Review: Whitemills Wake & Aqua Park

Discover the ultimate family fun day experience at Kent’s newest Aqua & Wakeboarding Park. This purpose-built facility with two lakes offers a wide range of fun, water-based activities for all ages plus a bona fide foodie destination with a sun deck to soak up the water sports action afterwards.

THE LOCATION

You will find world-class cable wakeboarding, a giant floating obstacle course, stand-up paddle boarding and open-water swimming at Whitemills Wake which is located just outside Sandwich. It used to be an area of wasteland and has now been cleverly transformed into lush surroundings surrounding the two lakes.

With an on-site rustic restaurant and bar, known for its Sunday roasts as much as their live music nights, it’s the perfect place to relax and watch the action happening on the water, even if you are not tempted to go in yourself.

THE LOWDOWN

Whitemills officially opened in July 2022 and has quickly become a popular destination for locals, tourists and sports competitors, being one of few similar leisure facilities in the region. Owned by husband-and-wife team, Wayne and Natalie, there are even more exciting plans afoot at the water park.

An application for a campsite and a new artificial training lake for wake-boarding was recently unanimously approved by district councillors at a meeting, so they will be able to host some of the world’s biggest wakeboarding events as well as accommodation for visitors coming to The Open when it is held at Royal St George’s Golf Club in Sandwich.

The new 73-metre shallow training lake, close to the existing inflatables arena, will be for wakeboarding beginners, with a depth of just 1.5 metres so watch this space for more water-based fun coming your way.

THE EXPERIENCE

We were signed up for an Aqua Park Sessions which gets you 50 min session to slide (in my children’s case), slip (more my style) and splash (there was a lot of that) on the inflatable park. The beauty of this activity that it works for all weather conditions. It is a fabulous way to keep cool when it is hot outside but even it is rainy or cold, you have your wetsuit for company, and quite frankly you are going to get wet anyhow…

We recommend arriving 45 minutes before your session to sign the waiver, if not done online, and get your wetsuit and life jacket so you are ready for the safety briefing ahead of your session. Believe me, I found out the hard way that children don’t want to miss a minute on the Aqua Park.

Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult (one adult to three children ratio) so I did my best to catch up with my rather energetic eight-year-old but in reality, I spent most of the time bobbing around the water, watching her throw herself off yet another high point. My ten-year-old son and his pal did not need supervising, so they were spotted charging around the Aqua Park gathering new-found friends for a game of Tag.

There is a maximum capacity of 60 participants at one time so the Aqua Park never feels overcrowded and for the littler swimmers, there is plenty of space so they shouldn’t feel overwhelmed. Or if they are a bit wary, you could just go just first thing as we all know teenagers don’t surface until at least midday….

We are reliably informed that the park has state-of-the-art, 5-tower Ski Rixen cable system that allows riders of all disciplines, from beginners to pros, to practice, play and compete. Whilst sitting on the Sundeck, we marvelled at the capabilities (or should I say biceps) of some of the wakeboarders and tried not to laugh too hard at some spectacular falls right in front of us.

For any novices, Whitemills run wakeboard beginners lesson (10am-12pm) so you can use the slower cable to brush up on your skills at a more leisurely pace for those who have just started. We shall return – and might just work on our abs and arm muscles in the meantime.

SCOFF AND QUAFF

What sets Whitemills apart from other local attractions and aqua parks is it’s Kitchen & Bar restaurant. It’s stylishly decorated, and you can while away the hours on its lakeside sundeck (magazines on standby if needed) admiring the activity on the water which also serves as a cunning ploy to preoccupy any hangry kids out there whilst waiting for their food.

Open from 8am daily, you can tuck into some seriously good brunch options like Egg Benedict and fluffy American waffles to kick-start the day after your water-based based activities. The food is very much family favourites, but all done to a very high standard – no canteen fodder here.

My daughter and I shared a Taco Platter with Chicken and Peppers served with Shredded Mozzarella, Salad, Coleslaw and Chilli Rice whilst the boys went for burgers and chips. Their Roasts in the Winter months are a big hit, so you need to book in advance and there are tonnes of baked treats on the counter too as well as a hut dedicated just to Ice-Creams. I dare you to find a fussy eater that they could not accommodate here.

ANYTHING ELSE?

If the fast-paced water activities are not for you, you might be interested in their Open Water swimming sessions in the cable lake from 8am to 10am (Wednesdays to Sundays) as the ultimate way to start your day.

We also LOVE the idea of Wake & Cake which is a ladies-only mornings run every Wednesday from ten am to midday, so ideal for those who are a bit daunted at the prospect of learning in a mixed group. And the best bit, you can warm up afterwards at the Bar & Restaurant for Cake & Hot Drinks.

During the Summer holidays make sure, Cable Kids Club is on your radar as kids aged 6+ can learn to wakeboard every Saturday morning (8am to 10am) with their pals and you can supervise with a cappuccino in one hand and a pastry in the other.

You can also exchange your yoga mat for a floating one as there is SUP Yoga held every Wednesday morning. And the best bit, no experience at paddle boarding is required. Each session is a mix of mindfulness and hatha yoga and is a great way to improve balance, build core strength and aid flexibility. We’re reliably told that the SUP  is tethered to a docking station so no need to worry about floating away either.

By the time I had left Whitemills, my children were begging to have their next Birthday party at Whitemills and I found myself nodding along in agreement as it’s such a winner to keep them happy and from just £26 per person (including pizza buffet and own party space), I am a little bit tempted. If only to gawp at those bulging biceps once again.

THE MUDDY VERDICT  

GOOD FOR? All weather conditions – the perfect cool-down for when it’s hot but you can also go when the weather is not in your favour. There’s a lot of space so everybody has room to roam and don’t forget to release your inner kid, and have a go yourself.

NOT FOR? Non-swimmers and teeny tinies as the activities are geared for those aged 6+ with a minimum height restriction of 1.1m, but there is a lot of fun to be had watching the action with an ice cream in hand.

THE DAMAGE  

50 minutes at the Aqua Park is £22.50 including wetsuit hire. Two hour slow-cable Wakeboarding lesson costs £25. Main meals cost around £14 and Kids Meals are priced at £7.

Ash Road, Sandwich, Kent CT13 9JB, whitemillswake.co.uk, info@whitemillswake.co.uk, 01304350141

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