Dive Coaster

Last updated

Dive Coaster
Griffon First Drop.jpg
Griffon, Busch Gardens Williamsburg
StatusIn production
First manufactured1998
No. of installations14
Manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard
Vehicle typeFloorless or normal seats located above the track
Rows2/3
Riders per row6/7/8/10
Restraint StyleOver-the-shoulder/Vest restraint
Dive Coaster at RCDB

The Dive Coaster is a steel roller coaster model developed and engineered by Bolliger & Mabillard. The design features one or more near-vertical drops that are approximately 90 degrees, which provide a moment of free-falling for passengers. The experience is enhanced by unique trains that seat up to ten riders per row, spanning only two or three rows total. Unlike traditional train design, this distinguishing aspect gives all passengers virtually the same experience throughout the course of the ride. Another defining characteristic of Dive Coasters is the holding brake at the top of the lift hill that holds the train momentarily right as it enters the first drop, suspending some passengers with a view looking straight down and releasing suddenly moments later.

Contents

Development of the Dive Coaster began between 1994 and 1995 with Oblivion at Alton Towers opening on March 14, 1998, making it the world's first Dive Coaster. The trains for this type of coaster are relatively short consisting of two to three cars. B&M also uses floorless trains on this model to enhance the experience. As of May 10, 2024, seventeen Dive Coasters have been built, with the newest being Wrath of Rakshasa at Six Flags Great America which features a drop of 171 feet or 52 meters. Featuring a height of 68 m (223 ft), a length of 1,105 m (3,625 ft), and a maximum speed of 130 km/h (81 mph), Yukon Striker, as of 2025, is the world's tallest, longest, and fastest Dive Coaster.

Baron 1898, a themed dive coaster at Efteling in The Netherlands Baron 1889.jpg
Baron 1898, a themed dive coaster at Efteling in The Netherlands

History

According to Walter Bolliger, development of the Dive Coaster began between 1994 and 1995. [1] On March 14, 1998, the world's first Dive Coaster, Oblivion , opened at Alton Towers. Though Oblivion is classified as a Dive Coaster, it does not have a true vertical drop as the drop angle is only 87-degrees. [2] Two years later, the second Dive Coaster built, Diving Machine G5, opened at Janfusun Fancyworld and also technically does not have a true vertical drop. [3] In 2005, SheiKra opened at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and was the first Dive Coaster to feature a 90-degree drop and a splashdown element. [4] [5] In 2007, Busch Gardens Williamsburg announced that Griffon would be the first ever Dive Coaster to feature floorless trains [6] and SheiKra would have its trains replaced with floorless ones. [7] [8] In 2011, the first 'mini' Dive Coaster opened at Heide Park Resort, named Krake. Unlike other Dive Coasters, Krake has smaller trains consisting of three rows of six riders. [9] In 2019, Yukon Striker at Canada's Wonderland was the first Dive Coaster to feature a vertical loop, allowing it to have the most inversions on a Dive Coaster with four in total. [10] On July 30, 2022, Dr. Diabolical’s Cliffhanger opened at Six Flags Fiesta Texas as the first B&M Dive Coaster to feature a beyond vertical (95°) drop and 7-across seating. On May 31, 2025, Wrath of Rakshasa opened at Six Flags Great America which broke the record for the steepest beyond vertical (96°) drop and with the most inversions (5) on any dive coaster.

Design

An example of a floorless Dive Coaster train on SheiKra SheiKra (Busch Gardens Africa) 04.jpg
An example of a floorless Dive Coaster train on SheiKra

The design of a Dive Coaster can vary slightly from one to another. Depending on the amusement park's request, one row on the train can seat anywhere from 6 to 10 riders. Stadium seating is also used to give every rider a clear view. Next, compared to standard Bolliger & Mabillard 4 abreast cars, because of the extra weight of each train on a Dive Coaster, the size of the track must be larger than other B&M models (such as the Hyper Coaster) to support the weight. [11] At the top of the primary vertical drop, a braking system holds the train for 3 to 5 seconds, giving riders a view of the drop ahead before being released into the drop. [12] [13]

In the station, Dive Coasters that use non-floorless trains simply use a standard station. With Dive Coasters that use floorless trains, in order to allow riders to load and unload the train, a movable floor is necessary. Because the front row has nothing in front of it to stop riders from walking over the edge of the station, a gate is placed in front of the train to prevent this from happening. Once all the over-the-shoulder restraints are locked, the gate opens and the floor separates into several pieces and moves underneath the station. [12] When the next train enters the station, the gate is closed and the floors are brought back up where the next riders board. [12]

Installations

Bolliger & Mabillard has built eighteen Dive Coasters as of 2025.

