The Wave is located at Drayton Manor in Staffordshire. The £4m Thrill Ride previously was the UK’s first and only Standup Roller Coaster. It was also the only stand-up roller coaster with a zero-gravity roll ever made.
The Wave at Drayton Manor
When this rollercoaster first opened in 1994 under the name of Shockwave it was Europe’s only stand-up rollercoaster. This unique feature meant that riders remain on their feet as they travelled through four inversions including a loop, zero-gravity roll and two corkscrews.
In 2024 the stand-up roller coaster train was replaced with a new sit-down train allowing the rollercoaster to become more family friendly with a reduction in the rides height restriction from 1.4m to 1.2m, it was also renamed from Shockwave to The Wave.
The Wave Statistics
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Top Speed – 85km/h 53mph
Original Cost – £4m
Est Cost Today – £8.5m
Length – 1640ft 500m
Height – 120ft 36m
Manufacturer – Intamin
Type – Steel
Lift/Launch – Chain Lift
Inversions – 4
G-Force – 4.0
Trains – 2
Passengers per Train – 24
Ride Duration – 1m 36s
Theme Park – Drayton Manor
Year Opened – 1994 (as Shockwave) 2024 (as The Wave)
Inversions – Vertical Loop, Zero-G Roll, Double Corkscrew
Attractions Near Me – Drayton Manor
Drayton Manor Official Website
Christmas at Drayton Manor Review
The Wave at Drayton Manor
With a reduced height restriction of just 1.2m, a new train, and few new effects, this exhilarating roller coaster is set to excite even the youngest of thrill seekers by becoming the UK’s most thrilling family coaster!
Shockwave’s Unique Elements
Shockwave was the only stand-up roller coaster in the world that features a zero-gravity roll. This is a roller coaster inversion where the track twists 360 degrees (like an in-line twist or barrel roll) as it rises and falls in elevation, usually at the crest of a hill. At its highest point, riders are fully inverted. The element gets its name from the weightless effect of zero g-force that a rider experiences during the inversion. Although the zero-gravity roll is designed to give the sensation of weightlessness, this isn’t always the case as it depends on what speed the element is taken at.
Instead of sitting in a chair, like on a regular roller coaster, when riding Shockwave, riders stood on their feet with special harnesses used to support them. The former Apocalypse Drop Tower which was also previously located at Drayton Manor also featured a carriage where guests could ride in the standing position.
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Shockwave is featured in a number of our Top 10 listings.
UK Roller Coaster Rides
If you enjoyed reading about Shockwave at Drayton Manor, you may also be interested in these other Roller Coasters located at Theme Parks across the UK.
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