All About Diving Roller Coasters

The diving roller coaster, also called a dive coaster, features a near 90 degree drop into the abyss.

The very first diving coaster to be built was Oblivion at the Alton Towers amusement park over in England. While this coaster didn’t feature a true 90 degree drop (it was 88.8 degrees), it’s accepted in the roller coaster community that Oblivion was still the first of the dive coasters.

Characteristics of a Diving Roller Coaster

In order to be classified as a diving roller coaster, they need to have these 4 characteristics:

1. Have an initial vertical drop between 88.8 and 90 degrees
2. Have a pause at the top to maximize on the fear of heights and falling
3. Riders are seated in rows of 6, 8, or 10
4. Stadium style seating is used to give each rider a clear view of the drop

Later dive coasters do utilize floorless coaster technology (like the Baron 1898 at the Efteling in the Netherlands). So having a floor in the cart isn’t mandatory and some coasters have them and some don’t.

Who Makes Dive Coasters?

At the time of this article, coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard has designed and produced all of the dive coasters in existence except for 2.

The 2018 Vertical Roller Coaster at the Great Xindong Tourist World in China was produced by manufacturer Golden Horse (now Jinma Rides). And the other 2018 coaster HangTime at Knott’s Berry Farm was built by German manufacturer Gerstlauer.

Currently Operating Diving Roller Coasters

The following dive coasters are currently in operation around the world.

Dive Roller Coasters Under Construction

The following lists all of the dive roller coasters which are currently under construction or have been announced.

0

0