Review of Undertow, the New Coaster, Which Finally Opened at the Boardwalk

by Flagg O'Dim » Sun Oct 20, 2013 6:53 pm

I rode Undertow for the first time today (never thought I'd write that sentence this year!). The reviews are spot on, it's a great addition to the Boardwalk's lineup. While it's nothing mind-blowing, it's a perfect family coaster, with plenty of unexpected moments for the thrill-seekers.

We got there about an hour after all the rides opened, but Undertow hadn't opened yet. I asked the ride operator when it might open, and he said about a half-hour. Unfortunately, this half-hour turned into two hours, and I was starting to lose hope that it would open.

Later, after purchasing tickets ($6 ... a little steep), I got in line. The queue is unfinished at the moment, with temporary ropes. 

I was a little surprised about how small the car is, for a second I thought my legs weren't going to fit. Also, kudos to the Boardwalk for not having seatbelts. The dispatches were lightning fast.

The ride itself is a little tame in some parts. My favorite moments were the first drop (lots of speed) and the 80-degree banked turn (I ended up facing straight down, had a nice little moment of hangtime). I was taken off guard when the car started spinning, it gave me a nice disorienting effect. The ride is extremely smooth, which is a huge contrast compared to the pain riders suffered in this location for the past 20 years (Hurricane).

When I got off, the ride broke down. Made it just in time! I hope the Boardwalk is able to fix whatever glitches this ride may have. If it can't run for more than 10 minutes without breaking down, it doesn't bode well for its reliability in the future. However, from what I heard on Saturday, Undertow was running smoothly throughout the day.

Like I said before, Undertow is a great addition to the Boardwalk, and is light years better than Hurricane. I hope that it runs throughout the limited operation schedule to give mechanics time to work out the kinks before next summer.