Storm Surge

A spinning raft ride through water channels - which seat you end up in determines how wet you get.

Is Storm Surge open today?

Yes — Storm Surge is open right now, with a 20-minute queue (as of 20:02 UK time).

Typically 32 minutes at this hour over the last 28 days, ranging from about 13 minutes at its quietest to 57 at its busiest — that is quieter than usual for this hour. Compare with every other ride →

About Storm Surge

Storm Surge is Thorpe Park's spinning rapids-style water ride. Riders board circular rafts that travel through a winding water channel, spinning freely as they go. The amount of water each rider receives depends almost entirely on which seat they're assigned and how the raft happens to rotate as it passes through the wetter sections - making it one of the more unpredictable rides at the park in terms of how soaked you end up.

The ride has water jets and splashing sections positioned along the channel, and some sections of the flume have standing water that splashes up into the raft. There's no single large drop as on Tidal Wave - instead, the wetting happens gradually throughout the ride.

What to Expect

Storm Surge is not a thrill ride in the traditional sense - it doesn't have significant drops or speed. The experience is more chaotic than intense: the raft's random spin means you often don't know which direction you're facing when you hit the wetter sections, and the unpredictability is part of the fun. Groups tend to enjoy it more than solo riders.

On a hot day this ride is significantly more popular than its capacity supports, and queues can be long. On cooler days, it's often a near walk-on.

Tips for Riding Storm Surge

• Seat position matters. There is no guaranteed dry seat on Storm Surge, but riders facing backward through the main splash sections tend to get less water than those facing forward. This is random - you can't choose your orientation.
• Best on warm days. The ride is most enjoyable when the soaking is welcome. On cold days even light splashing is unpleasant.
• Secure everything. Like all water rides, loose items and phones should be secured in a bag or locker before boarding.
• Lower minimum height. At 1.1m (with an adult until 1.2m), Storm Surge is open to younger visitors who can't yet meet the 1.2m or 1.4m requirements on other rides. Check the live queue page to time your visit.

When to Ride Storm Surge

Storm Surge shares Tidal Wave's hot-day economics on a smaller scale: queues stretch when the sun is out and evaporate otherwise. Its round rafts load slowly - families arrange themselves, rafts dispatch one at a time - so a modest-looking line can still mean 25 minutes on a warm afternoon. Ride it before the day heats up, or treat a grey sky as your Fastrack.

It also makes a natural pairing with the rest of your water-ride plans: most visitors do Storm Surge and Tidal Wave in the same wet window of the day rather than drying off twice. Check both waits together on the live page and sequence accordingly.

Good to Know Before You Queue

The spiral lift takes the raft up, and from there it is a spinning, bumping descent through an open channel with water jets and unpredictable rotation - which member of your raft gets the splashes is decided by physics with a sense of humour. Wetness level is real but survivable: expect damp-to-soggy rather than Tidal Wave's total immersion.

With a 1.1m minimum height it is one of the more accessible "proper" rides in the park, and for many children it is the first Thorpe ride that feels like an adventure rather than a fairground piece. Adults riding without kids: it is gentler than it looks, and the people-watching from raft to raft is half the fun. Keep sandals secure - the raft floor collects an inch of water within the first minute.

← All Rides  |  Visitor Guide