Thread: Why is the Defender wading depth only 500mm?

The recommended maximum wading depth for a Puma (500 mm) is close to the sills. At 600 mm you have water on the floor in the front of the vehicle. At 750 mm you have water entering the back. At 900 mm you reach the bottom of the air intake, but at this depth some sensitive electronics and battery are under the water. From the external air intake, the ducting rises within the engine compartment with the bottom of the ducting (at its highest point) being close to 1000 mm. We are talking some seriously deep water here. The Defender is not a boat. You MAY be able to get through such depths for a shortish distance but you MUST NOT STOP. At that depth you clearly should use some sort of sheet over the front of your vehicle to make a bow wave and to keep the water out of the engine bay. In water crossing, a raised air intake is not a snorkel as some would like to foolishly consider them. However they are useful to keep splashing and small waves, etc. from getting into the air intake. The air ducting is itself not waterproof. Appropriate sealing may be worth while and I have installed a Nugget kit.

If the water is 500 mm or less then you should not need a wading sheet. You can change gear, etc. At depths greater than 600 mm you will start to loose traction because of flotation (until the vehicle fills with water and this this con be moderately quick with a Defender). This is a particularly serious issue if the water you are crossing is fast flowing. I have often read claims "that the water depth was over the bonnet." Most such claims I believe are exaggerations. That is not to say that water may not have surge over the bonnet. I have had that occur at depths closer to 500 mm. It is more likely as your speed increases. The depth at which the bonnet hinges are under the water is about 1250 mm. At this depth about a third of your steering wheel is in the water and your gear stick completely submerged. I have been at such depths in Series diesels but not in a Puma. The seat cushions took ages to dry!

You also need to be mindful that if you cause any damage to your vehicle by crossing water deeper than the recommended maximum you may find that you are not be covered by warranty nor insurance.

There are a few simple rules:
1. Always walk the crossing first to check depth, currents, obstacles, etc
2. Is there a shallower alternative crossing?
3. If in any doubt: don't do it (much better to get home feeling a bit of a coward than to not get home at all)
4. Plan your recovery before you enter into the water (what are the consequences when you do get stuck?)
5. Prepare your vehicle and contents (wading sheet, vulnerable valuables raised, etc).
6. Select an appropriate gear (you do not want to change gear mid crossing)
7. Proceed cautiously but with determination (this is how you should tackle every serious obstacle)
8. After the crossing, dry your brakes and check your vehicle for water ingress.

Cheers
KarlB

I agree with most of the responses, but add, especially after watching the you tube vid posted, there are two really important questions you need to ask yourself before any crossing ( and I qualify this by saying that yes I have done some incredibly stupid things on my own ) but the questions are:
A: am I willing to drop $60,000+ on this crossing?
B: am I prepared to risk the life of my loved ones?
High flow crossings can go wrong in the shortest moment, and I have seen my share of vehicles washed away, especially with multiple attempts at the exit. Vehicle damage can always be fixed and money replaced, but too many people put their lives and their loved ones at risk, due to poor planing and shear stupidity.
Cheers

In my experience, I wouldn't go higher than 1500mm in a Puma - the truck keeps going but it's a pain in the arse drying the seats/pulling the trim out, etc

I'll be up the Cape in September - when are you going?

Originally Posted by camel_landy

Indeed... People forget just how powerful water is and it doesn't take much to get you into trouble. To put that into context:

If 1L = 1kg = 10 cm3
Therefore
1M3 = 1000L = 1Tonne!!!

When fording, you can be pushing sever tonne of water... Or have several tonne of water, pushing on the side of the car!!

They also forget that if the water is deep enough, the car becomes buoyant... Once you reach that point, it only needs the slightest of flow and you're at the mercy of the current. People die, every year due to that one...

M

Camel_landy,
Your maths is interesting, how many cm3 are there in a litre?

Regards,
Mike.

Ooops... I missed off a couple of zeros.

You get the point though, water is chuffin' heavy and when it gets moving, there are some serious forces there!!

M

Originally Posted by uninformed

So none of you have been or plan to go to Cape York?

Been there, done that...

The point is the car is designed for 500mm. With the right knowledge, you can take it further but you do so at your own risk!

M

Originally Posted by PAT303

How many times have there been floods in Australia were the news DIDN'T report someone being washed off a road and drowned?. Pat

I wouldn't know, I'm back in the UK these days...

...but work with a load of firefighters, so get all the gory details!!!

M

Am looking at doing one of those tag-a-long tours of the Victorian High Country in November ( I have a MY2012 90) and was chatting to one of the guys from Great Divide Tours at the Rosehill Camping and Caravan Show yesterday about doing the tour. As most of you probably know, there are more than a few river crossings involved in the Victorian High Country. The guy mentioned that you have to get the diff breather tube extended. He wasn't being Landrover specific when he mentioned this but is something that Puma owners need to do when crossing water?
cheers
Andrew