Is this the most fun job in the world? The man who travels the globe testing holiday resort waterslides
By , 30th December 2008
Surely the envy of any desk-bound office worker, Tommy Lynch has travelled over 27,000 miles this year, for his job testing holiday resort waterslides. Mr Lynch, 29, works for holiday giant First Choice, checking the height, speed, water quantity and landing of the flumes, as well as all safety aspects. He said: 'I do have the best job in the world. No-one believes me when I tell them what I do.
Some people sit in an office all day but I get to fly all over the world and slide down flumes. 'It can be a bit tough when it is chilly and you have to strip off and shoot down the flume but other than that, it is great.'There is so much more that goes into the flumes than people realise. The pools and slides are such an important part of the family holiday so it is vital everything is right.'
In 2008 Mr Lynch tested waterslides at holiday villages in Lanzarote, Majorca, Egypt, Turkey, the Costa Del Sol, Cyprus, Algarve, Dominican Republic and Mexico. This year he will quality control First Choice's new splash resorts in Greece, Turkey, Florida, Jamaica and Ibiza.
The product development manager says there is a serious side to his job. His favourites flumes include the ultra modern design at the company's holiday village in Benalmadna on the Costa Del Sol, and the Aqua Fantasy park in Kusadasi. Liverpool-born Mr Lynch, whose job title is lifestyle product development manager, was recruited to identify the very best pools to be featured in First Choice's new Splash Resort collection. He also ensures potential new resorts are up to the company's standard.
He said: 'There is a serious side to my job, which carries a lot of responsibility, but getting to check out the flumes is by far the best bit.'
A spokeswoman for the company said: 'At First Choice, we understand how important swimming pools are to kids on holiday, which is why we appointed someone dedicated to finding the very best in the world.
'As you can imagine, there were no shortage of applicants for the job.'
Tommy takes his job very seriously and he has left no stone unturned in his pursuit of the world's coolest pools, trying and testing each and every flume, slide and wave machine on the way.'
