Nemesis Nick at Sandcastle Water Park Blackpool April 2014

Date: Friday 25 April 2014
Venue: Sandcastle Water Park (Blackpool)
Who Went: Just me

Rationale For Trip

As some of you may have gathered, I enjoy water parks, including Splashdown at Tower Park, Poole. Having travelled to Blackpool the afternoon of Thursday 24 April for the RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2014, Friday daytime was an ideal opportunity for me to visit Blackpool's Sandcastle Water Park.

Welcome to Sandcastle Water Park

Just like Pleasure Beach Resort the rest of the weekend, it was only a short walk from the hotel where I stayed to Sandcastle Water Park. When I reached the foyer around 10:30 Balula the monkey was greeting visitors as they entered. At the reception I paid the extra £6 for a Hyperzone wristband, which covers the Master Blaster, Sidewinder, Montazooma and Aztec Falls.

In the Pool Area

Once past the foyer, bar and changing rooms, the water park itself is vast. Since fifth visit to-date, I remembered the layout quite well. When I entered the pool area approximately 10:45, I began with the Sidewinder.

Sidewinder

One of the four Hyperzone slides, this requires use of a tyre. There was no wait at the bottom for a tyre, but there was a short queue for the launch point at the top. When it was my turn I sat in my tyre on the launch platform, waiting to be pushed over the edge. There's a very steep drop (a long way down) into a ravine. Following the first drop, you go quite a long way up the other side, then down and back up the side you first came down, and so forth until you run out of momentum and grind to a halt at the bottom of the ravine, before exiting. Wow! Going back and forth made for a thrilling ride.

When I finally left the Sidewinder, there was only a very short for a tyre, so I decided to have a second go. This time I faced a slightly longer queue at the top. This time I felt more relaxed about sliding Sidewinder. Unfortunately this time around, I lost grip of the left handle on the first drop, and couldn't regrip, so at the bottom I lost the tyre completely but continued on up the other side and down as before on my bottom, without the tyre. When I got off the lifeguard noticed my left elbow bleeding, so I had to go to the first aid room. Fortunately they only had to clean it up and put a plaster over it, I was feeling alright to go back to sliding afterwards.

Master Blaster

After all that, I didn't fancy another go on Sidewinder just yet, so instead I decided to try the Master Blaster instead. Master Blaster is another Hyperzone slide, also requiring use of a tyre. When I passed the landing point there was no queue for tyres, but there was a queue for the launch point. Master Blaster is 250 metres in length and seems to go on for ever; there are several uphill sections. Part way along, you go through a tube slide, which exits the building, spirals around and re-enters the building. That's the blue spiral tube you can see sticking out of the left front corner of the building. Towards the end there's a final climb and a very steep final drop into the landing tray. Altogether a thrilling ride, one of the best in the water park, and worth the wait.

When I landed I decided to have a second go. This time the queue for the launch point was a little longer, but the ride experience was nonetheless well worth the wait. At the end of my second go I left the Master Blaster to go on something else.

The launch point for Master Blaster has a label on its side with the following information:
Aqua Leisure International
Master Blaster Ride
Commissioned April 2006

One important question: the Master Blaster is described as a rollercoaster water slide, in fact it claims to be the world's longest indoor rollercoaster water slide, but does that mean it's a rollercoaster or not?

Aztec Falls

One of the two Hyperzone slides which opened in February 2012; this requires use of a tyre. On this occasion I was able to collect a tyre without having to queue. Having collected a tyre, I had to go up some steps, into a tunnel which had some special effect at the entrance, through the tunnel and up several flights of stairs to the top of a tower which was built when the Montazooma and Aztec Falls slides were installed. As I neared the top, there were two queues: one for Montazooma and one for Aztec Falls. The Aztec Falls queue tailed back a considerable distance down the stairs. When it was my turn, I had to sit on my tyre (just like Master Blaster and Sidewinder). This was amazing, I went down a dark closed tube slide. Halfway down I entered a giant bowl, and was whirled at speed once around the outer edge, followed by once around the inner edge into another dark tube slide which took me the rest of the way to the slide exit. Another exciting ride, definitely worth waiting for, but I only had one go for now.

