Patent ID: 8197352

Claim:
A water amusement ride system, comprising: a water slide which conveys, during use, a human participant riding an inflated vehicle from a first end of the water slide to a second end of the water slide, wherein the water slide comprises: a first portion comprising a first channel segment, wherein the human participant riding the inflated vehicle slides, during use, along a surface of the first channel segment conveyed via gravity in a direction from an upper elevation toward a lower elevation; a water inlet at the upper elevation end; wherein sufficient water is transferred into the first channel segment at or near the upper elevation end such that, during use, friction between the human participant riding the inflated vehicle and the first channel segment is reduced to allow the human participant riding the inflated vehicle to slide on the inflated vehicle in the first channel segment; and a second portion coupled to the first portion such that the human participant riding the inflated vehicle moves from the first portion to the second portion while riding the inflated vehicle, wherein the second portion comprises a second channel segment comprising a conveyor belt system for transporting the human participant riding the inflated vehicle from the lower elevation, or an elevation near the lower elevation, to a second higher elevation, during use, wherein the conveyor belt system comprises a belt, and wherein the belt comprises a continuous band of flexible material and a design such that friction between the inflated vehicle and the belt is sufficient to inhibit the inflated vehicle from moving in a direction opposite to the direction the belt is moving; and a water amusement ride which conveys, during use, the human participant riding the inflated vehicle from the second higher elevation, or an elevation near the second higher elevation, to a second lower elevation; and a detection device positioned above the second channel segment, wherein the detection device detects, during use, when a participant is in a position above a predetermined height above the conveyor belt system.