The Dive Coaster (also known as "Vertical Drop Coaster"), first built in 1997. It is a steel roller coaster type made by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M). The first drop coaster was made in 1998 at Alton Towers and is known as Oblivion, the latest Dive Coaster (at the time of writing this) is Emperor at SeaWorld San Diego in 2020.
Development
Development on the coaster began in 1994/95. When theme park designer John Wardley designs the idea of a Dive Coaster as to be a successor to his 1994 coaster Nemesis. He realised that the coaster was too ambitious for its time. So Wardley waited until the 1997/98 to test out his new machine. The first design of the ride was Oblivion at Alton Towers, opened in 14 March 1998.
The coaster was only two years old when the next order for a dive coaster was made in the form of Diving Machine G5 in Janfusun Fancyworld in Taiwan. Which was just a mirror image of Oblivion.
In 2005, saw the release of not only the third Dive Coaster to be built, but the first to be built in America, first to be built over 200 ft and the first ever custom-layout Dive Coaster. Sheikra was opened on May 21, 2005 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
In 2007, Busch Gardens Williamsburg announced Griffon on August 23, 2006. But officially opened on May 18, 2007. It was the first dive coaster to have floorless trains. Although, the same year. Busch Gardens reopened with floorless trains on June 16, 2007.
In 2011, Heide Park (a German theme park in Soltau, Germany) released Krake, a dive coaster opening on April 16, 2011. This was the first dive coaster to feature 6 seated trains, which coined the phrase "Mini-Dive Coaster"
