By Sharlene Packree
It was a splashy day at uShaka's Marine World as hundreds of daredevil water babies lined up to try out the Drop Zone - the park's new slide.
The highest slide in Africa, the Drop Zone was officially opened over the weekend and attracted huge crowds of those daring to take the 40 metre plunge.
Standing just over 18 metres high with an incline of 45 degrees, the slide has attracted its fair share of adrenaline junkies.
While many described the ride as "exhilarating", "exciting" and "freaky", others spoke of nasty bumps to the head when landing at the bottom of the slide.
Peter Clark from Morningside said although the ride was exciting and lots of fun, he received a painful bump to his head when reached the end of the slide.
"It's quite an adrenaline rush, but you get a bit rough at the end. The problem is the slide's a little too steep at the end. Other people were also rubbing their heads," he said.
Farzaana Varachia said she enjoyed the ride even though it was scary at the start.
The Overport resident also bumped her head, but admitted that it happened because she did not follow the lifeguard's instructions.
Besides the tiny bump, Varachia said it would not stop her from going again.
For a smooth ride, Drop Zone fan Stefan Oosthuizen advised others to follow the supervising lifeguard's instructions.
"The ride is fantastic, just follow the rules. Keep your head up, make sure your arms and legs are crossed and you will have a great ride."
And good news for water lovers is that the hot weather will continue for much of the week, according to the Durban Weather Office, with evening showers.