Dive Coaster

Dive Coaster
Oblivion's main drop at Alton Towers in the United Kingdom.
Status	In Production
First manufactured	1998
No. of installations	14
Manufacturer	Bolliger & Mabillard
Vehicle type	Floorless or normal seats located above the track
Rows	2/3
Riders per row	6/7/8/10
Restraint Style	Over-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 May, 2019, fourteen Dive Coasters have been built, with the newest being Yukon Striker at Canada's Wonderland. 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 is the world's tallest, longest, and fastest Dive Coaster.

Krake going through a "splashdown" at Heide Park in Germany

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

• Floorless Coaster, a type of roller coaster also designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, that features floorless trains.

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dive Coasters.

• Official website