I'm there. I'm not saying that employees don't ever do a "walk around" to pick up trash but whenever we arrive, it's the first thing I do, in order to sit on a chair under an umbrella. I've never complained and wouldn't complain bc I'd rather have the lifeguards watching out for the kids and having patrons pick up their own trash.

There was a 1-2 yr old child in a regular diaper, not a swim diaper, on our last visit, July 2023, and I didn't feel it was sanitary The lifeguards didn't say anything, but that may have been bc it was too hard to see bc the child was mostly sitting in the water. But the diaper was so heavy and waterlogged that it was falling out of his bathing suit shorts and I saw it clearly enough from a...