Down comes Sea World Water Park

[Whombex]

On 07/05/2017 at 8:05 PM, Gazza said:

It looks like it's a covered work area for a tiny hypercoaster.

 

"What is this? A hyper coaster for ants?!?!?!"

 

Back on topic, as I haven't been to SW in a few years, is Castaway Bay even still open? If it comes out, that and the water park footprint could support two animal/sea life exhibits, or a couple of decent flats..

[Brad2912]

Castaway Bay still exists with the Battle Boats and Sky Fortress ropes area.

[Santa07]

I don't see them removing Castaway Bay anytime soon, it's still relatively new isn't it? If anything - I'd see them expanding the area.

[New display name]

The approval to remove the ride has finally shown up to remove the slide.  Something I found interesting on the applications description.

 

Application Number: BLD201705345
Description: DEMOLITION (PARTIAL DEMOLITION OF TOWER AND DISMANTLE WA
Code: BUILDING
Class: DEMOLITION
Work: DEMOLISH
Lodged: 04/05/2017

 

The application sees it dismantling the water slides but only ask for an PARTIAL removal of the existing tower.

This leaves a few questions to be answered.

1. Does SW want the tower to naturally rust away?

2. Is the description of the application incorrect?

3. Is something new going to be added to the existing tower?

I really hope the tower does not end up like DW's Skylink Chairlift.

 

[Reanimated35]

Could it maybe be something like if they remove it, it won't be given approval again due to updated regulations, so they have to keep it where it is?

[New display name]

I don't know of any regulations changes that would impact SW.

[Cactus_Matt]

Maybe they're just removing what's been sold/what needs to be demolished to get the slide off for relocation and are leaving the rest up because that's the cheapest option available to them. They're hardly rolling in the dough right now so I'm sure they're accountants are looking at every option to save them $$$.

[Reanimated35]

Maybe they're going to do a Six Flags and rotate the rides between their parks? 

Could we be seeing the first signs of the changes to Scooby-Doo? SDSC goes to SW and MW gets their first indoor water slide?

[Troy81]

So the fenced off area is for nothing to exciting.  They are using the area to load the old Mammoth Falls.  I wonder where it is going.

[Troy81]

Truck spotted heading north on the M1

[Whombex]

The Sunshine Coast water park is still just a grassy, fenced-off field on Steve Irwin Way (last drove past it at Easter).

Can't imagine Mammoth Falls going there.

[wikiverse]

I went to Seaworld recently.  I had not been to Seaworld for about 15 years so I was keen to see how it had improved.

With the exception of Castaway Bay, it was one of the most depressing placed I've visited.

I probably won't go back for a while.  Maybe if I have a spare hour and i'm in the area I'll go to ride JetRescue, but other than that it's definitely not a warm or inviting space that I would ever want to spend time.

[MaxxTheMonster]

Large crane set up near the old slide tower this morning...  I won't be that way again until Friday to see what is happening...

[themagician]

No photos, but I'm down at the Broadwater and the framework and stair well for the old slide is currently being taken down, with a massive crane on site 

[themagician]

You can see from this nearmap update on June 8 that part of it had already been taken town, and they'd fenced off that part of the waterpark

[BTTF Forever]

What's that spelled out in 'tyres' on the roof?

S06? 506?

EDIT: Nevermind apparently its been there for a while, just seen it on Google Maps... SOS...

Edited July 4, 2017 by BTTF Forever
Updated Info

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

S-O-S - international distress signal in morse code. 'Save Our Souls'.

[BTTF Forever]

1 minute ago, AlexB said:

S-O-S - international distress signal in morse code. 'Save Our Souls'.

Yes I am aware of Morse Code haha, Just had never seen it before and was wondering why its there, just a theming thing?

[rappa]

1 hour ago, AlexB said:

S-O-S - international distress signal in morse code. 'Save Our Souls'.

Actually, A lot of people think that the distress signal is an abbreviation for “save our souls” or “save our ship.” But in reality, "save our souls" and "save our ship" are backronyms, and the letters don’t actually stand for anything.

In fact, the signal isn’t even really supposed to be three individual letters. It’s just a continuous Morse code string of three dots, three dashes, and three dots all run together with no spaces or full stops (…---…). Since three dots form the letter "S" and three dashes form an “O” in International Morse code, though, the signal came to be called an “SOS” for the sake of convenience. That connection has led to the letters coming into their own as a visual distress signal divorced from Morse Code, and those in need of rescue sometimes spell them out on the ground to be seen from above.

You could also break down the string into IJS, SMB and VTB if you wanted to. 

So why use that specific string of dots and dashes if there’s no meaning to it? Because it was the best way to get the job done.

When wireless radiotelegraph machines first made their way onto ships around the turn of the 20th century, seamen in danger needed a way to attract attention, signal distress, and ask for help -- a unique signal that would transmit clearly and quickly and wouldn’t be confused for other communications. At first, different organizations and countries had their own “in-house” distress signals. The U.S. Navy used “NC,” which was the maritime flag signal for distress from the International Code of Signals. The Marconi Company, which leased its equipment and telegraph operators to various ships, used “CQD.” The “German Regulations for the Control of Spark Telegraphy” of 1905 mandated that all German operators use “…---…”.

Having these multiple distress signals was confusing and potentially dangerous. It meant that a ship in distress in foreign waters had a language barrier to overcome with would-be rescuers, even if using International Morse Code. Because of this and other issues, various countries decided to get together and discuss the idea of laying down some international regulations for radiotelegraph communications. In 1906, the International Wireless Telegraph Convention convened in Berlin, and delegates attempted to establish an international standard distress call. Marconi’s “-.-.--.--..”, and “………-..-..-..” (“SSSDDD”), which Italy had proposed at a previous conference, were deemed too cumbersome. Germany’s “…---…”, though, could be sent quickly and easily and was hard to misinterpret. It was chosen as the international distress signal for the nations who met at the conference, and went into effect on July 1, 1908. 

