Nemesis Nick at Sandcastle Water Park Blackpool April 2013

Date: Friday 5 April 2013
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 4 April for the RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2013, 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 at 10:53am I met Balula the monkey, and had my photo taken with her. 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 I previously went there in April 2010, April 2011 and April 2012, I remembered the layout quite well. When I entered the pool area approximately 11:15, I began with the Sidewinder.

Sidewinder

One of the four Hyperzone slides, this requires use of a tyre. I faced a queue for the tyre, and another 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, the queue for tyres at the bottom wasn't too long, so I decided to have a second go. Obviously that meant queuing for a tyre at the bottom, and again at the top, but it was definitely worth the wait. At the end of my second go on Sidewinder I headed for Master Blaster.

Master Blaster

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, which tailed back almost to the bridge. 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 I faced a short queue for a tyre, and quite a lengthy queue for the launch point (tailing back on to the bridge). To make matters worse, as I neared the steps, someone got stuck which meant turning off the water supply for a bit, and consequently a substantial delay. Once everyone trapped in there was out the slide restarted, and soon afterwards I was at the launch point. 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?

Montazooma

One of the two new Hyperzone slides which opened in February 2012. This slide requires a special mat with handles and a curved front. The queue for such mats was quite short. Having queued for a mat, 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 Montazooma queue was considerably shorter than the Aztec Falls queue, but still fairly long. 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. A fun slide, but I had just one go for now.

Aztec Falls

The other new Hyperzone slide which opened in February 2012; this requires use of a tyre. There was quite a long wait for a tyre, I dread to think how long I queued for one. After that I had to go through the same tunnel and up the same stairs as I did for Montazooma, until I joined the back of the long Aztec Falls queue (which was considerably further down the stairs than the back of the Montazooma queue). After another lengthy wait, it was my turn to slide; I had to sit on my tyre (just like Master Blaster and Sidewinder). This was so 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. Due to the long wait both for tyres at the bottom and the launch point at the top, I only had one go on Aztec Falls for now, but thankfully this wasn't my last.

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

Thunder Falls Waterslides

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. The queue extended most of the way down the spiral stairs, so for now I enjoyed the blue and yellow slides once each.

Sidewinder

Back to the Hyperzone slide Sidewinder for another two goes. On both goes I had to wait for a tyre, and faced an even longer queue at the top, but both goes were definitely worth the wait for the thrill of the steep drop, going up the opposite side followed by successive down-up-down cycles.

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. The queuing time for these slides was shorter than most of what I'd already been on, I enjoyed the left and right slides (as viewed facing the entrances from the top) in sequence four times over. These two slides were really fast, and the duration of each slide was quite short.

Thunder Falls Waterslides

Back to the Thunder Falls Waterslides. Although the queue was shorter than earlier, it still extended about two thirds of the way down the spiral stairs. The Thunder Falls Waterslides are much slower and longer than the Duelling Dragons. Thus both Thunder Falls Waterslides give long, gentle, relaxing rides. I enjoyed the blue and yellow slides in sequence twice over.

Aztec Falls

Back to the Hyperzone slide Aztec Falls. The queue at the bottom for tyres was shorter than earlier, so now seemed a good time to have my second go for today on this. Once I had a tyre, there was still quite a lengthy wait for the launch point at the top of the tower. When it was my turn I sat on my tyre, and enjoyed another go down the dark tube slide, into the giant bowl and on down the following closed dark tube slide to the end. This was my final go on Aztec Falls for today.

Montazooma

Having left Aztec Falls, I saw a load of Montazooma mats. No-one was waiting for one, so the lifeguard said I could just take one. There was a queue for the launch point at the top of the tower, albeit not as long as earlier. After my first go, I saw more unused Montazooma mats and nobody waiting for one, so I was allowed to keep my mat for a second go. Once again I had to queue for the Montazooma launch point, albeit not quite as long this time. There were even more vacant mats which no-one was waiting for after my second go, so I was allowed to keep my mat for a third go. The queue for the Montazooma launch point at the top of the stairs was even shorter this time. It seemed not many people wanted to slide Montazooma now. Anyway I thoroughly enjoyed these three goes on Montazooma, each one was a really fast ride start to finish. Having decided three goes was enough, I gave my mat up voluntarily after my third go (there were still plenty of vacant mats and no-one waiting for them).

