Krake is Germany’s only dive coaster. Located at Heide Park, this Bolliger & Mabillard dive machine
started a trend. It introduced the small-scale dive coasters. But does Krake ride as well as
its larger brethren? Find out in this review! B&M introduced the dive coaster with Oblivion at
Alton Towers in 1998. The main selling point for this coaster was the super steep plunge.
It was super theatric with the pause before dropping. And the drop itself was massive.
The first six dive coasters all featured drops that were at least 18 stories tall.
About 10 years ago, B&M introduced a smaller dive coaster. This ride would have
both smaller trains and track. This would presumably make the ride cheaper while also
allowing the coaster to be more nimble. And the first of its kind was Krake at
Heide Park. Krake opened in 2011 as the smallest dive coaster at just 135 feet
or 41 meters tall and Baron 1898 at Efteling is the only shorter one that has ever been built.
But despite its smaller stature, Krake still has a commanding presence. The drop is placed
at the edge of the lagoon for max visibility. And this drop pierces through a ship being eaten by
a kraken. It’s one of the coolest looking tunnels out there, both on-and-off ride.
Although this tunnel was missing during the ride’s opening year. Like many European rides,
Krake opened without the theming complete. The mouth was just placed off to the side.
But the tunnel was built in full the following year and it really improved the experience.
Then you have a water splash immediately after the drop that creates a massive wave almost as tall
as the Immelmann. And you have to be darn careful crossing the midway. If you walk past this element
while a train is coming by, you will get soaked head-to-toe. Many guests don’t see it coming.
Then the ride itself is part of a small pirate themed area.
The station is housed in a stone castle of sorts.
Krake is one of the most popular rides at Heide Park. It routinely has a 30-45 minute wait.
But there are two ways to skip this line. First, you can use the paid skip-the-line
system. You’ll be merged in with the regular queue and wait another 10-15 minutes. Alternatively, you
can use the single rider line. This was usually faster and typically got me on the next train.
If you use either of these two methods, it can be a bit annoying how you store your loose articles.
Towards the end of the standby queue line, there’s a manned baggage hold where you give
any loose articles while you ride. This is a nice way to ensure your stuff is secure while you ride
and it speeds up operations. Krake has run two trains during my visits with minimal stacking.
If you use Express Butler or single rider line, you need to go through the gift shop and up the
exit to put your belongings in the baggage hold. Then you go back to the main entrance to ride.
Each train is comprised of 3 rows of 6, for a total of 18 riders per train.
At the end of the queue, you can choose to wait 5-10 minutes extra for the front
or take the back two rows. I know many like the enhanced visuals of the front,
but I prefer Krake in back for the extra oomph over the drop.
Being one of the older dive coasters, Krake still has hard over-the-shoulder restraints
as opposed to vests. I prefer these restraints since they make it easier to experience the
airtime on the main drop. While they could cause headbanging if the ride was rough, the
coaster is still immaculately smooth- like many dive coasters- even after a decade of operation.
Once dispatched, you ascend the steep lift. At the top, you navigate a slow turn
granting a spectacular view of the park. You then hit the holding brake and come
face-to-face with the fanged kraken. It really is an amazing visual. After a few seconds,
you’re released down the near vertical plunge. It’s taken at an 87 degree angle, but for all
intents and purposes, it feels vertical. Up front, you get sustained floater the whole way down.
In back, the airtime is just as sustained but it’s more like fl-jector.
While the drop definitely feels shorter than the other dive coasters, it still packs a punch.
The pullout has some solid Gs and then you skim across the water. You don’t
really see the splash on-ride. That’s more for the benefit of onlookers.
Next is an Immelmann. The ascent isn’t too special, but the flip out of it
weakly lifts you out of your seat. That’s immediately followed by a
bunny hill. There isn’t too much airtime here, but you will get some weak floater.
You then twist right and hit the brakes…yes that’s all there is to Krake. The ride has just 1562
feet or 476 meters of track. The only dive coasters shorter is the prototype layout.
So what would I rate Krake? I would give this dive coaster a 6 out of 10.
A lot of dive machines are criticized as being one-trick ponies, but this
one is more so than the others. The only standout element is the drop,
but that drop is fantastic. Between the airtime and visuals, it really shines.
This is probably my least favorite dive coaster. Not because of its size, but because of the
layout. I wish it had more after the drop. Some of the other smaller dives like Baron 1898 have extra
elements that make them compare more favorably. Still Krake is an enjoyable coaster that offers
a different experience than anything else you can find in Germany.
So those are my thoughts on Krake at Heide Park. What are your thoughts on this dive coaster? Is it
your least favorite of the model as well? Let me know down below. If you enjoyed this review, I’d
appreciate it if you gave this video a like and you considered subscribing since there will be a
lot more roller coaster and amusement park videos here at Canobie Coaster. Thanks for watching!