Saint Lucia: Floating Obstacle Course Team Relay

Floating Obstacle Course Team Relay, Saint Lucia

Context

On a small, mountainous island where many commutes and weekend plans involve the shoreline, many residents and visitors spend time in “blue spaces” such as the sea, bays, and lagoons, while others prefer inland settings or do not swim. Research shows that time around water measurably boosts mood and well‑being; large multi‑country studies tied visits to coasts and rivers with better mental health and more physical activity, making “blue space” an unusually powerful setting for group connection * * .

That insight meets local ingenuity on Reduit Beach in Rodney Bay, where Splash Island Water Park, opened in 2015 and widely reported as among the first open‑water inflatable sports parks in the Caribbean, turns the sea itself into a modular obstacle course * *. Unlike a one‑off off‑site, teams can use the park any week of the year; it operates daily with lifeguard supervision and mandatory life vests * *.

Saint Lucia’s meetings and incentives community actively steers corporate groups toward hands‑on experiences in nature, such as zipline canopies, volcanic mud baths, and waterfall hikes, because the island’s terrain makes adventure accessible between conference sessions. Within that menu, open‑water obstacle sessions at Splash Island are one repeatable, high‑trust team option from a locally owned Rodney Bay operator that many groups use alongside other Saint Lucian team‑building modes * * *.

Meet the Company/Cultural Tradition

Bay Gardens Resorts is a locally owned hotel group founded by Joyce and Desmond Destang that grew from a 45‑room hotel in 1994 into a multi‑property brand anchoring the Rodney Bay area. The family’s next‑generation leaders continue to invest in homegrown experiences as a competitive edge for Saint Lucia’s hospitality sector * *.

In August 2015, Bay Gardens director Julianna Ward‑Destang launched Splash Island Water Park just offshore from Bay Gardens Beach Resort. Built with Wibit modular elements (iceberg climb, hurdles, monkey bars, balance beam, slides) sourced via global supply chains and used by local families and visiting diaspora groups, the park was widely reported as among the first open‑water sports parks in the Caribbean, staffed by certified lifeguards and compliant with European safety standards. Early seasons drew thousands; by mid‑2016 the park reported over 20,000 patrons and had already expanded with new features to keep challenges fresh * *.

Crucially for teams, the park and Bay Gardens’ in‑house events unit offer corporate group packages specifically marketed for team building: combining obstacle‑course relays with meeting space onshore. The park runs 9 a.m.–6 p.m. daily when conditions allow; Saint Lucia’s beaches remain public and open to all, hotel guests receive complimentary access as of February 1, 2019, locals may purchase day or monthly passes, and organizers should confirm age limits, accessibility options, modesty preferences, and non‑swimmer alternatives to ensure inclusive participation * * * *.

The Ritual

Minute	Scene	Purpose
0–5	Check‑in at Reduit Beach; lifeguards fit mandatory vests and explain safety and challenge‑by‑choice, and the facilitator states that entering the water is voluntary with equivalent shore roles available and that opting out carries no impact on performance reviews, pay, or opportunities.	Establish psychological safety and common rules.
5–10	Shore warm‑up and pairing: strong swimmers buddy with less‑confident teammates or participants select an equivalent shore role (spotter, timekeeper, coach) with equal visibility and credit; captains pick a team signal.	Normalize mutual support; flatten hierarchy.
10–25	Relay Round 1: Teams traverse three floating modules (e.g., hurdles → wiggle bridge → balance beam) while buddies spot and encourage from adjacent lanes.	Rapid trust/communication under mild stress.
25–30	Sand huddle: 90‑second debrief (what worked/what to tweak); lifeguard shares a technique tip.	Convert experience into strategy quickly.
30–45	Relay Round 2: Swap modules; introduce one “assist token” per pair (permitted handhold for one obstacle).	Practice adaptive planning and inclusion.
45–55	Group challenge: all teammates form a continuous chain across a chosen module and hold for 60 seconds without breaking.	Collective coordination toward a single goal.
55–60	Cool‑down and reset: return vests, quick appreciation circle, and take an optional, consented team photo with a Rodney Bay or Pigeon Island backdrop, captioned with date, place, and photographer.	Mark closure; celebrate effort.

(Modules are selected from Splash Island’s Wibit features; lifeguards supervise; group size per heat is capped at 10–16 based on operator capacity; and all participants remain within the designated course area.) *

Why It Works

First, the sea amplifies the psychology. Systematic reviews on “blue spaces” link time near water with lower stress and higher perceived restoration; a large BlueHealth study across 18 countries found coastal and river visits correlate with the strongest well‑being gains, particularly when the water is clean and the setting feels safe: exactly the conditions on Reduit Beach under lifeguard oversight * *. In plain terms, expect small‑to‑moderate improvements in affect and reduced stress that can enable better interaction before the first jump rather than guarantee outcomes.

Second, challenge‑course style activities are associated with small‑to‑moderate gains in communication, cohesion, and role clarity, and on‑the‑job transfer improves when sessions are brief, repeated, and debriefed with explicit carry‑overs. Meta‑analyses and field studies of ropes/obstacle programs show meaningful effects on group dynamics (communication, cohesion, role clarity) and self‑confidence; recent organizational research recommends brief, repeated outdoor sessions integrated into broader training for durable transfer back on the job * * *. At Splash Island, the specific inputs (lifeguarded open‑water, buddy pairing, an assist token, two short cycles, and a huddle) trigger mechanisms (competence via coaching, reciprocity through assists, synchrony and coordination, mild arousal with shared success, and blue‑space restoration) that produce proximal outcomes (clearer talk, encouragement, turn‑taking) and support distal outcomes (belonging, trust, and smoother handoffs).

