LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — There’s a place at Lake of the Ozarks that’s known for its crystal-clear waters, family-friendly atmosphere, and excellent waves. We asked local families why they love Big Surf Waterpark, and here’s what they said… 

1. The facilities and the water are so clean…

For Linn Creek resident and mother of three Susan Mason, the caps-lock key is required when she writes about Big Surf! “It is CONSISTENTLY clean, fun and well run,” she enthused, adding, “This is only my opinion, based on my experience as a season pass holder for the last 15 years. Every year.”

Local business owner and mom of three growing boys, Jill Ray says the same thing: the cleanliness is her favorite thing about Big Surf.

There’s a reason visitors to the waterpark consistently notice how clean it is: that’s a top priority for Big Surf management. Water filters for the 375,000 gallon wave pool constantly clean the chlorinated water at a rate of around 1,100 gallons per minute. When flash flooding hit the Lake area on August 5-6, 2017, between four and eight inches of rain fell in a span of 12 hours, and the runoff filled Big Surf’s pools to overflowing with… not quite clear water. The waterpark was closed for the storms, but by Monday, August 7, the pools had been pumped out, refilled, filtered, chlorinated and were ready for fun.

Fun In The Big Surf Wave Pool

photo via Big Surf Facebook

2. It’s perfect for all ages… 

Sarah Madsen is a Camdenton mother of two. Her family heads to Big Surf on a weekly basis during the summer: they’re season pass holders. There are several years between the Madsens’ two children, but Sarah says Big Surf suits each of them perfectly. “We love going as a family, specifically spending time together in the wave pool,” she said.

Their older child has always been timid around water, she explained, so this year their family bought season passes. Now, Sarah says, “he gets in the wave pool and is having so much fun that he isn't focused on the fear. He now plays games with me, like deciphering silly phrases under water, because we have the ability to be at Big Surf as often as we like and he is growing in confidence.” 

3. Big Surf employs lots of local kids…

Camdenton mom Daphne Shockley says she loves two of the Big Surf lifeguards… two of her four children have worked as lifeguards there for the past two summers.

The waterpark introduces many local teens to their first job experience and has employed thousands of kids over the years. That’s important to families at the Lake, where hard work and self-reliance are more than concepts: they’re a reality for many families who work together to make ends meet in a unique, seasonal economy.

Employing teens comes with plenty of challenges for management! But Big Surf supervisors are focused on giving waterpark visitors an excellent experience and they act as mentors to the young employees, many of whom return summer after summer to work at Big Surf, even into college.

Sarah Madsen remembers one day when her older child was afraid to sit on a tube for the Lazy River. “The teen attending the ride was incredibly kind and spoke with endless patience and a smile on his face,” she recalled. Soon, her son was headed down the Lazy River.

Challenger Flumes At Big Surf

photo via www.bigsurfwaterpark.com

4. Of course, those rides…

Ask four people what their favorite ride is at Big Surf, and you’re likely to get four different answers. Kelly Kientzy likes the Lazy River, Spencer Plumlee—the father of three littles—loves the kid’s play area, Danyell Borrett can’t get enough of Zambezi Falls, and Sam Agnew enjoys riding waves in the wave pool.

Click here to learn more about Big Surf rides

5. Darin Keim

It’s not uncommon to ask someone what they love about Big Surf, and they say that name: Darin Keim. Darin is a veteran, an active member of Riverview Baptist Church, and a well-known presence in the community.

Darin is also the President of Big Surf… which means he’s cleaning pool filters one day, making business decisions the next, and shouldering trash bags the next. A family-man and avid fisherman, Darin loves the Lake’s “offseason,” when he takes his kids out on the fishing boat and brings home a mess of crappie. But he also loves the “on-season,” when he works seven days a week (except for the ever-dreaded rain-out days), running the Lake’s waterpark.

Summer's ending soon! Get to Big Surf quick, because after this weekend (Aug. 12-13) Big Surf will be open weekends-only through Labor Day weekend. Then the Lake's waterpark will close until Memorial Day Weekend, 2018.

Want 2018 Season Passes? In mid-November, Big Surf has a One-Day Sale on Season Passes -- watch for it on their Facebook page and at LakeExpo.com!

Buy Big Surf tickets online

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