Super Soaker, the water gun brand that many kids and teenagers grew up with in the 90s, has had its share of controversy of late, with current owner Hasbro, Inc. both losing lawsuits and winning them over the products’ brand and technology, respectively. Nonetheless, the Super Soaker name has survived, even if today’s products share little in common with the blasters of our childhood. And just as fortunately, despite the changes in technology, design, and branding, the Super Soaker name still guarantees a good soaking. As proof, we present the formidable “Double Drench.”
Don’t let the stocky appearance of the new for 2014 Super Soaker Double Drench fool you—it packs a punch that belies its relatively diminutive size. In fact, as a close-quarters water weapon, the Double Drench answers the call like few other water guns we’ve tried.
The simple, pump-action design of the Double Drench may be disappointing to those who expect a working trigger from their toy blasters, but the flip-side is a sturdy design with few moving parts. Unlike more complex, battery-powered models, the Double Drench is likely to be one water toy that will withstand many hot summer battles, the occasional drop on a cement patio, and the all-too-frequent “it’s somewhere in the backyard… I’ll get it later” scenario. Without some of the more complex “features” and gadgetry that are common to other water weaponry, the simplicity of the Double Drench is both its strength, and its utility. With minimal quirks and a streamlined design, the Double Drench excels in reliability and practicality.
In our testing, we found the Double Drench to be fully capable of soaking an adversary within approximately 30 feet. Stretching much beyond this point begins to see diminishing returns, as the relatively thin streams become too dispersed for effective saturation. Interestingly, we were actually able to hit a max of 60 feet in good conditions, but without any kind of accuracy or soaking ability. Clearly, the double-barrel, 6 stream design allows the Double Drench to thrive in close quarters, but makes it less successful in circumstance where a model that more resembles a rifle (like the Super Soaker Barrage Soaker) could be advantageous.
…in water combat, fluid holding capacity can quickly determine who wins, and who is sent running for the hose.
Fortunately, most water warfare does take place in close-quarters, so we’re not terribly concerned about ultimate range. But in water combat, fluid holding capacity can quickly determine who wins, and who is sent running for the hose. And with its whopping 27+ oz. water chamber, the Double Drench delivers in this regard, as well. Relative to its size (17” from barrel to handle, and just shy of 5” in width), this is a considerable advantage—true to its name, the Double Drench also holds double the water!
Lastly, we wanted to address the issue of aesthetics. While we like the blunt, sawed-off look of the Double Drench, the current color scheme used by Hasbro for the Super Soaker line leaves something to be desired. With a predominantly salmon-ish, pale orange hue, we’re left with a bit of a sour taste regarding this particular blaster, and the Super Soaker line as a whole. Growing up, we had blasters from Entertech that were business black. Sure, times have changed, and orange tips are a government-mandated given, but we’re simply not digging the current color scheme. Otherwise, though, the Double Drench is sleek, compact and built to last… it just needs a better color palette.