The Wave (Drayton Manor)

The Wave is a family sit down looping roller coaster, located at Drayton Manor Resort in Tamworth in the United Kingdom. It has the same track layout as The Shockwave, but now uses sit-down lap bar restraints.

The Wave
Drayton Manor Resort
Park section	Adventure Cove
Coordinates	52°36′45.0″N 1°42′58.0″W
Status	Operating
Opening date	26 April 2024
Cost	£4.5M
The Wave at Drayton Manor Resort at RCDB
Drayton Manor Resort
Name	The Shockwave
Park section	Action Park/Adventure Cove
Status	Converted
Opening date	1994
Closing date	5 November 2023 (5 November 2023)
Cost	£4.2M
Replaced by	shockwave
The Shockwave at Drayton Manor Resort at RCDB
General statistics
Type	Steel – Looping
Manufacturer	Intamin
Designer	Werner Stengel
Model	Sit-Down/Looping
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	120 ft (37 m)
Drop	105 ft (32 m)
Length	1,640.4 ft (500.0 m)
Speed	56 mph (90 km/h)
Inversions	4
Duration	1:40
G-force	4
Height restriction	120 cm (3 ft 11 in)
Trains	Single train with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 24 riders per train.

History

It was originally an Intamin Stand-Up roller coaster from 1994-2023 initially called The 7up Shockwave and then just The Shockwave, and was also the only stand-up roller coaster with a Zero Gravity Roll ever made. Shockwave was retired as a Stand-up coaster on 5 November 2023 to have a new sit down train manufactured by Art Engineering for the 2024 season. This means that the height limit has been lowered from 1.4m to 1.2m so that a younger audience can experience the ride.

Ride Experience

Once riders are seated and secured, the train exits the station where kicker wheels slowly takes the train down a long straight section of track. Then the train makes a small dip into the 120ft tall lift hill. Once riders are at the top the train gradually descends down to the left and drops into the first inversion, a Vertical loop. After completing the loop riders immediately enter the second inversion. A right hand Zero Gravity roll. Riders then bend slightly to the left onto a straight section of track where the left hand side on ride photo is taken before entering the final two inversions, a double left hand corkscrew. Immediately after the corkscrews the train bends to the right where the right hand on ride photo is taken before going down another straight section and turning right to go back into the station where the brake run is also located

former stand-up train entering the double Corkscrews