SHEIKRA

Busch Gardens Tampa

This was to some extent déjà vu, as I knew that SheiKra was very similar in design to Griffon, another dive coaster, at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.   Still, it was a different coaster and a new experience, one well worth having.  Whereas Griffon consists of 3 rows that seat 10 across, SheiKra consists of 3 rows that seat 8 across.   As the ride is dispatched, the floor drops out, the train makes a right turn to the 200-foot lift hill and at the top of the  hill, makes a U-turn to the first drop.   It hangs the riders over the drop for some very suspenseful seconds – and like Griffon, affords a breathtaking view of the park – before abruptly dropping them 200 feet at a 90-degree angle.   Awesome!  Although I’d been through this drill twice before, hanging over a precipice and going almost straight down is always a thrill.   This is followed by a 140-foot Immelmann loop and a second drop of 138 feet.  At the second drop, the riders once again hang over the edge before plunging into a tunnel.    I thought that the tunnel was a nice touch.  The splashdown after a turnaround is more like a splash-up, as the water sprays out as the train reaches the bottom of the turn and goes up into a helix.  The riders don’t get wet but anyone standing outside the ride close to the track had better watch out!  SheiKra is a thrilling coaster with an unusual twist.  4 ½ out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides a Busch Gardens Tampa, visit seaworldparks.com/buschgardens-tampa