This ride is defunct.
"Thrills by the second, you can bet, but we can't help it if you get wet ..."
Name Log Flume Other Name(s) Drench Falls Sponsors Tango, Comfort Dry Opened 1967 Closed 3 September 2006 Manufacturer Arrow Development Cost £180,000 Length 2,349ft Drops 2
The Log Flume concept was introduced at Six Flags Over Texas in 1963 with the construction of El Aserradero (translating to The Sawmill). Four years later in 1967, Leonard Thompson would work with Arrow Development to build the first ride of its type outside the USA to the Pleasure Beach, naturally it was to be the longest in the world.
The ride featured two large drops and a maze of a layout, providing thrills and spills almost the entire length of the southern half of the park.
The concept was essentially an evolution of the old Water Chute ride which had thrilled guests half a century prior. It stood proudly at the shoreside of South Park on the former Boating Pool and attracted as many spectators as it did riders.
❓Did You Know❓
When constructed, the Log Flume had two parallel loading platforms in which the boats would stop to allow guests to load and unload. This was replaced for the 2000 season by a single continuously moving belt (like Valhalla) to aid guest flow. The new arrangement provided the capacity benefits of a modern circular load station in a smaller space. The entrance and exit were also swapped at this time.
Over time, its surroundings would change dramatically with the introduction of the Tom Sawyer Raft Ride and later Ocean Boulevard was built at the front of park, with the ride then hidden from the outside world. Furthermore, with the construction of the Big One in 1994, the steel structure of the roller coaster had to be designed around the Log Flume’s course.
In September 2006, the ride was retired and replaced by a new ‘white knuckle wave’ in the form of Infusion in 2007.