Ranked: The 28 Most Terrifying Water Slides Around The World
Hold on tight! You’re about to read about some of the world’s most spine-tingling, heart-racing slides you can possibly imagine!
They are not for the faint of heart! Each of these slides is designed to push you past your limits and leave you screaming for more.
If you want to know how it feels to conquer gravity itself, or you want to test your nerves and sense of reality, I’m inviting you for the best ride of our life!
1. Verrückt, Kansas City, USA (Closed)
Ever wondered what it feels like to slide down a skyscraper? Once the tallest water slide on Earth, Verrückt was a beast designed for only the bravest souls.
Standing at a staggering 168 feet, it sent riders down at speeds exceeding 65 mph, a heart-stopping drop that felt more like falling off a cliff than sliding. This engineering marvel mixed thrill with pure horror, requiring rafts to keep riders from literally taking flight.
With multiple safety concerns and a tragic accident in 2016, Verrückt was permanently shut down and later demolished. It remains a chilling reminder that some thrill rides may push limits a little too far. Would you have dared to ride it?
2. Insano, Fortaleza, Brazil
I say that it was more than appropriate to name Insano the monster of Beach Park. This slide doesn’t mess around! It hurls you down 135 feet in under five seconds, reaching speeds of up to 65 mph.
There’s no raft, no tube, no mercy! Just you, gravity, and a near-vertical plunge straight into fear. Blink, and you might miss the entire ride.
Insano held the record for the world’s tallest water slide for years before Verrückt took the crown. But while Verrückt is history, Insano still stands, daring new generations of thrill-seekers to take the plunge.
Want a tip? Don’t even think about hesitating at the top! Because once you push off, there’s no turning back. And if you’re screaming all the way down? Don’t worry, so is everyone else.
3. Kilimanjaro, Barra do Piraí, Brazil
Brazil seems to have a thing for extreme slides, and Kilimanjaro at Aldeia das Águas Park Resort is no exception. This slide holds the title of the tallest water slide still in operation, which means if you want to conquer the highest, this is your shot.
The best (or worst) part? You’ll hit nearly 60 mph on the way down, and the descent feels like it lasts forever.
The slide’s design is so intense that only about 1 in 3 visitors actually work up the nerve to ride it. Yes, it’s that intimidating. If you’re lucky enough to be among the brave ones, you’ll earn bragging rights for life.
A little advice? Maybe don’t eat a big meal before taking the plunge. You’ll thank me later.
4. Jumeirah Sceirah, Dubai, UAE
Dubai doesn’t do things halfway, and the Jumeirah Sceirah at Wild Wadi Waterpark is proof. This twin-drop capsule slide isn’t just about speed. It’s about suspense! Riders step into a glass pod, cross their arms, and wait as the countdown begins.
Then… Bam! The floor vanishes beneath them, sending them plummeting at 50 mph down a near-vertical chute.
The pure rush of the trapdoor launch, combined with the unavoidable scream factor, makes this one of Dubai’s most thrilling attractions. And since it’s a dual slide, you can even race your friends, if you’re too busy panicking to care.
Fun fact? The entire ride lasts just six seconds! But if you ask any rider, they’ll swear it felt much longer.
5. Leap of Faith, Atlantis Bahamas
How do you make a nearly 60-foot vertical drop even more terrifying? You add sharks.
The Leap of Faith is a true psychological thrill. The adrenaline hits instantly. One moment, you’re staring down the impossibly steep slope; the next, you’re free-falling at 35 mph, plunging into what feels like a tank of hungry predators.
Of course, the glass tube keeps you safe, but your brain doesn’t know that when you’re face-to-face with a shark mid-slide.
Want the best view? Ride at night, when the tunnel lights up and the sharks glide past in eerie, slow-motion elegance. Just don’t close your eyes. You won’t want to miss a second!
6. X-Treme Faser, Erding, Germany
Germany may be famous for its beer and bratwurst, but it’s also home to one of the world’s most intense body slides.
The X-Treme Faser at Therme Erding sends riders rocketing down a 220-foot-long tube at speeds over 45 mph. So fast, in fact, that it was once banned for women due to injury concerns (yes, really).
There are no twists, no turns! Just pure, unrelenting speed. It’s the kind of ride where you feel like your skin might peel off from the sheer velocity. And with its enclosed, tube-like design, the sense of disorientation is very real.
7. AquaLoop, Various Locations
Think roller coaster meets water slide, and you get the AquaLoop. It’s a ride that literally defies gravity. This wild invention features a vertical loop, meaning you don’t just slide down, you also go up and around, held in place by only momentum.
