Nemesis Nick at Sandcastle Water Park Blackpool April 2017

Date: Friday 21 April 2017
Venue: Sandcastle Water Park (Blackpool)
Who Went: Just me

N.B. Any use of "today" in this report means Friday 21 April 2017.

Rationale for Trip

As some of you may have gathered, I enjoy water parks, including Splashdown at Tower Park, Poole and Sandcastle Water Park, Blackpool. Having travelled to Blackpool during the afternoon of Thursday 20 April for the RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2017, Friday daytime was an ideal opportunity for me to visit Blackpool's Sandcastle Water Park.

Welcome to Sandcastle Water Park

Just like Blackpool Pleasure Beach the rest of the weekend, it was only a short walk from the hotel where I stayed to Sandcastle Water Park. I got there just before 11:00. At the reception I paid the extra £6.25 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 this was my eighth visit to-date, I remembered the layout quite well. When I entered the pool area approximately 11:20, I began with Master Blaster.

Master Blaster

One of the four Hyperzone slides, this requires use of a tyre. When I approached the tyre collection point I obtained a tyre almost immediately. However there was a queue upstairs, but I didn't mind waiting. 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 at the top. Oddly enough, this was my first go on a water slide anywhere in England for 2017.

When I landed I decided to have a second go. Once again I faced a minimal wait for a tyre at the bottom, but there was a queue on the upper floor. When it was my turn again, the ride experience was just as much fun as my first go. 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 Hyperzone slides which opened in February 2012. This slide requires a special mat with handles and a curved front. Having collected 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 quite short at the time. 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 rapidly all the way to the end. Altogether a fun slide. Afterwards I enjoyed a second go on Montazooma; I was able to keep my existing mat for this go and once again the queue for the launch point at the top of the stairs was fairly short.

Aztec Falls

The other Hyperzone slide which opened in February 2012; this requires use of a tyre. There were a few other sliders queuing for a tyre, but I didn't have to wait long to get one. After that I had to go through the same tunnel and up the same stairs as I did for Montazooma. The Aztec Falls queue tailed back considerably further down the stairs than the Montazooma queue, but I didn't mind the wait. When it was my turn to slide I had to sit on my tyre (just like Master Blaster). This was so amazing, I went down a dark closed tube slide. Halfway down I entered a giant bowl, and was whirled at speed twice 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. Afterwards I enjoyed a second go on Aztec Falls; the queue for tyres at the bottom was quite short and the queuing time at the top was similar to on my first go.

Sidewinder

Another of the four Hyperzone slides; this requires use of a tyre. Bathers collect a tyre at the bottom and go upstairs to the launch point at the top. Once there one has to sit on the tyre and grip both handles tightly before being pushed over the edge by the lifeguard. 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.

So far I had been nervous about going on this, in the aftermath of my accident on this in 2014, but at last I decided to give this a go. I managed to collect a tyre at the bottom almost as soon as I got there, but there was a queue for the launch point at the top. When it was my turn I felt nervous about going on this. Determined to try it, I sat on my tyre and gripped the handles as tightly as I could whilst waiting to be pushed over the edge. When the slide was clear, I said "Let me go" as I knew the longer I waited at the top, the more frightened I'd get. Once launched, I was worried about losing my tyre, so I maintained my grip on the handles as tightly as I could during the first drop and the rest of the ride. Unlike last year I managed to keep quiet on the slide, but at the end I said to the lifeguard collecting / issuing tyres I wasn't sure whether I really enjoyed that go or not. Anyway I limited myself to just one go on this for now, and ended up not returning to it later in the day.

Now that I had been on all four Hyperzone slides at least once each, I tried some of the non-Hyperzone slides, starting with Treetops Water Chutes.

Treetops Water Chutes

A set of three wavy slides side by side, thus three sliders can race each other. Looking downhill 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. The waiting time for these was minimal if at all. 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 the Hyperzone. The waiting time for these slides was quite short, often one or two in front of me at the top, and never very far down the stairs. I enjoyed the left and right slides (as seen facing the entrances from the top) in sequence eight times over. Both slides were extremely fast, and the duration of each slide was quite short.

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. Unfortunately the queue for the launch point was quite long, therefore I limited myself to one go on the blue slide followed by one go on the yellow slide.

Montazooma

Now for a few more goes on the Hyperzone slide Montazooma. This time I had to queue for a mat, but since there were only four or five others in front of me, it didn't take me long to get one. As expected, there was a queue for the launch point at the top, but it was well worth the wait. Surprisingly at the end of this go, there was no queue for mats at the bottom, so I was able to keep my existing mat and queue again upstairs for a second go. After completing my second go, there was still no queue for mats, so I was able to keep my mat and queue again upstairs for a third go. Once I had completed my third go, there was a queue for mats again, so rather than wait for another mat I decided to go on something else.

