Before you drop a load of cash for a day on the chutes, aren't you dying to know what's behind the gates at the three boardwalk water parks?

We went, we splashed, we'll dish.

Get your feet wet:

•  The two parks at Morey's Piers - Raging Waters and Ocean Oasis - are theme-park pretty, while the indie park Splash Zone is strictly concrete-functional.
•  All three are spick-and-span when it comes to housekeeping, which is a pleasant surprise, (a shock, to be honest) given their carny surroundings.
• Ocean Oasis, on Surfside Pier at 25th Avenue, calls itself a beach club and caters to indulgent parents. It's got the only liquor license of the three water parks and a concierge desk that books restaurant reservations.
•  Raging Waters, on Mariner's Landing Pier at Schellenger Avenue, is geared more toward hard-core riders. It has a good rep among discriminating 'tweens.
•  Splash Zone, at Schellenger Avenue and the Boardwalk, is family-friendly to a giddy extreme. Free swim diapers, anyone?

Teen-tested thrills

They talk a bold game, those 'tweens and young teenagers. But the core of the water-park demographic is a little chicken at heart. We sent two delegates from the target age group into the three boardwalk water parks with instructions to test-ride the fast slides.

Our 13-year-old reviewers declined to attempt the black-diamond chutes at Morey's Piers, which have sheer vertical drops and face-first descents. Maybe when they're 14.

In the intermediate category, these rides won squeals of approval:

* Beast of the East, at Splash Zone. Its fast-banking turns and thrilling but not horrifying speed made it the teens' overall favorite.

 * Sky Pond Journey, at Raging Waters. What parents can't see from below is that riders sometimes pop out of their inner tubes when they slide down from one sky pond to the next. This was deemed to be great fun. (Lifeguards are stationed at each of the shallow ponds.)

 * Speed Dominator, at Splash Zone. A mat ride where you descend feet first. "This was very fast, actually," said one of our testers. "But not too fast."

 * Rocket Raft Run, at both of Morey's parks. Two thumbs way up for being "fast and swirly."

High and dry (and free)

The handy platform (right) overlooks the Raging Waters water park. Parents can hang out there to keep an eye on things without having to enter the park - and without paying admission. There's no charge to nap on the chaise lounges, either.

Paying customers can visit the parents' platform from inside the water park to beg for more snack money. Parents can follow a ramp from the platform to the beach to cool off in the ocean.

Pail comparison

There are two enormous splash buckets on the Wildwood water-park circuit. Which one's right for your brood?

For sheer awesome hydro power, the bucket at Splash Zone (at right) gets the nod. The Tree House attraction that it rests atop also has squirt guns, fire hoses and mini-buckets that kids can (and do) use to ambush other bathers.

The big bucket at Raging Waters (part of the Camp KidTastrophe attraction) is tamer, thanks to an awning that helps break the water's fall. A battle-of-the-sexes squirt-gun battle determines which way the bucket tips: toward the pirate-themed Boys' Camp clubhouse or the pink and flowery Girls Rule! playhouse.

Wait watch

On the summer Saturday when our reviewers roamed the water parks, Splash Zone was noticeably less crowded than the two others, with shorter lines.

Chutes and dollars

The water parks at Morey's Piers have a long and confusing menu of price options.

There are small discounts for three-hour passes to one park ($5 off the full-day, two-park price of $33). There are bigger discounts - up to $16 a person - for morning and late-afternoon specials. At most times, there are additional discounts for kids under 48 inches tall.

To get the most splash for your cash, visit on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Those are the times when the parks are least crowded, and a family of four can ride the chutes from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for the morning special price of $68, nearly half off.

The family special is available every morning, but on weekdays you'll typically hit longer lines and rack up fewer runs.

Value venue

An all-day pass at Splash Zone is  a few dollars cheaper than at the fancier Morey's Piers parks. The budget-minded Zone also offers unlimited refills for fountain drinks - slurp all day for $2.95 - and free, unlimited SPF 15 sunscreen, served from the same kind of pumps as ballpark mustard.

Parents who aren't suiting up for the slides can buy a discounted "landlubber" admission at a reasonable $12. (Regular admission is $29.99 for a day, $23.99 for kids under 48 inches tall.)

After closing, the Zone offers "tours and brochures" from 6 to 10 p.m. so families can preview what the park has to offer before they visit.

Kids? What kids?

The adult indulgences at Ocean Oasis include a Tiki-themed bar that serves frozen mai tais and margaritas, along with beer and wine. Customers can opt to submerge themselves in a hot tub while they imbibe.

There's also a massage hut ($50 for a half-hour Swedish rubdown).

Activities coordinators are on hand to help entertain pesky offspring who make selfish claims on your me-time. They lead crafts and other camplike activities.

PHOTOS: David Maialetti / Daily News