Catapult Falls. Launched log flume at Sea World San Antonio

I think at one point the flume ride actually reached a point of (yes, I'm going to say it...) market saturation. Parks stopped buying them because they didn't need them any more. Then they started taking them out because the flumes were reaching the ends of their useful lives and because the parks needed the real estate for something else. Unfortunately, since then, Karl Bacon retired, Arrow went out of business, Intamin apparently forgot everything they ever knew about building flumes or Shoot-The-Chute rides, and without the practical understanding that Arrow relied on, most of the flumes we get now are simply terrible. You get rides like the Hafema ride at the Columbus Zoo or Shoot The Rapids II, where the desire to conserve energy overrides the desire to build a decent ride...so everything is at ground level with a total drop of about five feet if you're lucky. Or you get Hopkins thinking they will increase the drop on the Kings Mill flume while not understanding the flow dynamics, so you get a ride where the water runs so much faster than the boats that the boats don't have an opportunity to float. The new examples that get built are just so bad that nobody wants to buy a new one anymore.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

A friend of mine at one park suggested the biggest problem is durability. The fiberglass develops holes and no one makes stock parts.

That's basically why the Log Jammer at Kennywood was removed. By the end that thing was a patchwork of, uh, patches attempting to repair the fiberglass and it got to the point where they either had to get rid of the ride or replace all of it.

Which BGW, Knotts and I believe BGT did, for which I am grateful. I’m also happy that some of my favorites in New Hampshire are concrete trenches with no fiberglass.

If I recall correctly, when KI refurbished their ride (rather than remove it) the fiberglass was replaced by galvanized steel. Even though I haven’t been on the ride in years (the line is usually too long, go figure) I’m glad they saved it. I believe it was log ride #3 and was built for Coney Island in the mid 60’s.

Apropos of nothing, I'm not sure the park can really claim the world's first launched log flume at this point :)

https://twitter.com/lissainbama/status/1575540533824323589

That makes sense about the fiberglass. I love the steel flume at Waldameer (with a foogy tunnel and lights!), it seems to run very smooth. A big draw for me is the open seating, which I accept is not going to happen much anymore. For some reason, I have a fear of being locked into a water ride.

Holiday World kills em all though.

The original at SFOT is still going strongish!

Benjamin Polson:

The original at SFOT is still going strongish!

Yep. Not sure if both flumes are in use anymore? Viking Voyager at Worlds of Fun is still pretty popular as well. Built in 1973.

The_Orient_of_Express:

Benjamin Polson:

The original at SFOT is still going strongish!

Yep. Not sure if both flumes are in use anymore? Viking Voyager at Worlds of Fun is still pretty popular as well. Built in 1973.

Six Flags Over Texas reopened Log Flume #1 this year if I remember correctly. When they can open one flume, #2 is always open because its the ADA accessible side.

Jeff:

A friend of mine at one park suggested the biggest problem is durability. The fiberglass develops holes and no one makes stock parts.

The fiberglass, depending on its thickness and maintenance throughout the years, gets to the point on water slides where it has to get changed or what is popular now, refurbished. Companies like WhiteWater and Baynum Painting are very good at taking old worn out slides, repair all the cracks and rough sections and then reseal them with new gel coat. The end result is a slide that is good for another 10-20 years that looks amazing. I wonder if that would be an option for older Arrow flumes instead of changing flume sections?

If you look over at Blizzard Beach, Proslide in 2019 switched out the fiberglass flume on Summit Plummet. The whole park will get that treatment.

Much of Teamboat Springs was replaced this summer, which is also weird because it was summer.

As someone mentioned, Hopkins did replace the Fiberglas flume at Kings Island with galvanized steel, except for the final drop and the station itself.

If that’s all they had done, it would have been great. But unfortunately they also changed the pitch of the flume, increasing the flow rate through most of the ride. At that higher flow rate, there isn’t actually enough water in the flume to float the boats.

—Dave Althoff, Jr.

I always liked the stretch right before the final lift that ramped down to ground level then cruised along at a higher speed, but with not much water. Is it still there? Or is that where they found the room needed to steepen the ride over all?
I’m going to have to find a slow day and ride.

I don’t know when it was done but for everytime I can remember the ride had not really floated until you reach the ground. It’s always banged around the track.

RideMan:

they also changed the pitch of the flume, increasing the flow rate through most of the ride. At that higher flow rate, there isn’t actually enough water in the flume to float the boats.

I rode it for the first time in several years this past summer. I had the same thought about there not being enough water in trough.

In order to change the pitch wouldn't they have had to change the supports as well? Maybe they had to do that anyway with the new troughs. My thinking on the lower water was they had cut back on the amount of water that was being pumped.

They just announced it’s delayed until 2024.

I was just out there a few weeks ago and they were testing. Looked pretty much ready. This is a year round park, so not quite sure why it’s getting delayed until next year?

Intamintitis.

Funny, I must have overlooked this. First I remember hearing of it. This thread must have just slipped by me last year.

Tony Clark just said on a podcast that he really wants a log flume at CP. Of course, given Intamin's history with log flumes at CP, I'm not holding my breath.

Nothing’s to say they must or will use Intamin. But let’s see. Hopkins? I’ll have to check but I’m not sure they still make rides. I seem to recall some weird acquisition involving Whitewater water rides. But they have quality flumes- we’d know the ones at Dollywood, Knoebels, and Holiday World the best. They also rebuilt Kings Island’s ancient log flume but that was back in the early 2000’s.
Speaking of Arrow, they’re out of course.
There’s Mack. They build great water rides including the Super Splash and Power Splash. I rode their traditional log ride at Europa and it was awesome. Kind of old, but it interacts with a powered Blauer Enzian and a walk-through cave.
And there’s Hafema, they still make flume rides but most of their installations are on the small side. I think they’re best known for their raft rides.
Anyway, hope springs eternal. We know Mr Clark doesn't write the checks, but it’s encouraging to know if someone at the park has their hopes on a log flume as well. I’ve said this a million times, but they should (and could) take Knott’s idea and run with it.

Zamperla makes flumes. Cue the multiple ride contract conspiracy theorists.