 

The first recorded use of the “SOS” as a distress signal was just over a year later, in August, 1909. The wireless operators on the SS Arapahoe sent the signal when the ship was disabled by a broken propeller off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

 

Not everyone got on board with the new standard as quickly, though. The Marconi Company was particularly reluctant to give up on “CQD.” The Marconi operators on board the Titanic initially just sent that signal after the ship struck an iceberg, until the other operator suggested they try the new “SOS” signal, too.

 

 

[iwerks]

5 hours ago, djrappa said:

That connection has led to the letters coming into their own as a visual distress signal divorced from Morse Code, and those in need of rescue sometimes spell them out on the ground to be seen from above.

We hear you, Sea World!

I hope they get some new attractions soon. It certainly makes watching nostalgic videos of SW depressing.

[Rollercoaster_Lover]

Just now, iwerks said:

We hear you, Sea World!

I hope they get some new attractions soon. It certainly makes watching nostalgic videos of SW depressing.

Just asking... why did they get rid of the waterpark and sea Viper?

[iwerks]

^Being on the Spit, SW is exposed to a lot of salt water and corrosion.

Why did they get rid of BT, the pirate ship and the cable car? Couldn't they afford the upkeep?

[joz]

They were all removed to make way for exciting new attractions!

 

It's a combination of things, Bermuda and Corkscrew had each deteriorated to the point where it would have been prohibitively expensive to keep them going, Pirate Ship went because they were too cheap to perform some required maintenance.  Flume needed new boats that while not crazy expensive, again they didn't want to spend the money at the time.  Skyway not 100% but I would suspect that the rope was up for replacement as well as the poles and other hardware so would've taken quite a bit of money spent it.  The train was closed because no reason, and the 3rd monorail has been canabilised for parts (including its PLC being used for fountains for the Spongebob parade).  Not sure witg Plunge but given it and the kiddie pool closed as well I'd say it wasn't an entirely mechanical issue, the apparently the tower wasn't in great nick apparently. 

 

So yeah combination of being cheap and being caught out by a couple rides reaching the end of their life.

[Jessicajealousy]

19 hours ago, djrappa said:

Actually, A lot of people think that the distress signal is an abbreviation for “save our souls” or “save our ship.” But in reality, "save our souls" and "save our ship" are backronyms, and the letters don’t actually stand for anything.

In fact, the signal isn’t even really supposed to be three individual letters. It’s just a continuous Morse code string of three dots, three dashes, and three dots all run together with no spaces or full stops (…---…). Since three dots form the letter "S" and three dashes form an “O” in International Morse code, though, the signal came to be called an “SOS” for the sake of convenience. That connection has led to the letters coming into their own as a visual distress signal divorced from Morse Code, and those in need of rescue sometimes spell them out on the ground to be seen from above.

You could also break down the string into IJS, SMB and VTB if you wanted to. 

So why use that specific string of dots and dashes if there’s no meaning to it? Because it was the best way to get the job done.

When wireless radiotelegraph machines first made their way onto ships around the turn of the 20th century, seamen in danger needed a way to attract attention, signal distress, and ask for help -- a unique signal that would transmit clearly and quickly and wouldn’t be confused for other communications. At first, different organizations and countries had their own “in-house” distress signals. The U.S. Navy used “NC,” which was the maritime flag signal for distress from the International Code of Signals. The Marconi Company, which leased its equipment and telegraph operators to various ships, used “CQD.” The “German Regulations for the Control of Spark Telegraphy” of 1905 mandated that all German operators use “…---…”.

Having these multiple distress signals was confusing and potentially dangerous. It meant that a ship in distress in foreign waters had a language barrier to overcome with would-be rescuers, even if using International Morse Code. Because of this and other issues, various countries decided to get together and discuss the idea of laying down some international regulations for radiotelegraph communications. In 1906, the International Wireless Telegraph Convention convened in Berlin, and delegates attempted to establish an international standard distress call. Marconi’s “-.-.--.--..”, and “………-..-..-..” (“SSSDDD”), which Italy had proposed at a previous conference, were deemed too cumbersome. Germany’s “…---…”, though, could be sent quickly and easily and was hard to misinterpret. It was chosen as the international distress signal for the nations who met at the conference, and went into effect on July 1, 1908. 

 

The first recorded use of the “SOS” as a distress signal was just over a year later, in August, 1909. The wireless operators on the SS Arapahoe sent the signal when the ship was disabled by a broken propeller off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

 

Not everyone got on board with the new standard as quickly, though. The Marconi Company was particularly reluctant to give up on “CQD.” The Marconi operators on board the Titanic initially just sent that signal after the ship struck an iceberg, until the other operator suggested they try the new “SOS” signal, too.

 

 

Facinating, thank you! I'm a BIG fan of the Titanic (not the movie, lol) - have been all my life. I knew they had both used CQD and SOS but did'n't know the backstory as to why SOS was introduced, so thank you

[MickeyD]

Given the Jellyfish attraction is heading toward the front of the Park, SW now has a good sized pocket of land down the back to play with. The back area/former water park desperately needs something of a feature attraction that beckons the Crowd. The Park feels dull once you walk passed the Castle. Pretty  much been that way for decades now.

My guess is the big ride for 2019 will be somehow occupying both the existing Castle (internal section/queue/station) and the adjacent former  Water Park area for the ride itself. A Coaster  of some sort seems logical.