Delicious food and lots of water fun on the beach of S. Andrea, Calabria, Italy

Hannah: “Hello Manuel, thank you for taking a few minutes. All's well that ends well. Could it be summed up like that?”

Manuel: “Well, in the end our customer was very satisfied with the result. After the handover of the aquafunpark with appropriate instruction and the training of the Barbuto team by our partner Goran – with all relevant recommendations for maintenance and tips on operation – we successfully completed the days in Calabria.”

Hannah: “Goran came especially from Croatia, right?”

Manuel: “Yes exactly – Goran managed the entire installation as “chief”, with a lot of experience and professionalism. For me it was the first installation here in Italy. aquafun combined a real installation with the training for me.”

Hannah: “Tell us something about the process…”

Manuel: “First we brought the anchors into the water with a bulldozer – far enough from the shore so that the service boat could pick them up, hanging on ropes at the bow. Francesco Barbuto himself, and sometimes his brother Saverio, steered the boat. Two helpers held the anchors on the ropes during the short journey from the bank to the actual location of the anchor.

At the same time I marked the final positions under water – fully equipped and with a detailed map of the anchorages – with floats. Goran, who was in the water on the surface, then shows the boat the exact place where the marking was attached. There the anchors were then slowly lowered.”

Hannah: “So you were constantly on the move as a diver?”

Manuel: “Yes, of course. After 47 anchors had been placed, we measured the water depths at the appropriate points and prepared the elastic ropes in the correct length. Then we attached the so-called “bungees” to the anchors with carabiners.”

Hannah: "Sounds like a major organizational challenge for an installation in the open sea. How did it go on?”

Manuel: “We started by inflating the elements and pulling them into place by boat into the water. Whenever 2 or 3 elements were brought into the water and anchored, we connected them with the special straps with the “Cross Connection System” under water in order to guarantee a constant stability of the park. At every aquafunpark, the connection of two elements above water is always secured with a gap cover, which prevents entry into the gap – the so-called “Safe Step System.

After all elements were placed correctly and firmly connected to each other, we carried out a final check of all anchors and connections – shortened or lengthened them with the help of knots in order to give them the exact length so that they can also “work” in wind and waves and keep the park in place.

As a last step, we set the 6 anchors for the border of the park with the so-called "Pipes" and the "Entry" for the entrance to the park.”

Hannah: “Perfect teamwork is essential, right?”

Manuel: “It doesn't work without. The helpers, organized by Francesco, proved to be willing to learn and were extremely committed. Antonio in particular, who will also work as a lifeguard at the aquafunpark during the season, learned all the basics to be able to monitor the condition of the park on a daily basis. Goran then trained the customer team on the subject of park maintenance. After all, the customer should be able to enjoy his investment for many years.”

Hannah: “Thank you Manuel. And good luck for your goals with aquafun Italy.”