Knott’s Soak City will remove six slides for two new family raft rides

Knott’s Soak City’s two groundbreaking 2027 attractions will come at the expense of one of the water park’s biggest thrill centers. Coral Craze and Kelp Kraze will replace Shore Break, trading four trapdoor body slides and two dueling tube slides for high-capacity raft experiences that allow families of up to five to ride together.

Making their debut next year, the two water-raft-ride attractions are the first of their kind in Southern California, an exciting development for the Buena Park, California park.

Knott’s Berry Farm park president Raffi Kaprelyan shared his enthusiasm, saying, “Coral Craze and Kelp Kraze represent the next wave of innovation for Knott’s Soak City. These exciting new attractions combine the thrills our guests crave with the shared experiences families love. We are thrilled to [announce] two of the industry’s most innovative slide experiences are headed to Soak City, giving guests new ways to ride, splash and make memories together.”

What are FlyingSAUCER and Family HIVE slides?

FlyingSAUCER and Family HIVE slides use oversized, high-banked elements to create speed, G-forces and sweeping turns for riders sharing a raft.

Although both attractions will introduce new configurations to the West Coast, similar ProSlide elements are already operating elsewhere in the United States. Coral Craze has a particularly close counterpart in Tennessee, while existing HIVE slides use smaller two-person tubes rather than the five-person family rafts planned for Kelp Kraze.

WATCH: Knott’s Soak City shared this video of both slides.

• Coral Craze: Rainbow’s Revenge at Soaky Mountain Waterpark in Tennessee is the closest comparison. It opened in 2020 with five-person family rafts and three FlyingSAUCER elements. Coral Craze’s distinction is being the first triple Family FlyingSAUCER on the West Coast.
• Kelp Kraze: Zoombezi Bay in Ohio has two HIVE slides, and Reef Runners at Seabreeze in New York also incorporates a HIVE element. However, those use smaller two-person tubes. Kelp Kraze is slated to be North America’s first five-person Family HIVE and the first to combine two full-size Family HIVE elements.

Ski-course concept with a watery finish

Coral Craze will be the first water slide on the West Coast to combine three family-sized Flying SAUCER turns in one course.

Each raft will accommodate up to five riders on a course designed to mimic a world-class ski run, a nod to the skiing heritage of the ride manufacturer, ProSlide. Steep side walls reminiscent of a ski hill’s high, banked berms offers a thrilling “air time” sensation as rafts slalom their way to the finish line.

New slide boasts innovative design

Kelp Kraze is situated next to Coral Craze, with the raft conveyor between them, and this one is all about speed. The first of its kind in North America, Kelp Kraze goes all-in on tight twists and turns, exciting G-forces, and a spectacular view of the park through the slide’s translucent walls.

The attraction also boasts two of ProSlide’s patented “beehive” shaped double-looping helix elements, making it the only Family HIVE slide on the West Coast.

Steve Avery, senior vice president of business development at ProSlide, said, “The most successful projects come from strong partnerships, and that’s exactly what we’ve had with Six Flags and the Knott’s Soak City team. Our strategic collaboration means bringing two innovative and high-capacity family attractions to the park, and we can’t wait to see guests enjoying them when they open in 2027, and for decades to come.”