Master Blaster

Next I felt like a few more goes on the Hyperzone rollercoaster water slide Master Blaster. I faced only a minimal wait for a tyre, but when I reached the upper floor, the queue for the launch point began quite well back from the onward staircase to the Master Blaster launch point. When it was my turn, the fun and excitement I gained from sliding Master Blaster was well worth waiting for. Having landed I decided to have a second go. Once again I faced only a minimal wait for a tyre, but once upstairs the queue for the launch point tailed back on to the bridge over the wave pool, but I didn't mind waiting. When I reached the launch point again the ride was well worth the wait.

Coffee Break

At this point I felt thirsty and a bit tired. I went to the café for a cup full of tap water. After a moment's thought I decided to buy myself a cup of coffee. This was my first ever time of buying a drink within Sandcastle Water Park since my first visit there in 2010. However I didn't buy any food to eat. Sitting down to drink my coffee gave me a much-needed rest.

Thunder Falls Water Slides

Having finished my coffee, I resumed sliding with a few more goes on the Thunder Falls Water Slides. The queue for these was now quite short. I ended up sliding the blue and yellow slides in sequence four times over

My remaining slides the rest of the afternoon were all on three of the four Hyperzone slides.

Aztec Falls

Now for a few more goes on the Hyperzone slide Aztec Falls. This time I faced only a minimal wait for a single tyre. I ended up having three goes on Aztec Falls, and I was able to keep the same tyre for all three goes. The number of times I went around the outer edge of the giant bowl before going down the central exit slide varied between goes.

Montazooma

After that, I decided to have a few more goes on the Hyperzone slide Montazooma. When I approached the mat collection point, I was able to take a mat without having to queue for one. I ended up having four goes on Montazooma, and since there was no queue for mats when I landed each time, I was able to keep the same mat for all four goes. The wait at the top was also now quite short for each go.

Master Blaster

To round off the day, I decided to have a few goes on the Hyperzone rollercoaster water slide Master Blaster. When I got to the tyre collection point, I was able to take a tyre without having to wait. I had time for four goes before the pool and slides closed at 17:00. On each of my goes, the queue at the launch point was now very short, if at all, and I was able to keep the same tyre for all four goes. A coaster crazy way to end my day at Sandcastle Water Park.

Due to my desire to have as many slides as possible, I missed a few non-slide facilities. Firstly I didn't go in the wave pool or swim around the Ushi-Gushi River Creek flowing river at all this time. One other attraction 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.

I finally left the pool area when the place closed at 17:00 and the building around 17:15.

Summary of my day in order of activity

Master Blaster 2
Montazooma 2
Aztec Falls 2
Sidewinder 1
Treetops Water Chutes blue, yellow, red, blue, yellow, red
Duelling Dragons left and right slides (as seen facing launch points at top) in sequence 8 times over
Thunder Falls Water Slides blue, yellow
Montazooma 3
Master Blaster 2

Coffee break

Thunder Falls Water Slides blue, yellow, blue, yellow, blue, yellow, blue, yellow
Aztec Falls 3
Montazooma 4
Master Blaster 4

Cumulative Summary of Slides

Slide	Total
Aztec Falls	5
Duelling Dragons left slide	8
Duelling Dragons right slide	8
Master Blaster	8
Montazooma	9
Sidewinder	1
Thunder Falls Water Slides blue	5
Thunder Falls Water Slides yellow	5
Treetops Water Chutes blue	2
Treetops Water Chutes red	2
Treetops Water Chutes yellow	2
TOTAL	55

Outro

Highlights

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

Lowlights

Feeling nervous whilst sliding Sidewinder (hence why I had just one go on it).

Summing Up

Wow, a wet and wild day of water sliding in the UK's largest indoor water park in Blackpool, in Granadaland. Surprisingly this was my first time of going water sliding anywhere in England for 2017, even though this visit happened about two thirds of the way through April 2017. By staying in all day, I certainly got my money's worth. This was my first ever time of buying myself a cup of coffee mid-afternoon, but once again I managed to stay in until 17:00 without eating anything. Some lifeguards and other staff I spoke to late in the day were amazed I went that long without eating. My big breakfast around 8:30 set me up for the whole day. It's a pity I felt nervous again when I rode Sidewinder, and ended up having just one go on it all day. That's my lowest count ever count on Sidewinder for one visit to Sandcastle Water Park. Sidewinder used to be one of my favourite slides prior to my accident on it during my April 2014 visit. Is there any hope of me regaining my confidence on Sidewinder? Thankfully I still enjoyed enough goes on Master Blaster, Montazooma and Aztec Falls to make it worth paying the extra £6.25 for a Hyperzone wristband. 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 first thing 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.

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