Review - Pipeline: The Surf Coaster
By Jeremy Weed
I've been watching the construction of Pipeline front the outside for quite a while, however, I've been avoiding reading information about it until I finally got to ride it, so as to not get any spoilers.
Pipeline construction - July 7th, 2022
After a few years of anticipation, I could finally ride it yesterday. Seaworld's official description for the coaster is as follows, "Feel the awesome power of the ocean in a whole new way on Pipeline, the first-of-its-kind surf coaster. Experience the rush of launching 110 feet up at 60 mph and feeling every bank and curve as though you’re really riding the waves, thanks to innovative dynamic seats that gives you unparalleled freedom of movement. Experience the ultimate thrill with the addition of this seventh coaster to the Coaster Capital of Orlando." Their description makes this ride seem really great, so will it live up to the hype?
New Sign at the entrance of the park
The first evidence of the ride is right in the parking lot. SeaWorld made the interesting
choice of building the ride right against the parking lot and honestly, I don't dislike it. For me, it didn't take away from the ride and it makes walking up to the park that much more exciting. Also, look how cool that sign looks! The sign is painted on the side of the repair building for the ride trains. Once you're in the park and you make your way to the area, you're greeted by some really impressive views of the ride. The track is painted a pretty cyan and baby blue (similar to Manta) and the area has accents of orange to contrast. There's also fun surf music playing.
The view from Flamecraft Bar
The view looking back toward the Sky Tower
I always enjoy the signs for SeaWorld's rides
The station
You push it down (they can move up and down, more on that later), and sort of straddle it. Then you pull the harness over you and it locks in. I'll be honest, it isn't the most comfortable position to be in. Once the train leaves the station, you pause for a second and then shoot off straight forward and hit this small hill. That's when the allure of the ride makes itself clear. You hit the hill and get some incredible airtime. The seats have the ability to move up and down and this forces your feet off the ground. To make it even cooler you can jump just before the hill and get even more air time. After that you go over this crazy loop that kind of pushes you down. The rest of the ride is a series of hills and turns that take full advantage of the harness's ability to move up and down. It's a really unique sensation and honestly, after riding it 5 times it didn't get old. A POV video doesn't convey the crazy feeling. The ride might've benefited from 1 more hill to get you a little more air time, but overall my thoughts on this ride are very very positive. My only complaint about this ride is the shoulder harness is uncomfortable. After 5 rides, I definitely had a bruise on the area where my collar bones are. I've uploaded 2 ride POVs if you want to see it for yourself, they will be below but I also highly recommend riding this ride in person.
Front POV
Side POV
