What determines the appropriate dispatch rate for a water slide?

The appropriate dispatch rate for a water slide is primarily determined by the duration it takes for a patron to ride and exit the slide path. This time frame directly impacts how quickly new riders can be sent down the slide while ensuring safety and adequate spacing between riders. If the ride time is longer, it means that fewer riders can be dispatched in a given timeframe, possibly leading to lines building up. Thus, understanding the ride and exit duration is crucial for managing the flow of patrons efficiently.

Factors like the average number of patrons in line, height of the water slide, and total attendance on a given day are important for overall staffing and operational considerations but do not directly influence the actual dispatch rate as much as the time taken for each ride cycle does. This makes the duration of the ride and exit the most critical piece of information for setting an optimal dispatch rate.