Shipwreck Island Waterpark in PCB making big splash after moving to 7-day schedule for summer

Nathan Cobb, The News Herald
·2 min read

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Shipwreck Island Waterpark now is open seven days a week, and Buddy Wilkes, general manager of the local attraction, says business already is booming.

According to Wilkes, Shipwreck switched to an everyday schedule May 27 to prepare for peak tourist season in Panama City Beach. Before then, the park only was open the last Saturday in April, the first Saturday in May and Saturdays and Sundays between May 14-22.

Michael Harvey, his wife, Barbi, and sons Cruz and Bryson, from Indianapolis, come down White Knuckle River and brace themselves for a landing at Shipwreck Island Waterpark on Wednesday.
Michael Harvey, his wife, Barbi, and sons Cruz and Bryson, from Indianapolis, come down White Knuckle River and brace themselves for a landing at Shipwreck Island Waterpark on Wednesday.

The water park is located at the intersection of Hutchison Boulevard and Alf Coleman Road,

"It is busier, believe it or not, than last year, which was a record year," Wilkes said of the current activity at Shipwreck. "We're (already) experiencing almost summer-like numbers."

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For Wilkes, the booming start came as a surprise considering he thought last year's numbers were elevated by pent-up travel demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

In addition to business at the park, 2021 also was a record-breaking year for tourism in Panama City Beach, officials have said.

"We felt like (2021) was a total anomaly," Wilkes said. "There was such a demand to go on vacation (and) to go to the beach, and then you had (places that) either weren't open or had restrictions. ... We were this little isolated opportunity for them to come and go on vacation.

"... We did not expect (business) to be as strong (now) as it was last year, and we're pleasantly but shockingly surprised," he said.

Aaron Boye of Panama City Beach keeps his cool coming down the Raging River Rapids at Shipwreck Island Waterpark on Wednesday,
Aaron Boye of Panama City Beach keeps his cool coming down the Raging River Rapids at Shipwreck Island Waterpark on Wednesday,

With his expectations already shattered, Wilkes said he has no idea how the summer will go in Panama City Beach. He and his staff have high hopes, Wilkes said, noting that many of the people now visiting the park are from parts of the country that he typically did not see in the past.

The park will remain open every day until Aug. 7, about the time local students go back to school.

Part of the reason Shipwreck does not open every day until about Memorial Day weekend is because many of its employees are high school and college students who work only during summer break.

"I've been doing this for 40 years, and we use to (be able to) tell you within 100 people what we might do on any given day," Wilkes said. "Things that we use to think that we knew and had down, we don't know because (everything) has evolved that much.

"... The (travel market) has just changed so dramatically that I don't think anybody can forecast and effectively tell you what this summer is going to be like."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Shipwreck Island Waterpark in Panama City Beach booming with visitors