A Perfect Pacific Plunge

Published on August 7, 2024

Want to experience the genuine thrill of a freefall, without being in grave danger? You can on the Pacific Plunge.

The Pacific Plunge is an exhilarating, 44-foot drop tower ride that’ll leave you feeling weightless and just the right amount of nervous—though nerves are soon forgotten thanks to the breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean.

To ride the Pacific Plunge, hop onto one of the two 5-seat benches and get ready to be propelled 90 feet over Santa Monica Bay. There, you’ll be suspended in a state of momentary flight before plunging (!) towards the Pier deck.

After that rush of adrenaline, it might be time for a funnel cake.

What Type of Ride is the Pacific Plunge?

The Pacific Plunge is a “Junior Drop Tower” ride and was built by an Italian amusement ride manufacturer called Moser’s Rides.

Drop tower rides generally incorporate a central tower and a gondola to carry riders to the top. The gondola is then released to free-fall down the tower. Magnetic brakes immediately slow the gondola as it approaches the bottom half of the tower. There are many variations in height, lift type (magnetic or air powered), brake type, and rider capacity, and many of these rides are custom made.

Riders initially experience a sense of weightlessness via free fall, followed by rapid slowing down, after which a brake system brings the ride to a stop. The entire experience generally lasts less than one minute.

Some attractions have expanded on the design concept, with features such as rotating gondolas (some make you face downward as you’re dropping, eep!) or include several bounces before coming to rest.

Some rides, like ‘Space Shot’ rides work in reverse: they blast the riders upwards rapidly using air power, then return in a slow, controlled descent.

Riding the Plunge at Pacific Park

The Plunge is one of two drop rides in the Park. The Frog Hopper is our mini-version, and is perfect for those littles not yet ready for the big rides!

Riders must be 42” tall to ride the Pacific Plunge alone, and 38” tall if riding with a chaperone.
The weight limit is 210 lbs due to the nature of the ride and the restraint system.

History of the Drop-Tower Ride

A precursor to the drop-tower ride, the “Freefall” was first installed at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 1982. The Freefall was created by an amusement ride manufacturer in Liechtenstein called Intamin. It had a 131-foot-tall tower, with eight cars that ran on a track similar to a roller coaster. Each car would be lifted straight upward within the tower, then moved forward onto the drop track outside the tower. There it would be released to fall 60 feet vertically, then another 33 feet while levelling out.

Around 15 Freefall rides were built in total. The Freefall was eventually replaced Intamin’s “Giant Drop” and “Gyro Drop” lines.

 

Image: @pacpark