Outcomes & Impact

For Saint Lucia’s event ecosystem, the park created a new, locally owned venue that teams can use year‑round between meetings, one reason the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority highlights adventure and wellness activities for MICE itineraries *. On the supply side, Splash Island’s steady operations (open daily with lifeguards and life‑vest rules) and expansions since launch show sustained demand; within a year of opening it surpassed 20,000 patrons and added new balance and agility elements to keep challenges fresh for repeat groups * *.

On the buyer side, Bay Gardens publicly markets corporate team‑building packages that incorporate the park, and since 2019 has bundled complimentary unlimited access for in‑house guests, making it easy to ritualize a short, weekly or monthly session during multi‑day gatherings. When teams pair those regular bouts of problem‑solving exercises in the water with quick debriefs, they align with best‑practice guidance from outdoor adventure research on spacing shorter experiences for better skill transfer * * *.

Lessons for Global Team Leaders

Principle	Why It Matters	How to Translate
Make water your classroom	“Blue spaces” aid restoration and mood—fertile ground for trust	Use a beachfront, lake, or safe pool venue; protect water quality and safety *
Design for safety first	Psychological safety follows physical safety	Require life vests, lifeguard coverage, and challenge‑by‑choice briefings *
Short, repeatable cycles	Brief outdoor bouts beat one‑off off‑sites for transfer	Schedule 60‑minute relays across multi‑day meetings; repeat quarterly, and note fit: this works best for co‑located, small‑to‑medium teams in creative/problem‑solving contexts and may require dryland adaptations for shift, remote, or strict EHS settings *
Buddy architecture	Pairing balances skill and confidence	Match strong swimmers with novices; allow one “assist token” per pair
Local ownership	Buying local builds community and authenticity	Partner with Saint Lucian operators like Bay Gardens/Splash Island *

Implementation Playbook

Assign an internal owner/facilitator/data steward and book a corporate session with Splash Island (share headcount, swim confidence, and objectives), state the top one or two business priorities (e.g., smoother handoffs or cross‑team collaboration), target 2–4 pilot teams while excluding customer‑critical windows and night shifts, set a per‑participant budget using time × loaded rate plus vendor fees, and define a lower‑cost MVP onshore or hotel‑pool variant at 30–50% lower vendor cost.
Set a 60‑minute window during paid hours; choose childcare‑friendly windows and check prayer or holiday calendars; check same‑day sea‑state and seasonal advisories (e.g., hurricane season June–November and occasional sargassum), confirm lifeguard‑to‑participant ratios and capacity per heat, and define go/no‑go criteria with an emergency action plan, hydration, shade, and a dryland fallback.
Send a one‑page briefing with packing guidance (swimwear, modest options, rash guard, closed‑strap water shoes, reef‑safe sunscreen), a short statement of strategic fit (why we are doing this now), heat/UV mitigations, no‑alcohol‑before‑participation policy, a privacy notice (what is collected, why, retention ≤90 days), photo‑consent and no‑photo options, challenge‑by‑choice language, and route the note and any forms to Legal/HR for review.
Form pairs across roles/seniority or assign equivalent shore roles with equal credit; assign rotating captains for each relay leg and provide accessible instructions (clear visuals, amplified voice as needed, and multilingual signage if appropriate).
Run two timed relay rounds across different modules; insert a 5‑minute strategy huddle between.
Close with a 3‑minute appreciation circle and a single concrete “carry‑back” per person.
Collect only attendance and three debrief themes per session, make feedback anonymous, delete evaluation data within 90 days, and if the meeting spans multiple days, repeat with a new module set while running a 6–8 week pilot for 2–4 teams (2–3 sessions each) that uses a brief pre–post pulse on psychological safety (3–5 items) and belonging, tracks handoff defects per sprint or ticket reopens plus within‑session assist‑token usage and multi‑speaker balance, sets targets (for example, at least +0.3/5 on psychological safety and a ≥20% increase in cross‑team replies), and halts if opt‑in falls below 40% or the safety pulse drops.

Common Pitfalls

Treating it as a one‑off social outing instead of a repeated micro‑ritual tied to work and scheduled within paid hours.
Ignoring inclusion and access: always offer ADA‑accessible shore roles (spotter/timekeeper/coach) with equal recognition, provide modest swimwear guidance and private changing options, and enable buddy assists.
Over‑complicating rules; keep challenges simple and fun to encourage coaching and laughter.
Weather and seasonality whiplash: check flag/Beaufort advisories and sea‑state on the morning of, plan around hurricane season and occasional sargassum, and have a dryland alternative ready.
Overemphasizing scores; prioritize teamwork behaviors over raw times, do not cordon off public beach space, and follow park rules such as no alcohol before participation.

Reflection & Call to Action

Saint Lucia’s Open‑Water Obstacle Relay works because it blends place and pedagogy: the island’s restorative sea, a playful dose of risk, and a structure that makes encouragement contagious. If you’re convening in Saint Lucia, build a standing slot for the relay: day one for bonding, day three for speed with better communication. If you’re elsewhere, adapt with credit and local stewardship: use a safe blue space, partner with local operators, avoid branding it as a “Saint Lucian relay,” keep public beaches unobstructed, source gear responsibly, use reef‑safe sunscreen, and include a give‑back such as booking local guides or donating to a marine NGO. The point isn’t to crown the fastest jumper; it’s to send people back to work with salt on their skin and new habits of backing each other up.