OK - so I'm fairly new to Soaked, and I have a question that wasn't covered in the tutorial: how the heck do I build waterslides? Do I need to have different level pools first (one for the launch, one for the splashdown?) and then how do you attach them, with just the pool paths? I see all of the different slides that are available, and if I pick a pre-built one, what's the next step? Any help would be appreciated...

It's in the tutorial I believe. You've gotta place the end flume (if it's called a flume in english) at a pool. For the station, you've got to make a path from the pool leading to the station, and the peeps will go there automaticaly. You could also build a pool next to the station, but mostly the stations are high up in the air where the pools can't reach.
Hope this helped you

First Hold the shift key to raise the station several yards in the air then build the slide so it ends up at your pool. Now build a pool path or a spiral staircase to the slide station.

I tihnk it's easier to first put down the end flume, so you don't have to do tricky things with your slide to get to your desired design

Shaffie, you mean you put the End of the flume down first?
How do you do that? :?:
And also, how does it make it easier?

Well, yes, I mean so.
How to do that? Select the forward flat button when starting with building, and then select the flume end at the extras menu (where the loopings of coasters are also given).
How does it make it easier? Well, I mostly have a design in my head that I want to build, but when you place station first, it's kind of a gamble where it should be to fit your ideas. If you put down the end first, you know the finish of your slide is perfect and thus you can meet your ideas easily.