It all starts with a trapdoor launch, because why ease into horror? Riders free-fall into the tube, hit a near-vertical drop, and then shoot through the full 360-degree loop. Not every rider makes it through on the first try. So, simply do it again!
With versions of AquaLoop scattered across over 20 countries, chances are you’ll stumble across one. The question is… Will you trust physics enough to ride it?
8. Summit Plummet, Orlando, USA
Disney may be known for its fairy tales, but Blizzard Beach delivers pure, icy fear with Summit Plummet. This 120-foot, near-vertical slide is the kind of attraction that makes you question life choices.
The ride is so steep that, from the top, you can’t even see the slide itself. It’s just a horrifying drop into nothingness! It’s also one of the longest body slides in the world, stretching over 350 feet.
Oh, and Disney adds a little insult to injury with a speedometer at the bottom, so you can see exactly how fast you just plummeted toward the Earth. Want to up the challenge? Try keeping your eyes open the entire way down. It’s harder than it sounds.
9. Sky Caliber, New Jersey, USA
Most water slides don’t require a helmet, but Sky Caliber isn’t most water slides. This futuristic nightmare was designed to be the world’s first vertical loop water slide with an open-air design, meaning you ride it in a tube-shaped metal cage. Yes, a cage.
The madness begins with a 45-foot free-fall, launching riders into a full 30-foot vertical loop! It’s something water parks swore couldn’t be done safely. But the engineers behind Sky Caliber figured it out, using a special raft that keeps riders secure while they experience up to 6 Gs of force.
Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), Sky Caliber was never widely released. It remains more of a myth than an actual ride. But those who tested it? They’ll never forget it.
10. Stukas Boom, Italy
Italy may be known for its art, history, and pizza, but it’s also home to Stukas Boom, a water slide designed to terrify even the bravest adrenaline junkies.
Located at Caneva Aquapark, this beast starts with the ultimate test of nerves! It starts with a trapdoor launch that leaves you weightless for a split second before you free-fall down a near-vertical 98-foot drop.
Unlike some slides that ease you into the descent, Stukas Boom offers zero time to process what’s happening. One moment, you’re standing in a capsule high above the park; the next, the floor disappears beneath you!
The sheer speed, combined with the enclosed chute, makes for a ride that feels like you’ve been fired out of a human cannon.
11. Big Snake, China
China’s Big Snake is less of a slide and more of a thrilling maze of fear. Found at Chimelong Water Park, this ride coils and twists like its namesake, sending riders through a series of dark tunnels, turns, and sudden drops before finally spitting them out at the bottom.
Think of it as a roller coaster, but with water, blind corners, and the constant fear of what’s coming next.
What makes it extra terrifying? The claustrophobic darkness. You’re tossed and turned through pitch-black tunnels with no idea if the next moment will bring a stomach-dropping plunge or a high-speed turn that leaves you weightless.
If you love the unknown, this slide is a dream. If you don’t? Well, brace yourself! Because once you’re in, there’s no escape.
12. L2, Austria
Ever wondered what it’s like to be flushed down a giant drain at warp speed? Welcome to L2 at Wörgler Wasserwelt, Austria’s pride and joy!
This is the world’s first double-looping water slide, meaning you don’t just drop and scream, you also get thrown around two full loops before making it to safety.
First, there’s the trapdoor launch. The moment it opens, you plummet 40 feet straight down before physics takes over, whipping you through two complete loops at speeds that’ll make your stomach do somersaults. Riders experience a gut-wrenching 2.5 Gs! About the same as an F1 race car.
Most slides give you a second to breathe. L2 doesn’t. It’s pure, unrelenting chaos from start to finish.
13. Scorpion’s Tail, Wisconsin, USA
The Scorpion’s Tail at Noah’s Ark Waterpark may be only 10 stories tall, but don’t let that fool you. This slide loops backward! That’s right.
You drop, rocket forward at 50 feet per second, and then, through some engineering wizardry, you climb up a nearly vertical loop before gravity finally pulls you back down.
The sensation is unlike anything else. At first, it feels like your standard trapdoor slide, but then you hit the loop, and suddenly you’re defying physics, racing upward when you should be going down.
For a split second, you almost wonder if you’ll make it all the way over! But, don’t worry, the momentum’s got you covered.
14. Tower of Power, Tenerife, Spain
What do you get when you combine a 91-foot near-vertical drop, a shark tank, and one of Europe’s most stunning water parks? The Tower of Power at Siam Park.