Montazooma

The other Hyperzone slide which opened in February 2012. This slide requires a special mat with handles and a curved front. On this occasion no-one was waiting for a mat, therefore I was able to just take one. Having taken a mat, I had to go through the same tunnel and up the same stairs as I did for Aztec Falls, until I joined the back of the long Montazooma queue When I reached the launch point I had to place the special mat, curved end facing forwards, on the slide top and lie on the mat head first on my belly, holding the handles at the curved end. Once launched I set off really quickly, and continued quite fast all the way to the end. Altogether fast and fun slide.

Since there was still no-one waiting for a mat at the bottom, I kept the mat and went back up the stairs for a second go.

Aztec Falls

Back to Aztec Falls next. Once again I was able to just take a tyre and go up the stairs to join the queue for the slide. The slide was just as much fun as earlier, but I only had one go for now.

After that, I tried some of the non-Hyperzone slides, starting with Thunder Falls.

Thunder Falls Water Slides

Two water slides, one is blue and one is yellow. These are mostly open top, however there's a short covered bit on the yellow slide midway. Both are fairly slow and quite long, thus they give long, gentle, relaxing rides. I enjoyed the blue and yellow in sequence four times over.

Treetops Water Chutes

A set of three wavy slides side by side, thus three sliders can race each other. Looking from the top, the left hand slide is blue, the centre one is yellow and the right hand one is red. These were made by Aqua Leisure International, commissioned 2004. Unlike the slides I'd been on so far, the Treetops Water Chutes were walk-on. I enjoyed these three wavy slides twice each in the following order: blue, yellow, red, blue, yellow, red.

Duelling Dragons

Two fast closed tube slides, which are classed as White Knuckle Slides, but they're not part of Hyperzone. On this occasion bathers wanting to slide these had to wait by the lifeguard's viewing position beside the landing pool, as there wasn't a lifeguard at the launch point. The queuing time for these slides was really short, at worst three in front of me. I enjoyed the right and left slides (as viewed facing the entrances from the top) in sequence twice over. These two slides were really fast, and the duration of each slide was quite short.

Sidewinder

Back to the Hyperzone slides next. I now felt ready to brave a few more goes on Sidewinder, after my mishap earlier. I was able to get a tyre without having to wait, however there was a queue for the launch point at the top. When it was my turn I ensured I was gripping both handles tightly before launch, but even so frightened on the first drop I shouted "Oh my God". After the first drop I was more confident about the rest of the ride.

I was determined to try again afterwards and faced a minimal wait for another tyre. Once again I made sure I was gripping both handles tightly at launch, but again felt really frightened and shouted "Oh my God" on the first drop, but felt fine the rest of the ride. This ended up being my last go of the day on Sidewinder, my morning mishap certainly ruined my confidence in the first drop.

Master Blaster

Back to the rollercoaster water slide Master Blaster. There was no wait for tyres at the bottom, however there was a queue for the launch point at the top. Having enjoyed two goes, someone got stuck as I was at the front of the queue at the launch point. Since the slide had to be shut down for several minutes so that a lifeguard could let the stranded sliders out, all I could do was wait. Eventually the slide started again and I was able to enjoy my third go. After that I had one more go, and thankfully there was no similar delay this time.

Aztec Falls

Now for a few more goes on Aztec Falls. When I got there no-one was waiting for a tyre, so I was able to just take one and go through the tunnel and up the stairs. There was a queue for the slide launch point, but it was worth the wait to go down the dark closed tube, around the giant bowl and down the inner slide to the exit. Having landed I was able to keep my tyre to enjoy two more goes, but had to give up the tyre after the third go as others were now waiting for tyres.

Montazooma

Although there was now a queue for Aztec Falls tyres, no-one was waiting for a Montazooma mat, so I was able to take one of the many that were available. When I launched myself, I keeled over and was on my back for a bit, but managed to get on my belly again and remount the mat. Having landed I kept my mat for a second go; this time I kept my elbows in and managed to stay on my belly. The lifeguard asked if I wanted a third go, but I said two was enough for now.

Thunder Falls Water Slides

Now for some more goes on the Thunder Falls Water Slides. The queue was shorter than earlier, and I enjoyed the blue and yellow slides in sequence three times over.

Ushi-Gushi River Creek

A flowing river running anticlockwise. I enjoyed two laps of this river run; I tried swimming breaststroke although the river run was a bit busy to swim properly.

