FAQ - Marine-Based Slides

FAQs - Yacht Slides

What is the slide made of?

All FreeStyle Slides® Cruiser slides are constructed out of 28 oz Firmatex™ reinforced PVC vinyl, the highest grade material in the industry, and our designs meet or exceed all of the US, European and Australian Standards for inflatable structures.

How long is the Warranty?

All FreeStyle Slides® Cruiser slides come with a Three (3) year warranty. 

What is the smallest slide you can order?

Slides are available starting from 2.5m up to 12m. All slides are measured from the top of the mounting railing to the waterline. Certain conditions apply when manufacturing slides above 10m in height.

How are slide heights determined?

By going to the intended mounting deck and measuring straight down to the water from the top of the hand railing.

What type of pump is used and what are the power requirements?

Every yacht slide is shipped with (2) hi volume electric pumps that will both inflate and deflate the slide. The pumps have thermal overload protection, and they are shipped with a standard electric rating of 230v with a Euro plug.

Can I finance through Elevation Slides LLC or FreeStyle Slides®?

Neither Elevation Slides or Freestyle offer in-house financing but we will work with your finance company. 50% of the purchase price is due up front to the manufacturer then the balance plus shipping is due prior to dispatch of your slide. If you are purchasing a slide that is already in stock, payment in full plus shipping is due prior to dispatch of the slide.

How does the slide attach to the vessel?

Every slide is custom fitted to each vessel. There are many types of entry designs that range from hanging over the railing, to spanning a stairwell sitting on top of a bench, to a simple flat entry. All slides are provided with a series of anchoring rings that are used to lash the slide back to the ship in various areas. The drawings provided to you during the build process will clearly show the location of these anchoring rings.

How long does it take to inflate and deflate the slide?

A typical slide will take about 20 minutes to inflate when using both inflation pumps.

How many crew members are needed for set up?

The number of crew members needed to set up your slide will be determined by the size of your slide and the accessibility of an onboard crane.

Is a crane needed?

It is highly recommended that a crane is onboard and able to reach the intended mounting area of the slide. The slide can be installed without a crane, but it is a heavy item and will require more crew members.

How much storage is needed?

A typical delivery bundle will be about 1.5m wide and about 90cm in diameter. The slide can be rolled into a snake and stored in different shapes other than a roll.

What does a typical slide weigh?

Slide weights will vary based on the design and size of the slide. The range can go from about 80kg for our small No Leg Structure slides, up to about 300kg for our largest Leg Structure mega slides.

Is the slide safe in high winds?

The design style of FreeStyle Slides® Cruiser slides allows for a higher wind rating, however, FreeStyle Slides® and Elevation Slides LLC do not recommend using the slide in winds that exceed 32kph (20mph). Slides should always be properly lashed to the vessel at all times. The owner manual will explain winds in more detail.

Can custom artwork be included?

Yes, we are happy to print your name and logo on the slide cover sheet at no charge. We require an Adobe illustrator .ai or .eps art file for all art work.

How long does it take to manufacture the slide?

A typical slide lead time is 30-60 days from date of order. This time frame may vary from time to time throughout the year as our business cycles change.

How is the slide made?

The Cruiser slides are a combination of hot-air welding, sewing, RF welding and gluing. This is a very complex product that is well built and will give years of great service.

What is the slide surface made from?

We use a gloss coated PVC sliding surface to make the fastest slide possible.

What are the lifting rings? Handles?

Every slide has multiple sets of 3 lifting rings located on the underside of the slide. These lifting rings are evenly spaced across the underside of the slide, and also down the length of the slide to allow for easy access and connection during lifting, placement and takedown of the slide. Each lifting ring system has been tested to over 650kg of lift, therefore a set of 3 rings will have over 1950kg of lift.

There are also handles located underneath the slide body, on each side, that are spaced at 1m intervals. These are used to grasp the slide during set up and break down.