This slide is basically a free-fall. Except at the bottom, instead of a splash pool, you shoot through an acrylic tunnel inside a shark-infested aquarium.
The drop itself is enough to make most riders second-guess their choices, but the real kicker is the underwater tunnel. As you speed through, the water outside is teeming with sand tiger sharks and rays, gliding ominously past.
Sure, there’s a thick pane of glass between you and them, but try telling your adrenaline-flooded brain that while you’re rocketing through at 50 mph.
15. Cannonball Loop, New Jersey, USA (Closed)
Ah, Action Park! The infamous New Jersey water park that somehow thought putting a vertical loop on a water slide was a great idea. The Cannonball Loop was the stuff of legends. Not because it was fun, but because so many people got injured riding it.
The idea was simple: drop in, build up speed, and shoot through a full, enclosed vertical loop. The reality? Riders would slam their faces into the top, get stuck midway, or exit the slide looking like they’d gone three rounds in a boxing match.
Park employees were even paid to test it. And let’s just say they earned their money.
The slide was quickly shut down, but its reputation lives on. If you ever wanted proof that some water slides shouldn’t exist, this was it.
16. Colossal Curl, Virginia, USA
Some slides are about speed, some about loops, and then there’s Colossal Curl at Water Country USA: a ride designed to make you feel weightless. This family raft ride starts with a few high-speed twists before launching riders into a massive, open funnel where you drop, rise, and hover mid-air in near-zero gravity.
The sensation is pure chaos. One second, you’re sliding down at full speed; the next, you’re dangling weightlessly at the top of the funnel before free-falling back down. It’s a little like being trapped in a washing machine; only with more screaming.
If you love the feeling of your stomach dropping out from under you, Colossal Curl delivers. If not? Maybe sit this one out and watch from the sidelines.
17. Twister and Speedy, Austria
At first glance, Twister and Speedy at Sonnentherme Lutzmannsburg might not seem like nightmare material, but trust me; these slides mean business. Speedy is a 440-foot-long enclosed bullet train of panic, rocketing riders downward at breathtaking speeds.
Twister, on the other hand, is a 660-foot-long labyrinth, winding and spiraling so unpredictably that you’ll forget which way is up.
What makes them terrifying? Speedy’s sheer velocity and Twister’s disorienting darkness. One leaves you gasping for air as you slam into the pool at warp speed; the other traps you in a neon-lit whirlwind where the exit always seems just out of reach.
Not sure which to try? Go for both. Just don’t expect to walk out with perfect balance afterward. These slides love to mess with your sense of direction!
18. Brain Wash, Florida, USA
A water slide that feels like a psychedelic trip? That’s Brain Wash at Wet ’n Wild Orlando! It’s a swirling tornado ride with flashing lights, creepy sound effects, and an unpredictable drop.
Riders enter a giant tube raft, are flung down a dark tunnel, and suddenly find themselves free-falling into a huge, steep funnel, swinging back and forth like a pendulum.
The real mind game happens inside the funnel. The walls are covered in trippy visuals, making the whole experience feel like you’ve been dropped into a bad dream. Add in the screams echoing off the walls, and it’s easy to see why this ride lives up to its name.
19. Green Extreme, Texas, USA
Water slides don’t usually last more than a few seconds, but Green Extreme at NRH2O Water Park takes you on a 1,161-foot journey of heart-pounding drops, sudden turns, and surprising airtime. That makes it the longest uphill water coaster in the U.S.!
This hydromagnetic beast uses high-powered jets to push riders UP inclines, meaning just when you think you’ve hit the final drop, another hill comes out of nowhere.
The speed isn’t as terrifying as some of the other slides on this list, but the sheer length and unpredictability make it a white-knuckle ride from start to finish.If you’re looking for a thrill that lasts longer than a few adrenaline-filled seconds, this one keeps the excitement going.
20. Poseidon’s Revenge, Dubai, UAE
Imagine standing in a glass pod, heart pounding, when suddenly the floor disappears beneath you, sending you into a near-vertical drop at 60 feet per second. That’s Poseidon’s Revenge at Aquaventure Waterpark!
The most brutal part? The suspense. Unlike some trapdoor slides that drop you instantly, this one keeps you waiting. The countdown is completely random!
Sometimes you fall immediately, sometimes you have to sweat it out for a few extra seconds of sheer panic. The fall itself? A 116-foot free-fall straight into a twisting chute that barely gives you time to scream. Even if you survive the ride, your legs might feel like jelly afterward.