Duelling Dragons

The time was now around 4:30pm, and for some mysterious reason the whole water park seemed considerably quieter than earlier. I returned to the Duelling Dragons for a few more goes, and ended up sliding the left and right slides (as viewed facing the slide entrances from the top) in sequence six times over. These were now very quiet, at worst just a few people in front at the top of the stairs and walk-on for some of my goes.

Ushi-Gushi River Creek

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

Thunder Falls Waterslides

There was now just a very short queue at the top of stairs for these two slides. I enjoyed the blue and yellow slides once each (my final goes on these slides for today).

Sidewinder

My final four goes of the day on this Hyperzone slide. The wait for tyres was now very short; after two of my goes I was allowed to keep my tyre. Furthermore the queue at the top was now considerably shorter than earlier.

Master Blaster

The time was now just after 5:40pm, so I tried to have as many goes on Master Blaster as I could before the water park closed at 6pm. In that remaining time I was able to enjoy six goes on Master Blaster. Each time around there was no queue for tyres by the landing; therefore I was able to help myself to one for my first go and keep my tyre for all my remaining goes. The wait at the top varied each time; on two of my goes the slide was walk-on, at worst there were four in front of me. It was definitely worth staying until closing time to get six goes on this rollercoaster water slide at the end; a coaster crazy way to round off my day at Sandcastle Water Park.

After that it was closing time of 6pm, so I left the pool area. Just as I was walking back to the changing room I heard an announcement "The slides and pool are now closed". I finally left the water park at 6:13pm and returned to my hotel to prepare for the evening.

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.

Summary of my day in order of activity

Sidewinder 2
Master Blaster 2
Montazooma 1
Aztec Falls 1
Thunder Falls Waterslides: blue 1, yellow 1
Sidewinder 2
Treetops Water Chutes: blue 1, yellow 1, red 1, blue 1, yellow 1, red 1
Duelling Dragons left 1, right 1 (as viewed from top) in sequence 4 times over
Thunder Falls Waterslides: blue 1, yellow 1, blue 1, yellow 1
Aztec Falls 1
Montazooma 3
Duelling Dragons left 1, right 1 (as viewed from top) in sequence 6 times over
Ushi-Gushi River Creek 4 laps
Thunder Falls Waterslides blue 1, yellow 1
Sidewinder 4
Master Blaster 6

Cumulative Summary of Slides

Slide	Total
Aztec Falls	2
Master Blaster	8
Montazooma	4
Sidewinder	8
Duelling Dragons: left slide entrance	10
Duelling Dragons: right slide entrance	10
Thunder Falls Waterslides: blue	4
Thunder Falls Waterslides: yellow	4
Treetops Water Chutes: blue	2
Treetops Water Chutes: yellow	2
Treetops Water Chutes: red	2
TOTAL	56

Total 56 slides, plus 4 laps of Ushi-Gushi River Creek

Outro

Highlights

High slide count, considering how busy the place was for most of the day.
Re-riding the thrilling Hyperzone slides Sidewinder, Master Blaster, Montazooma and Aztec Falls, plus other slides.
Six goes on Master Blaster at the end of the day.

Lowlights

The place was busier than I'd have liked for most of the day.

Summing Up

Wow, a mega fun visit to the UK's largest indoor water park. By staying in all day, I certainly got my money's worth. Once again I managed to stay in until 6pm without eating or drinking anything. My big breakfast around 9am 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. Once again for most of the day the place was a bit busy for my liking, partly due to it being the Easter school holiday, it seemed busier than my 2011 visit which was also in the Easter school holiday. The opening of Aztec Falls and Montazooma in February 2012 has clearly made the whole place more popular. Despite the large number of other visitors in the water park, 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.