Electric Eel (roller coaster)

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Electric Eel
Electric Eel 1.jpg
SeaWorld San Diego
LocationSeaWorld San Diego
Coordinates32°45′54″N 117°13′26″W / 32.764990°N 117.224022°W / 32.764990; -117.224022Coordinates: 32°45′54″N 117°13′26″W / 32.764990°N 117.224022°W / 32.764990; -117.224022
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 10, 2018 (2018-05-10)
General statistics
TypeSteel – Launched
ManufacturerPremier Rides
ModelSky Rocket II
Lift/launch systemLSM Launch
Height150 ft (46 m)
Drop135 ft (41 m)
Length863 ft (263 m)
Speed62 mph (100 km/h)
Inversions1
Duration0:45
Capacity720 riders per hour
Height restriction54 in (137 cm)
TrainsSingle train with 3 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 18 riders per train.
WebsiteOfficial site
Electric Eel at RCDB
Pictures of Electric Eel at RCDB

Electric Eel is a steel launched coaster at SeaWorld San Diego in San Diego, California. The coaster opened in 2018 and became the park's tallest and fastest roller coaster, and is themed around the Electric eel. An educational centre and exhibit can also be found by the attraction.

History[]

On January 3, 2017, SeaWorld San Diego announced their intention to add the Electric Eel roller coaster in time for the summer 2018 season. The coaster would be a launched coaster from Maryland-based Premier Rides, and alongside three new attractions opening later that year would mark a 24-month period of the park's largest growth since their opening in 1964.[1][2] Electric Eel was proposed in January 2017 to be located on the park's eastern side, near the existing Journey to Atlantis water coaster, and given its notable height, would be painted lighter colors from the 60-foot mark and higher in order to comply with transparency requirements.[3]

Work began later that year, and crews installed more than 200 6-foot (1.8 m) diameter columns up to 40 feet below ground in order to support the ride's 11,000-square-foot foundation mat, which was completed by November 2017.[4] Vertical construction began shortly after, and wrapped up on January 17, 2018. During a media tour on the said date to commemorate the topping off, the ride's car was first unveiled.[5] On March 29, 2018, amid the ride's test runs, SeaWorld officials set Electric Eel's opening date for May 12, 2018.[6] However, on April 17, the date was moved up to two days earlier than originally planned, on May 10, whereas park representatives cited the project to be well ahead of schedule.[7][8] As planned, Electric Eel officially opened to the public on May 10, 2018.[9]

Ride experience[]

Queue[]

The Queue area meanders around an ocean floor landscape located in front of Electric Eel, near the Ocean Explorer park area. The usage of handrails and permanent shade structures is minimal, and educational signage spread throughout the queue offer facts about the Electric eel.[10][3]

Layout[]

Riders are launched forwards out of the station and up into a partial twist. The train then falls back through the station, where it is accelerated backwards into another twist. Once again, the train rolls back into the station and riders are accelerated for the third and final time to a top speed of 62 miles per hour (100 km/h). It then travels up to a height of 150 feet (46 m) and twists into a slow heartline roll at the top. Upon exiting the roll, riders twist down into a full a full non-inverting loop before coming to an eventual stop in the station. One full cycle of the ride experience lasts approximately 50 seconds.

Characteristics[]

Statistics[]

Electric Eel is 150 feet (46 m) tall, 863 feet (263 m) long, and reaches an advertised top speed of 62 mph (100 km/h).[3] The ride operates with a single 3 car train, with each car holding 6 riders in 3 rows of 2 for a total of 18 riders per train. Combined with steady operations, the advertised capacity is 720 riders per hour. The attraction sits on 1.2 acres of land, and the station occupies an area of 1,130 square feet.

Model[]

Electric Eel is a Sky Rocket II model coaster from Premier Rides. The compact launched coaster model is one of three bought by the SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment group, and the second one to be installed. The other two are Tempesto (2015) at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in James City County, Virginia, and Tigris (2019) at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. The attraction has also been cloned elsewhere, with the original being Superman: Ultimate Flight (2012) at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California, although unlike many of the other units installed the SeaWorld coasters operate with a longer train, increasing capacity by 50%.

Contractors[]

A large number of firms were involved in the design and construction process of Electric Eel, with credits being handed out to the following;[4][11][12][13]

  • Ride Manufacturer; Premier Rides
  • General Contractor: Rudolph and Sletten Inc.
  • Subcontractor; Cemrock Landscapes Inc.
  • Lead Design Firm/Architect; PGAV Destinations
  • Structural Engineer; EDM Inc.
  • Geotechnical Engineer; Hayward Baker
  • MEP Engineer; EXP Inc.
  • Engineering Consultants; Christian Wheeler Engineering

References[]

  1. ^ Hirsh, Lou (January 3, 2017). "New SeaWorld San Diego Coaster Set to Open in 2018". San Diego Business Journal. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  2. ^ Stilwell, Andrew (January 3, 2017). "SeaWorld San Diego Adding "Electric Eel" in 2018". Coaster101. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "SeaWorld San Diego, Electric Eel" (PDF). January 2017. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Aragon, Greg (October 1, 2019). "SeaWorld's Electric Eel Roller Coaster: Southern California Project of the Year 2019". www.enr.com. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  5. ^ "SeaWorld tops off Electric Eel roller coaster". www.sdnews.com. January 23, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  6. ^ Weisberg, Lori (March 29, 2018). "SeaWorld's Electric Eel coaster opens in May". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  7. ^ McCaffrey, Sam (April 20, 2018). "Electric Eel to open ahead of schedule at SeaWorld San Diego". Blooloop. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  8. ^ Weisberg, Lori (April 17, 2018). "SeaWorld's Electric Eel coaster now opening two days earlier". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  9. ^ Tuttle, Brittani (May 14, 2018). "Electric Eel roller coaster now open at SeaWorld San Diego". Attractions Magazine. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  10. ^ "Electric Eel – SeaWorld San Diego's New Coaster!". www.thecoasterkings.com. June 30, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  11. ^ "Seaworld Electric Eel". www.keller-na.com. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  12. ^ "Hayward Baker: Seaworld Electric Eel". www.geoengineer.org. February 20, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  13. ^ "SeaWorld, Electric Eel Roller Coaster". www.rsconstruction.com. Retrieved March 10, 2021.

External Resources[]

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