Danger on Tidal Force (Hersheypark)

[BZall]

My family and I just finished a swing through Pennsylvania parks,
finishing at Hersheypark.
Hersheypark is a wonderful little park that is trying harder --
clean, cheerful, and although
their coasters are not great, their other rides are good.
There is one new ride at the park that is an excellent linear
coaster, but is a hidden
DANGER as well. The new Tidal Force is a splashdown boat ride that
is supposed to be the
biggest in the world -- and I bruised (or cracked) a rib on it, from
avoidable causes.
Be aware that Tidal Force is not just a bigger boat plunge into a
pool, throwing spray on
bystanders. It is a powerful coaster, with a harder stop than a Wild
Mouse, but without any
warning of the hard landing.
Background: Tidal Force is more a water coaster than a flume ride.
The water is only on
the downhill slope and the pool at the end. Bare, dry metal flooring
covers the ride on the
lift hill (approx. 100 feet) and the turnaround. The boats are on
wheels except in the
splashdown pool.
The ride is bare of ornament or theme, although the entrance is a
nice brick structure and
the waitline is in a covered wooden building (with fans!). The ride
up is uneventful, and the
view during the 5 second turnaround is excellent. And, of course, it
being Hershey
(Chocolate Town, U.S.A.), the smell of chocolate is in the air the
whole time.
The ride down is awesome. From a height of 100 feet to the bottom
in a flash. And the
water thrown into the air is tremendous. Looks like pictures of a
hurricane by the shore.
And you get DRENCHED with water milliseconds later. Much more water
than the "Raging
Rapids" ride next door. And lots of fun and excitement.
At the bottom is the problem. Unlike most boat splashdown rides,
where there is a splash
at the end, on Tidal Force, you HIT the bottom with tremendous
"force."
My youngest son, who was well tall enough to ride and was holding
on, slid right onto the
floor. No harm done.
I, however, hit the restraint HARD. Hard enough that I knew right
away I hurt myself.
Not a typical lateral forces jolt, but a sharp crack.
The restraint is a kind of lap bar, with a triangular pad with the
flat end facing the rider.
Something like this: ^\ It is intended to let riders lean forward
onto the pad at the end.
Unfortunately, there is no sign or other indication on the ride
that the impact is so heavy.
No indication (like on a Wild Mouse ride) that you need to brace.
Because of the way I am
built, the lower edge of the pad caught my lowest rib, and the full
force of my moving
bodyweight pushed in on that small spot. And it still hurts badly 18
hours later.
I want freedom for designers (and freedom for riders) to push
limits. Yet, though I am
neither an engineer or a designer, I think Hershey (and the
designers) could have done two
things to prevent this injury.
First, the restraints need fixing. The flat restraint, with its
edges, may have looked like a
good idea, but I think the older tubular restraints might have been
better. In theory the
concept of presenting a flat, wide surface for shock impact is good,
but if it has edges,
someone, somewhere will be the wrong size. Old fashioned seat belts
would probably help
also. I wouldn't suggest harnesses, because I think they might upset
people who are being
drenched with water.
Second, simply tell people that the impact at the bottom is hard,
and to prepare for a rapid
stop. That works nicely on Wild Mouse rides, where the impact is
anticipated and people
protect themselves. For people like me, who let themselves relax
into a ride to enjoy the
sensations, a warning for bracing is necessary so we won't slide.
And Tidal Force is so
much more powerful than a usual boat splashdown ride that some
indication that the ride is
different is important.
Whether or not Hershey (and designers of similar rides) takes
either of these suggestions or
tries something else, if you ride Tidal Force there are two things
you can do to protect
yourself:
First, be aware of the hard landing, even if there's no sign up.
It's not like other similar-
looking smaller rides.
Second, if you're only trying to get wet on a hot day, you don't
need to ride the boats to
get drenched. If you walk past the entrance toward the exit, you'll
see a sign saying
"Observation Area." Most people stop between the entrance and the
exit (they do not let you
stand on the bridge over the splash unless you've ridden the ride);
there's some spray over
the rocks there, but not much. It's a good place to go for a mild
misting.
But if you continue AROUND and behind the exit bridge, you will
find an area where you
can get mildly wet to SOAKED. It may take two boat splashes (one for
the front, one for the
back), but you will get dripping wet. BTW, Hershey kindly sells dry
underwear and clothes
at a small stand outside the nearby Raging Rapids ride, compliments
of a local outlet mall.
Don't avoid Tidal Force. It is an experience, and for most people
an enjoyable one. But
be aware that it has an avoidable danger to some people, who may not
recognize the danger
because they think it is just a bigger but gentle splashdown ride.
And designers should be aware that some of the most experienced
riders will not recognize
what the designers might consider obvious dangers. If a ride looks
like another ride, except
bigger, riders will treat it like the smaller one. If there are
significant dangers presented by
differences in construction, operation or physics, you should try to
let the riders know.