Racing past sharks, doing double loop-the-loops and reaching 65mph: The world's most incredible water slides

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Sliding through pools filled with sharks and dolphins, racing against your mates and getting the thrill of your life falling through a trap door, there is a water slide somewhere in the world to suit every water whim. 

Some slides reach speeds of up to 65mph while others are water coasters that take us up as well as down in spectacular loop-the-loops.

With the summer sun shining and water on our minds, here are some of the biggest, fastest and finest water slides in the world. 

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Dolphin Plunge in SeaWorld's Aquatica in Orlando, Florida, includes side-by-side tubes that zoom through the pool of a pod of dolphins

DOLPHIN PLUNGE: Aquatica, Orlando, USA

The jewel in the crown of this SeaWorld water park in Orlando, Florida, features two side-by-side enclosed tubes that run through a pool of water before you reach the pool at the end. On its path you'll zoom by a pod of friendly black-and-white Commerson's Dolphins, who are renowned for their playfulness and aren't shy of having a race with you. 

JUMEIRAH SCEIRAH: Wild Wadi Waterpark, Dubai 

This 395ft-long tandem slide begins with two guests crossing their arms and legs before a sudden 30ft drop through a trap door at a 70-degree angle. By the end of it, you're sliding at up to 50 miles per hour. It's all over in a matter of seconds but the bragging rights, given the racing element, can last a lifetime. A bonus for visitors is that after the 100ft climb to the top you can get a spectacular panoramic view of the entire park.

Jumeirah Sceirah is a 395ft-long tandem slide which starts with a sudden 30ft drop through a trapdoor and reaches speeds up to 50mph

After the 100ft climb to the top of the slide guests can get a panoramic view of the Wild Wadi Water Park and surrounding parts of Dubai

ROYAL FLUSH: BSR Cable Park, in Waco, Texas

A viral video brought this slide to international acclaim - the tanned and toned young people starring no doubt didn't do it any harm. But the fact it has an exciting ski-jump like ending should impress as well. Unlike the video, proper paying visitors will have to don a lifejacket, and fair enough too given the height that can be achieved when sliding at speed.

The new Royal Flush slide in Waco, Texas, was the scene of a video that went viral featuring tanned and toned young people

The height that can be achieved after sliding at speed leaves room for backflips and feats of acrobatics not many slides can offer

Some sliders have more control that others as they speed off the jumps at the end of the Royal Flush slides 

AQUA DRAG RACER: Wet 'n Wild, Orlando, USA 

On your marks, get set, slide! While other slides might be longer and more spectacular, multi-lane racers give you the chance to take on your friends. The four-lane Aqua Drag Racer at Florida's Wet 'n Wild allows visitors to enjoy 360ft twisting track starting at 65ft above the ground. You'll be looking to your left and right to see who splashes first when you hit the landing pool, and then having another go.

The 360ft-long four-lane Aqua Drag Racer at Wet 'n Wild in Orlando is a chance to see who slides the fastest out of your friends

LEAP OF FAITH: Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas

Among nine very different slides at Atlantis, the Leap of Faith is by far the most exhilarating. It boasts a 60ft near-vertical drop from the top of a replica Mayan temple but that's not even the fun part. As the sliders speed down they go through a clear tube that goes through lagoon filled with a shiver of circling sharks.

The Leap of Faith slide at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas boasts a 60ft near-vertical drop from the top of a Mayan-inspired temple

After the speeding descent, a shiver of sharks watch as you speed through a clear acrylic tube through their pool 

VERRUCKT: Schlitterbahn Water Park, Kansas City, USA

Since Verruckt is the world’s tallest water slide, standing at a scary 168ft 7in, there are rules. Two or three people, weighing a total of between 400 and 500 pounds, slide at the same time in an inflatable raft. High demand means those who don't want to miss out on a turn must arrive first thing in the morning to make a reservation, which is a bonus as it means you can try out the other rides in the park while you wait. It appears the huge delays in its completion, with early tests seeing rafts filled with sandbags to replicate people flying off the edge, served only to make the slide even more appealing.

Two or three people at a time slide down Verruckt at Schlitterbahn Water Park, the world’s tallest water slide at a scary 168ft 7in

L2: Wave Water Park (Worgler Wasserwelten), Tyrol, Austria 

Anticipation is palpable as you stand with crossed arms in a clear tube waiting for the operator to begin the thrill ride through the world's first double looping slide. Once the trapdoor is open you fall feet first for 45ft to pick up the required speed for what's to come next, a gravity defying loop-the-loop... twice!

The L2 at the Wave Water Park in Austria is the world's first slide to offer the chance to twice do a gravity-defying loop-the-loop 

TOBOGGAN: Citta del Mare, Palermo, Italy

Guests at the Citta del Mare Hotel Village on the northwest coast of Sicily can enjoy 11 separate slides with the final, most impressive one, ending with a drop into the Mediterranean Sea. While it might night have the thrill factor of other slides we feature here, it certainly has one of the most stunning views as it winds through three pools before hitting the ocean water.

Guests at the Citta del Mare Hotel Resort finish their journey along the 11 slides on offer with a landing in the Mediterranean Sea

SUMMIT PLUMMET: Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park, Orlando, USA 

Florida is water park territory and the best adrenaline rush Walt Disney World has to offer is the bizarrely snow-themed Mount Gushmore (their pun, not ours sadly). The Summit Plummet is a steep 120ft slope that takes thrill-seekers down at speeds they claim get up to 60mph, with a ski jump giving sliders a moment where they can't see what's in front of them. At the bottom of the 360ft-long run, you go through a darkened tunnel before hitting the landing pool before a digital stop clock displays your top speed. 

Summit Plummet at Disney's Blizzard Beach in Florida takes sliders down the 120ft-high Mount Gushmore at speeds of up to 60mph 

INSANO: Beach Park, Fortaleza, Brazil

With a name more akin to a Mexican wrestler, Insano was once listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s tallest water slide before it was bumped by Verruckt. Still, it's an imposing few seconds' ride down the equivalent of a 14-storey building. Speeds of up to 65mph have been recorded for this slide which doesn't require any mat or raft.

Brazil's Insano was once listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s tallest water slide before it was bumped by Verruckt 

Speeds of up to 65mph have been recorded on Insano, which doesn't require any mat or raft and lasts a few short seconds