NameParkCountryTrain WidthTrain TypeModelOpenedStatus
Oblivion Alton Towers Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 8 seatsStandardWideMarch 14, 1998Operating [2]
Diving Machine G5 Janfusun Fancyworld Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan 8 seatsStandardWideMarch 29, 2000Operating [3]
SheiKra Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Flag of the United States.svg United States 8 seatsFloorless (Originally Standard)WideMay 21, 2005Operating [4]
Griffon Busch Gardens Williamsburg Flag of the United States.svg United States 10 seatsFloorlessWideMay 18, 2007Operating [14]
Dive Coaster Chimelong Paradise Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China 10 seatsFloorlessWideJanuary 21, 2008Operating [15]
Diving Coaster Happy Valley Shanghai Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China 10 seatsFloorlessWideAugust 16, 2009Operating [16]
Krake Heide Park Flag of Germany.svg Germany 6 seatsFloorlessNarrowApril 16, 2011Operating [9]
Oblivion: The Black Hole Gardaland Flag of Italy.svg Italy 6 seatsFloorlessNarrowMarch 28, 2015Operating [17]
Baron 1898 Efteling Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands 6 seatsFloorlessNarrowJune 30, 2015Operating [18]
Valravn Cedar Point Flag of the United States.svg United States 8 seatsFloorlessWideMay 7, 2016Operating [19]
Flying Apsaras in Western Region Happy Valley Chengdu Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China 6 seatsFloorlessNarrowFebruary 10, 2018Operating [20]
Draken Gyeongju World Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea 8 seatsFloorlessWideMay 1, 2018Operating [21]
Valkyria Liseberg Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden 6 seatsFloorlessNarrowAugust 10, 2018Operating [22]
Yukon Striker Canada's Wonderland Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada 8 seatsFloorlessWideMay 3, 2019Operating [23]
Emperor SeaWorld San Diego Flag of the United States.svg United States 6 seatsFloorlessNarrowMarch 12, 2022Operating [24]
Dr. Diabolical’s Cliffhanger Six Flags Fiesta Texas Flag of the United States.svg United States 7 seatsFloorlessNarrowJuly 30, 2022Operating [25]
Iron Menace Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom Flag of the United States.svg United States 7 seatsFloorlessNarrowMay 10, 2024Operating [26]
Wrath of Rakshasa Six Flags Great America Flag of the United States.svg United States 7 seatsFloorlessNarrowMay 31, 2025Operating [27]

Similar coasters

HangTime, a Gerstlauer roller coaster located at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, has been marketed as "the first dive coaster on the West Coast". [28]

In 2018, Golden Horse, a Chinese amusement ride manufacturer infamous for creating knock-off coasters and rides, installed a Dive Coaster at Great Xingdong Tourist World. The trains contain four cars, each seating 6 riders per row, compared to B&M dive coasters, which have two or three cars per train. [29]

See also

References

  1. "IAAPA 2011 Trade Show Part 4 Theme Park Review Fishpipe Water Ride B&M Zamperla". Theme Park Review . YouTube. November 16, 2012. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  2. 1 2 Marden, Duane. "Oblivion (Alton Towers)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  3. 1 2 Marden, Duane. "Diving Machine G5 / 飛天潛艇 G5 (Janfusun Fancyworld)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  4. 1 2 Marden, Duane. "SheiKra (Busch Gardens Tampa Bay)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  5. "Splashdown Bolliger & Mabillard" . Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  6. "Griffon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg Roller Coaster Review". About.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2015. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  7. "SheiKra to have new floorless trains installed". COASTER-net. February 2, 2007. Archived from the original on December 19, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  8. "Bolliger & Mabillard Dive Machine". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  9. 1 2 Marden, Duane. "Krake (Heide Park Resort)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  10. Staff, NBC 5 Chicago (May 24, 2025). "Six Flags Great America sets opening date for new, record-breaking 'Wrath of Rakshasa' coaster". NBC 5 Chicago. Retrieved June 1, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. "Scott & Carol Present: Getting On Track With B&M". NewsPlusNotes. December 11, 2008. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  12. 1 2 3 "Griffon (HD)". SeanFlaharty. August 16, 2009. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  13. "Coaster opens May 25". Daily Press. March 21, 2007. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  14. Marden, Duane. "Griffon (Busch Gardens Williamsburg)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  15. Marden, Duane. "Dive Coaster / 垂直过山车 (Chimelong Paradise)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  16. Marden, Duane. "Diving Coaster / 绝顶雄风 (Happy Valley Shanghai)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  17. Marden, Duane. "Oblivion: The Black Hole (Gardaland)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  18. Marden, Duane. "Baron 1898 (Efteling)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  19. Ellen Creager (September 4, 2015). "Cedar Point's ride would be area's only dive coaster". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  20. Marden, Duane. "Flying Apsaras in Western Region / 西域飞天 (Happy Valley Chengdu)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  21. Marden, Duane. "Draken / 드라켄 (Gyeongju World)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  22. Marden, Duane. "Valkyria (Liseberg)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  23. Marden, Duane. "Yukon Striker (Canada's Wonderland)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  24. Marden, Duane. "Emperor (SeaWorld San Diego)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  25. Marden, Duane. "Dr. Diabolical's Cliffhanger (Six Flags Fiesta Texas)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  26. Marden, Duane. "Iron Menace (Dorney Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  27. Marden, Duane. "Wrath of Rakshasa (Six Flags Great America)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  28. "HangTime | First Dive Coaster On the West Coast | Knott's Berry Farm". www.knotts.com. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  29. "Vertical Roller Coaster - Great Xingdong Tourist World (Puding, Anshun, Guizhou, China)". rcdb.com. Retrieved April 23, 2020.