Master Blaster

I returned to the Master Blaster, hoping to have as many goes as possible before closing time. There was no wait for tyres, and the queue at the top was now really short. I enjoyed three goes straight off.

During my next go on Master Blaster my tyre went up against another stationary slider's tyre; that person then went ahead and I thought we'd get the necessary safe spacing for us both to continue to the end, but the slide stopped. The lifeguard had to get us out. We were issued special shoes as we had to walk much of the route; on the uphill sections we had to keep to the edge. The lifeguard told us to slide thorough the spiral tube section (which runs out of the building) on our bottoms; this was slow and difficult with no water running. Eventually we had to leave the slide via the zip exit located before the steep final drop. The lifeguard stayed immediately behind us on the way to this exit. As result this was a void go and thus cannot be counted for slide counting purposes. By the zip exit, I saw the first aider who treated my elbow this morning by that exit.

Although it was now very close to closing time, Master Blaster started again, so I had one more go, and succeeded in reaching the end this time. After that I had to give up my tyre as they weren't letting any more approach it as it was now almost closing time.

Thunder Falls Water Slides

There was still just enough time for me to enjoy one more go on the Thunder Falls Water Slides; I went down the blue slide. Afterwards stairs chained off so I couldn't go up again for a go on yellow slide to balance off. Thus I left with an uneven count of the blue and yellow slide.

With the time now 17:00 an announcement was made: all slides and the pool are now closed, please return to the changing rooms.

One other feature which I missed is the Caribbean Storm Treehouse. This is a play area with a number of features, including water jets you can aim at other bathers, and a giant coconut which gradually fills and tips to spill its contents over you. Although I walked near / through this area from time to time, I didn't actually stand under the coconut or aim the jets this time.

Having changed, whilst exiting the changing rooms and passing through the reception area I deliberately kept my hoody off so as to show my new T-shirt. A few other customers and a member of staff liked the slogan "I'm Not An Adult I'm A Big Kid!".

Summary of my day in order of activity

Sidewinder 2
Master Blaster 2
Aztec Falls 1
Montazooma 2
Aztec Falls 1
Thunder Falls Water Slides blue, yellow, blue, yellow, blue, yellow, blue, yellow
Treetops Water Chutes blue, yellow, red, blue, yellow, red
Duelling Dragons right, left, right, left
Sidewinder 2
Master Blaster 4
Aztec Falls 3
Montazooma 2
Thunder Falls Water Slides blue, yellow, blue, yellow, blue, yellow
2 laps of Ushi-Gushi River Creek
Master Blaster 4
Thunder Falls Water Slides blue

Cumulative Summary of Slides

Slide	Total
Aztec Falls	5
Duelling Dragons left	2
Duelling Dragons right	2
Master Blaster	10
Montazooma	4
Sidewinder	4
Thunder Falls Water Slides blue	8
Thunder Falls Water Slides yellow	7
Treetops Water Chutes blue	2
Treetops Water Chutes red	2
Treetops Water Chutes yellow	2
TOTAL	48

Total 48 slides, plus 2 laps of Ushi-Gushi River Creek

Outro

Highlights

Re-riding the thrilling Hyperzone slides Sidewinder, Master Blaster, Montazooma and Aztec Falls, plus other slides.
High slide count.

Lowlights

Losing my tyre and cutting my left elbow during my second go of the day on Sidewinder.
Getting stuck on Master Blaster late afternoon and having to be released by a lifeguard, thereby rendering this a void go.

Summing Up

Wow, a mega fun visit to the UK's largest indoor water park at Blackpool in Granadaland. By staying in all day, I certainly got my money's worth. Once again I managed to stay in until 17:00 without eating or drinking anything. My big breakfast around 8:30 set me up for the whole day. If you've not yet been there, and you enjoy water parks, I strongly suggest you pay it a visit. In order to get your money's worth, I recommend staying in all day. Going in after the ERS on Sunday of the Blackpool Bash (i.e. around midday) may not give you sufficient time to do Sandcastle Water Park justice. Surprisingly I don't recall seeing anyone else from the RCCGB in there. Being as this was the Blackpool Bash weekend, I'd have thought a few other members who had arrived Thursday evening or Friday early morning for the Blackpool Bash would have taken the opportunity to spend Friday daytime at Sandcastle Water Park, especially riding the Master Blaster rollercoaster water slide.