In Short

Escape from the rising waters in Amity Cove on this short and unexciting spinning raft ride.

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TTP Review

Storm Surge is a WhiteWater West Spinning Rapids Ride, bought from the now defunct Cypress Gardens, Florida, USA, where it operated from 2004 - 2009. Riders must escape the rising waters of Amity Cove by boarding a 6 person raft and riding the Storm Surge!

Guests board the large rubber ring, and begin the slow ascent up the lift hill. The journey up really is very sedate, but it does at least afford you time to sample the great views of the Park, and the bumpy conveyor provides your feet with a perhaps welcome massage! Once at 64 ft, riders can feel fairly vulnerable and exposed with no restraints to hold guests in, but this feeling abates as the ride begins. The raft meanders around the course, but the ride is made more interesting by rough velcro-type patches placed on the slide; these cause the raft to spin, sometimes quite rapidly. In addition to the spinning, you may also get wet via the water shower at the end, the water bombs that are positioned in the splash pool, and the water cannons that can be operated by guests in the queueline. Despite the splashdown not being particularly big, you'd be lucky to come off the ride dry.

There are regrettably more than a few downsides to Storm Surge. Firstly, when the Park already has Tidal Wave, Logger's Leap, Rumba Rapids, Depth Charge and Wet! Wet! Wet!, you might wonder why on earth they chose to install another water ride - does it not have enough? The ride experience does bear considerable similarities with Rumba Rapids, so you might wonder what purpose Storm Surge is fulfilling. Secondly, it's not a pretty ride and it's been crammed right in the middle of the Park, so you can't miss it. The sparse themeing cannot cover up for its ugliness, and the painted-on "rust" theme does little to improve things. Lastly, it's a short and underwhelming ride, and unless you get lucky with a particularly spinny raft, it's not that thrilling. It says a lot when the Park resorts to installing (pay-per-use) water cannons and sprays to ramp up the fun.

Having said that, Storm Surge does cater for a much forgotten demographic at Thorpe Park: the family. It's good to see the Park invest in attractions for all - not just the thrill seekers. It's certainly an improvement on the tired old Octopus Gardens section of the Park, but ultimately this isn't saying much. Thorpe have much better water rides than Storm Surge - consider riding only if queues are short.

Positives:

• On a heavily-weighted and spinny raft, it's a fun experience.
• Guest-operated water cannons provide nice queueline interaction.
• A relaxing lift hill offering great views of the Park.

Negatives:

• If the raft isn't spinning, it's a dull experience.
• The ugliest ride at Thorpe Park, by some margin.
• Boats often fill with water, meaning wet feet for all.
• Relies on gimmicks (water sprays etc) to get you wet.

Themeing/Presentation
Smoothness/Comfort
Enjoyment/Fun
Intensity/Scariness
Overall

Your Reviews

"Storm Surge is an excellent ride, very fun, and can be thrilling if you are lucky enough. It could do with a bit more themeing, but it is a great addition to the Park."
Richard, Maidstone, UK.

"Having been on this ride, may I just congratulate Thorpe Park on what they've done. Admittedly the supports look ugly but when you're at the top of the lift hill you don't really think about that ;) Another excellent ride, well done!"
Ryan, Ruislip, UK.

"A big disappointment, I'm afraid, made worse by a long queue (admittedly I was trying to ride shortly after the ride was launched).  Quickly renamed by the family as "five out out of ten"."
Phil, Frimley, UK.

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