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Change of name for Oakwood's Hydro

^Yes, I'd have thought so too, I'm just saying it's not a bad reason to change the name. Maybe they decided to re-brand the coater for advertising purposes, and also get rid of the 'death ride' image.

Two birds, one stone and all that.
 
Am I the only person that finds Hydro is one of the most intimidating rides we have in the UK?

I was proper nervous when riding it 5 years ago, and I hadn't been that nervous on a ride since Oblivion in 98!

I cant really put my finger on what it was, but it was probably a mixture of the height, the large boats, the loud clunking noise, and the slow lift, oh and the tunderous noise it makes as its about to drop...

Anywho, new name is er, good.
 
I always found it utterly terrifying the speed it whips around the turn and then as you see the drop head on it dives away at such quick speed the fear grows rapidly, but before you can get too used to it you're already going down the drop.
 
Martyn B said:
Am I the only person that finds Hydro is one of the most intimidating rides we have in the UK?
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Yes. Yes you are. Although Oakwood is home to themost terrifying ride in the UK.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSZkreGoFIU[/youtube]
 
Ian said:
I think it's going to take that man longer than a month to fill the pool.

I'm quite concerned that he's walking to the middle of the pool to empty the bucket and then back again to refil it. Wouldn't it save time and effort if he tipped it in near the edge?

I just paced it through and it would take 4 minutes between each refill. 500,000 buckets would take 2,000,000 minutes, which is 360 buckets per day. It would take 1,389 days without rest to fill, which is a lot longer than a month.

45 other people will have to assist him to complete it on tine.
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We're all being a bit naive here; the next month's Welsh rainfall alone will fill the splashpool - the man with the bucket is clearly just a public figurehead! :p
 
Slayed said:
^Lol! Fail :p.

yinyang said:
I wonder what they'd call Speed if they had to change the name to a "ed" name. Answers on a postcard please.
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Sped ^_^.
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I set myself up for that one. lolz!
I think this is about as good an advertising campaign for Hy- I mean drenched, as the ghosts are for storm surge.
 
I've never rode it but heard that the Loading/Off-Loading is TERRIBLE on his ride.
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I haven't ridden it either, but Perilous Plunge at Knott's had terrible loading. Didn't open until the afternoon then took about 15 minutes to load and send. Was brilliant though, I see what people mean about it being whipped around the corner then just thrown straight down the drop, it's great. Hope to get on Drenched later this year.
 
The loading was terrible last time i went (2009) as was the opening time (advertised as 1pm, actually opened more like 2:30pm).

Not only are you literally yelled at not to touch the restraints at all (they will fit them for you) it's takes close on 10 minutes (at least it felt like it) then it goes up one of the slowest lift hills I've been on, where if you're not at the front you can't see an awful lot, whilst being crushed into one of the most uncomfortable positions by the solid metal restraints (that have no padding what so ever).

I know why they do this, but it does seem incredibly drawn out and ott.

Other than that it's actually a really great ride and by far the wettest I've ever come off any ride (probably not helped by the torrential rain either) so we did go on it twice. That is once they'd reopened it again (after running it for the first time that day (with us on it) and then closing it for another hour, whilst some more testing was done.

As for being called Drenched, I would say it's pretty appropriate however Hydro is a significantly better name.

I'd love to go back, but unless I happen to just be in S. Wales (which does happen surprisingly regularly) I won't be until they get a new ride.
 
Last time I went to Oakwood there were FOUR people in front of us in the queue and the ride had only just opened that day (they open it in the afternoon).

We then stood in the station for about 10 minutes at the airgates while they played some safety audio tape twice. Then when we finally got on the boat we had to sit there for another 10 minutes with the restraints up as they said we had to wait for the boat to fill and more people to come along. Once the boat was full the staff came and put the restraints down one by one.

Once we were all in we sat there for ages while they played some safety tape again. And then finally after about 25 minutes from getting into the station the boat went off.

It was absolutely stupid. The staff had to check the bars about 3 times and they kept telling us all these rules like don't touch your restraints and to sit back in your seat properly.

My mum was stood at the bottom of the drop thinking we'd only be a couple of minutes as there was no queue and we finally got off the ride after half an hour.

Plus the new restraints are ****. The ride was amazing with the lapbars on the old boats and the drop was one of the best on any ride I've ever been on. Now you can't move anywhere as you're pinned in your seat and can't see anything unless you're in the front row.
 
NEW FOR 2011 .. water cannons.

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I don't get why they add water cannons to rides like Hydro and Tidal Wave. You literally can't get any more wet.
At least it seems you can get a better view of the ride there. From memory those concrete walls were quite high and hard to see over.

Oh and the new logo is ****.
 
Wasn't the high walls because the water billows over?

And wow that station building is obscene.
 
The station looks like a brightly coloured holiday chalet. Even the logo looks like those you find on those cheap caravan/holiday parks.
 
^Pretty sure you'll be sticking coins in those; I haven't seen any other type on anything other than Splash Battle rides.
 
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