AN ADVENTURE centre in North Wales has brought forward plans to install a new inflatable aqua park after its wave machine suffered technical problems.

The giant 150-metre assault course is now in place on the surfing lagoon and is proving a hit with visitors to Adventure Parc Snowdonia in Dolgarrog, Conwy Valley.

According to director Andy Ainscough, they had already bought the new £40,000 attraction with the intention of setting it up in September.

He said: “Of course, it’s disappointing we’ve encountered technical problems with the wave foil.

“One of the complications is that we’ll need to drain the lagoon to carry out the repairs but the current dry spell and the consequent shortage of water means we would be unable to refill it at the moment anyway.

“So rather than be without water for the summer, we decided to embrace the difficulty and bring our plans forward to introduce the new fun-filled assault course on the lagoon as part of a new Water Pass that also includes canoeing and paddleboarding.

“On the plus side, we can now accommodate 70 customers in the lagoon at one time which is nearly double the number who could surf together during a session.

“The other benefits are that it’s more affordable, two-hour family friendly experience for our visitors – and I’m glad to say it’s already proving a really big hit with youngsters and their parents.

“The aqua park has been carefully designed to create a fun, safe and exhilarating, high-energy experience that everyone can enjoy, with the addition of stand-up paddleboarding and canoeing on our fully lifeguarded natural body of water.”

The centre also just unveiled a UK first paragliding experience which enables “pilots” to soar over the peaks of Snowdonia without ever leaving the ground, as Welsh Economy Minister Vaughan Gething discovered on a recent visit.

The two Fly Snowdon paragliding pods were created especially for the pioneering adventure complex by VR innovators Frontgrid, who are based in Llandudno Junction.

Andy added: “Even without the wave machine, we still have more action-packed activities per square foot than anywhere else in the UK.

“Since we opened in 2015, we have invested heavily in creating a host of new indoor and outdoor adrenaline-fuelled attractions on the site, including the ninja assault course, the climbing wall and indoor caving

“Paddle boarding and canoeing will still be available as will the zip wires and we are also a base for a fantastic array of mountain biking tracks of varying degrees of difficulty.

“Our renowned woodland camping pod accommodation which provides a brilliant bae for enjoying our wonderful surroundings, trails and footpaths throughout Conwy and Snowdonia.

“As well as the real life adventures, we have just unveiled a UK first virtual reality paragliding experience.

“Using cutting edge gaming technology, it has faithfully recreated the glacial valleys and the towering peaks of Snowdonia, including the Glyderau, Tryfan, Crib Goch and the mighty Snowdon itself.

“As with a real life paraglider, the pilots sit in a harness and use steering lines to bank left or right, combining virtual reality and motion-based hardware to simulate the movement.

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“An important part of our strategy is to develop Adventure Parc Snowdonia as an all-year-round destination through with conferences, business meeting and team building courses.

“One of the final pieces in the jigsaw was the opening of the on-site, 106-bedroom Hilton Garden Hotel last year offering first class accommodation.

“The hotel includes four conference rooms catering for events with up to 175 people or smaller meetings for around a dozen people.

“The £40,000 investment in the aqua park had been planned to support team-building exercises as part of the wider £5million investment into the corporate offering.

“And then there’s the location, amid the breath-taking scenic beauty of the Conwy Valley so we still have a wonderful offer here at Adventure Parc Snowdonia.”