Wet or Dry? Choosing a Water Slide in Texas Heat

Somewhere around late May, every rental question in North Texas becomes the same question: should we do this wet or dry? Most of our inflatables run both ways, so you get to choose. Here is how to choose well.

The temperature rule

Our honest cutoff is about 85 degrees. Above that, go wet. Below that, go dry. In July and August in DFW, when it is 100 degrees by noon, a dry slide will sit empty after ten minutes because the vinyl gets hot and the kids get miserable. Water changes the whole event.

In April, May, September and October it is a real decision. Check the forecast the week of your party, not the month before. If the high is under 80, the kids will be shivering and asking for towels within the hour.

What wet actually means

A wet setup means we hook a garden hose to the slide and it runs a light spray down the slide surface into a splash pool at the bottom. You supply the hose and the water. It is not a pressure washer and it will not flood your yard, but the landing area will get soft and muddy over several hours, especially on grass.

• You need a spigot within about 50 feet of the setup area
• Grass will be wet and matted for a day or two afterward
• Kids should have towels and a place to change
• A hose running all afternoon adds a few dollars to your water bill, not more

What dry gets you

Dry setups are cleaner, work on almost any surface, and let kids wear regular clothes and shoes off. If your party is indoors, at a church, on a driveway, or in a gym, dry is your only option anyway. Dry also means no muddy footprints tracked through the house, which some parents value more than anything else on this list.

Things people forget

If you go wet, tell us when you book, not when we arrive. Wet and dry setups use different placement and we need to know before we are backing the trailer in. Also think about where the water drains. A slight slope away from the house is ideal. A low spot next to the patio is how you end up with a swamp.

One more: sunscreen and water slides do not get along. Sunscreen residue makes vinyl slick in a bad way and stains it over time. Have the kids rinse off before they get on.

Our recommendation

For a June through September party in North DFW, book wet. You will not regret it, and neither will the parents standing around in the heat. For anything cooler, book dry and add a tent for shade instead. If you are on the fence, call or text (682) 202-5624 the week of your event and we will look at the forecast with you.