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Dive Coaster

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This article is about the roller coaster model. For the Dive Coaster at Chimelong Paradise, see Dive Coaster (Chimelong Paradise). For the Dive Coaster at Happy Valley Shanghai, see Diving Coaster.

Dive Coaster
Oblivion's main drop at Alton Towers in the United Kingdom.
StatusIn production
First manufactured1998
No. of installations14
ManufacturerBolliger & 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.

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 July 30, 2022, sixteen Dive Coasters have been built, with the newest being Dr. Diabolical's Cliffhanger at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. 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 2019, was the world's tallest, longest, and fastest Dive Coaster.

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 87-degrees.[2] Two years later, the second Dive Coaster built, Diving Machine G5, opened at Janfusun Fancyworld and also does not have a 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 at Six Flags Fiesta Texas is the first B&M Dive Coaster to feature a beyond vertical (95°) drop and 7-across seating.

Design

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 fourteen Dive Coasters with one to be opened in 2020-2021. The roller coasters are listed in order of opening dates.

Name Park Country Opened Status
Oblivion Alton Towers United Kingdom United Kingdom March 14, 1998 Operating [2]
Diving Machine G5 Janfusun Fancyworld Taiwan Taiwan March 29, 2000 Operating [3]
SheiKra Busch Gardens Tampa Bay United States United States May 21, 2005 Operating [4]
Griffon Busch Gardens Williamsburg United States United States May 18, 2007 Operating [14]
Dive Coaster Chimelong Paradise China China January 21, 2008 Operating [15]
Diving Coaster Happy Valley Shanghai China China August 16, 2009 Operating [16]
Krake Heide Park Germany Germany April 16, 2011 Operating [9]
Oblivion: The Black Hole Gardaland Italy Italy March 28, 2015 Operating [17]
Baron 1898 Efteling Netherlands Netherlands June 30, 2015 Operating [18]
Valravn Cedar Point United StatesUnited States May 7, 2016 Operating [19]
Draken Gyeongju World South Korea South Korea May 1, 2018 Operating [20]
Valkyria Liseberg Sweden Sweden August 10, 2018 Operating [21]
Western Regions Heaven Happy Valley Chengdu China China February 2, 2018 Operating [22]
Yukon Striker Canada's Wonderland Canada Canada May 3, 2019 Operating [23]
Emperor SeaWorld San Diego United States United States March 12, 2022 Operating [24]
Dr. Diabolical’s Cliffhanger Six Flags Fiesta Texas United States United States July 30, 2022 Operating [25]

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".[26]

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.[27]

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 2021-12-19. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  2. ^ a b Marden, Duane. "Oblivion  (Alton Towers)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  3. ^ a b Marden, Duane. "Diving Machine G5  (Janfusun Fancyworld)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  4. ^ a b 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. 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 October 18, 2012.
  8. ^ "Bolliger & Mabillard Dive Machine". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  9. ^ a b Marden, Duane. "Krake  (Heide Park Resort)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  10. ^ Levine, Arthur (August 15, 2018). "Canada's Wonderland: Record-breaking Yukon Striker coaster announced". USA Today. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  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. ^ a b c "Griffon (HD)". SeanFlaharty. August 16, 2009. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  13. ^ "Coaster opens May 25". Daily Press. March 21, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  14. ^ Marden, Duane. "Griffon  (Busch Gardens Williamsburg)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  15. ^ Marden, Duane. "Dive Coaster  (Chimelong Paradise)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  16. ^ Marden, Duane. "Diving Coaster  (Happy Valley Shanghai)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  17. ^ Marden, Duane. "unknown  (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. "Draken  (Gyeongju World)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  21. ^ Marden, Duane. "Valkyria  (Liseberg)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  22. ^ Marden, Duane. "Flying over the Western Region / 西域飞天  (Happy Valley Chengdu)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  23. ^ Marden, Duane. "Yukon Striker  (Canada's Wonderland)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  24. ^ Marden, Duane. "Mako  (SeaWorld San Diego)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  25. ^ Marden, Duane. "Dr. Diabolical's Cliffhanger  (Six Flags Fiesta Texas)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  26. ^ "HangTime | First Dive Coaster On the West Coast | Knott's Berry Farm". www.knotts.com. Retrieved 2019-06-16.
  27. ^ "Vertical Roller Coaster - Great Xingdong Tourist World (Puding, Anshun, Guizhou, China)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
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