21. Aqua Drag Racer, Florida, USA
What’s better than flying down a water slide at 40 mph? Racing your friends while doing it. The Aqua Drag Racer at Wet ’n Wild Orlando is a four-lane mat racer, meaning it’s part high-speed thrill ride, part competitive sport.
You start five stories up, gripping your mat like it’s your last lifeline, then launch forward at breakneck speed, bumping over humps that send you airborne before you crash into the splash pool below.
The real fun? Beating your friends to the bottom while screaming your lungs out. Fast, fun, and just dangerous enough to make it exciting, this is the perfect mix of adrenaline and bragging rights.
22. The Wedgie, Australia
A water slide with a name like The Wedgie? You already know this isn’t going to be a gentle ride.
Found at Wet’n’Wild Gold Coast, this nearly vertical drop slide sends riders hurtling at full speed, with one major side effect. A splash landing is so forceful, it’s guaranteed to give you the most famous water park souvenir: an atomic wedgie.
But let’s talk about the real shocker: the trapdoor launch. You’re standing inside a capsule, completely at the mercy of gravity, when suddenly the floor vanishes beneath you.
Before you even process what’s happening, you’re plummeting toward the water at breakneck speed, hoping your swimwear holds up.
23. Cliffhanger, Colorado, USA
Cliffhanger at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park isn’t just one of the tallest slides in North America. It also has one of the most terrifying locations. It sits at 7,160 feet above sea level, and drops you at high speed while giving you a front-row view of the valley far below.
It’s about the sensation of falling straight off the mountainside. With nothing but open space beyond the slide’s edge, your brain can’t help but wonder if you’re actually sliding into the abyss.
It’s an absolute must for thrill-seekers. But if heights aren’t your thing? Maybe stick to the lazy river.
24. King Cobra, New Jersey, USA
Designed like a massive, striking red-and-black cobra, King Cobra sends you hurtling down high-speed drops before spitting you out into a final, near-vertical plunge into the snake’s jaws.
The real thrill is the speed. Riders reach 32 mph. And just when you think it’s over, you hit the final 40-foot half-pipe drop that leaves you weightless for a split second.
The massive cobra head glares down at you, adding a psychological effect that makes the whole ride feel like a death-defying escape. It’s fast, wild, and absolutely insane.
25. Master Blaster, Dubai, UAE
Most water slides take you down, but Master Blaster at Atlantis The Palm does things differently. It sends you up. This hydromagnetic coaster launches riders uphill on a series of high-speed water jets, turning a traditional water slide into a full-blown aquatic roller coaster.
You don’t just coast along. You experience sudden drops, unexpected boosts, and moments where it feels like you might fly right off the track. It’s like someone took a traditional amusement park ride and said, “let’s do it with water”.
If you’re looking for something unpredictable and wildly fun, Master Blaster delivers. Just be ready to hold on for dear life.
26. Tornado, Various Locations
The Tornado water slide is the ultimate ride for anyone who loves chaos, speed, and surprise. This slide features an enormous bowl-shaped funnel where you’re whirled around like a human cyclone.
Riders start by speeding down a steep slide before being launched into the bowl, where they spin around and around until they’re finally flushed out into the splash pool below.
The best part? The sense of weightlessness as you’re tossed around like a leaf in the wind, unsure when you’ll hit the bottom. With walls towering over you, it’s a thrilling combination of speed and vertigo, and a true test of your grip.
27. Black Hole, Various Locations
You might think you know fear, but Black Hole will make you rethink that. It’s a complete sensory overload.
Picture this: you’re speeding down an enclosed, pitch-black tube, unsure of what’s coming next. One moment you’re twisting through dark, claustrophobic turns, and the next you’re plunged into a wild drop.
What sets this ride apart from others is the utter darkness and disorienting twists. Unlike other slides where you can see the track ahead, Black Hole keeps you in the dark. Literally and figuratively!
The sudden drops and hairpin turns make you feel like you’re being sucked into a black hole, with no idea of where the next twist will take you.
28. Free Fall, Japan
When it comes to the world’s scariest water slides, Free Fall is a serious contender. With its nearly vertical drop and mildly insane design, it’s not a slide for the faint of heart.
Once you stand atop this towering ride, you’re forced to face the reality: there is no turning back.
It’s like free-falling into thin air as you descend at 55 mph, only to curve around the sharp drop into a splash pool. It’s one of the fastest and most extreme water slides out there.