Nemesis Nick at Sandcastle Water Park Blackpool April 2018

Date: Friday 6 April 2018
Venue: Sandcastle Water Park (Blackpool)
Who Went: Just me

N.B. Any use of "today" in this report means Friday 6 April 2018.

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 5 April for the RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2018, 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 £6.50 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 ninth visit to-date, I remembered the layout quite well. When I entered the pool area around 11:10, I began with Master Blaster.

Master Blaster

One of the four Hyperzone slides, this requires use of a tyre. There was a queue at the tyre collection point downstairs and another 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 2018. Due to the queuing time at both the tyre collection point and upstairs, I limited myself to one go on Master Blaster for now. However I expected to return to it later.

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

This is one of the two Hyperzone slides which opened in February 2012. This slide requires a special mat with handles and a curved front. The queue for mats at the collection point was quite short at the time. 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; I joined the 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 rapidly all the way to the end. Altogether a fun slide. Having landed, I wanted a second go on Montazooma. I had to queue again for a mat downstairs, and for the launch point at the top of the stairs. Part way down the slide I tipped over, but somehow I managed to remount my mat whilst in motion. After that, I enjoyed two more goes on Montazooma; both times I had to wait for a mat at the bottom as well as for the launch point, but thankfully I managed to stay on my mat on both goes.

Now would have seemed a convenient time to slide Aztec Falls, but the queue for tyres was really long, so I decided to go on something else for now.

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. There was a lengthy queue for tyres at the bottom, but I managed to get a single tyre quicker than expected, because several people in front of me wanted double tyres. At the top, there was another queue for the launch point. 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 wanted to be launched as soon as possible, 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. 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 three of the four Hyperzone slides at least once each, I tried some of the non-Hyperzone slides, starting with Duelling Dragons.

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 generally quite short, often one or two in front of me at the top, and rarely 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.

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.

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 (much of the way down the spiral stairs); 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. As expected, there was a queue for mats downstairs, but it was quite short. Once I had a mat I went up the stairs and queued for the launch point. When it was my turn, I launched myself on the mat as I did earlier. Having landed I wanted slide Montazooma again. The queue for mats was still quite short, and once I had a mat, I waited on the stairs for my second go. Both goes were great fun, and I managed to stay on my mat all the way down on both goes.

Coffee Break

Around 15:30 I went to get myself a large coffee. However I didn't want anything to eat, as even a sandwich would mean having to allow a rest period before returning to sliding. It took me longer than I expected or wanted to get served, because some customers in front of me were ordering hot food. I was surprised people would want hot food at that time in the afternoon, but there goes. When my large coffee was ready, I had to take it to one of the upstairs tables, as the downstairs tables were occupied, or needed clearing. Anyway sitting down to drink my coffee gave me a much needed rest. Once I had finished my coffee and had gone back downstairs, there were no customers at the servery. Typical! Without further ado I returned to sliding.

Aztec Falls

So far I hadn't been on Aztec Falls. This is one of the two Hyperzone slides which opened in February 2012; this requires use of a tyre. Unfortunately there was still a really long queue for tyres downstairs, but determined to have at least one go on Aztec Falls during this visit, I waited. When I eventually had a tyre, I had to go through the same tunnel and up the same stairs as I did for Montazooma. On my way up I faced another queue for the launch point. 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 around the outer edge, followed by 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 for tyres I limited myself to just one go for now.

Montazooma

In stark contrast, no-one was waiting for a curved mat for the Hyperzone slide Montazooma; in fact there were several mats waiting to be taken, so I took one. However there was a queue on the staircase for the launch point. When it was my turn I launched myself on the mat in the same manner as my previous goes and enjoyed my journey down the slide. At the end of this go, there was still no-one waiting for a mat, so I was able to keep my mat for a second go. Once I had completed my second go, I resisted the temptation to have further goes on Montazooma as I wanted to go on other slides.

Thunder Falls Water Slides

Next I enjoyed a few more goes on the Thunder Falls Water Slides. The queue for these was considerably shorter than when I went on them earlier. I ended up sliding the blue and yellow slides in sequence twice over.

Aztec Falls

Now for a few more goes on the Hyperzone slide Aztec Falls. When I approached the tyre collection point this time, I managed to get a single tyre straightaway as everyone else queuing wanted a double tyre. However I had to queue for the launch point on my way up the stairs. Having completed this go, I had to give my tyre up. I wanted a second go, so I queued for another single tyre (thankfully I didn't have to wait as long as I did immediately after my coffee break), and once I had one, I queued on the stairs for my second go on Aztec Falls.

Once I had completed my second go on Aztec Falls, I resisted the temptation to queue for another tyre to have a third go. Oddly enough, there were plenty of curved mats waiting to be taken for Montazooma, but I decided not to go on that either because I had only been on Master Blaster once so far and I wanted a few more goes on it before closing time.

Master Blaster

There were now about 20 minutes left before closing time. 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. Surprisingly I managed to have seven goes before the water park closed at 18:00. Each time the queue for the launch point was short if at all, and I was able to keep the same tyre for all those 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 18:00 and the building around 18:15.

Summary of my day in order of activity

Master Blaster 1
Montazooma 4
Sidewinder 1
Duelling Dragons left and right slides (as seen facing the launch points at the top) in sequence 8 times over
Treetops Water Chutes blue, yellow, red, blue, yellow, red
Thunder Falls Water Slides blue, yellow
Montazooma 2

Coffee break

Aztec Falls 1
Montazooma 2
Thunder Falls Water Slides blue, yellow, blue, yellow
Aztec Falls 2
Master Blaster 7

Cumulative Summary of Slides

Slide	Total
Aztec Falls	3
Duelling Dragons left slide	8
Duelling Dragons right slide	8
Master Blaster	8
Montazooma	8
Sidewinder	1
Thunder Falls Water Slides blue	3
Thunder Falls Water Slides yellow	3
Treetops Water Chutes blue	2
Treetops Water Chutes red	2
Treetops Water Chutes yellow	2
TOTAL	48

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).
Long queues for several slides much of the day.

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 2018, even though this visit happened in the first week of April 2018. By staying in all day, I certainly got my money's worth. For the second year running, I bought myself a cup of coffee mid-afternoon, but once again I managed to stay in until 18:00 without eating anything. My big breakfast around 08:30 set me up for the whole day. It's a pity I felt nervous again when I rode Sidewinder and, once again, ended up having just one go on it all day. 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 £6.50 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 RCCGB 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 RCCGB Blackpool Bash weekend, I'd have thought a few other members who had arrived Thursday evening or Friday first thing for the RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2018 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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