A little confidence gained

[LandyAndy]

Went on a beach without airing down and without sand mode and didnt get stuck
OK,it had rained alot on saturday and many fishos chasing salmon had squashed the sand hard.I did turn the DSC off and I didnt go far.It was approaching high tide and I had a "high tide" parking bay available.They are bays hacked into the bush where people park their 4x4s after beach launching dingys/small boats,the trailers do get a bit wet,the 4x4 doesnt.
Andrew

[scomac]

Andy, sounds like you are being pulled to the dark side with "pootrol and bruiser brigade" they rush onto to the beach without airing down, chewing up the beach and then burying themselves down to the axles! Then to be pulled out by a passing land Rover. Resist the dark side Andy "air down"

[kenl]

Depends on the beach, if you know your beach is hard enough not to air down then why bother? I personally never do around home, and get quite a giggle out of the guys that spend all the time doing so, only to watch a push bike ride past them and down onto the beach and beyond.

Then again on other beaches I won't even try to go on them, air or no air.

What really bugs me is the lead foot brigade that think the only way to drive on the beach is flat out, thanks to them there will soon be no beaches left to drive on, legally.

[AnD3rew]

It's often about the entry and exit points, on a lot of beaches if there is hard packed and wet sand at low tide you don't even need 4x4 let alone aired down tyres. If you can find a fairly solid entry and exit point then it's fine not to air down.

But I agree of the sand looks soft anywhere, air down or you will just make a mess for everyone else.

[LandyAndy]

Andy, sounds like you are being pulled to the dark side with "pootrol and bruiser brigade" they rush onto to the beach without airing down, chewing up the beach and then burying themselves down to the axles! Then to be pulled out by a passing land Rover. Resist the dark side Andy "air down"

It just so happens a pootrol came down turned around in 2wd and almost got stuck,had to deploy low range and go back and forward quite a number of times before getting going.
I was amazed to see a Camry come down filled with new australians.The managed to turn the thing around but couldnt get back up the gravel track in,was too steep.I had to use low range,they had to get the passengers to push the car up the hill.There was a sign at the top advising 4x4 was needed

It was safe enough not to air down,the wet sand was hard packed,I wouldnt dare go too far with hard tyres on a D4,experience tells me it will end in tears sooner than later
Andrew

[scomac]

I always air down regardless of what the beach is like {unless we are talking about sand like Esperance, Cervantes and the like which you CAN drive a camry on} You only have to drop 10psi out and it makes a big difference. For the sake of 5mins airing back up IMHO I think it's worth it.

[LandyAndy]

I always air down regardless of what the beach is like {unless we are talking about sand like Esperance, Cervantes and the like which you CAN drive a camry on} You only have to drop 10psi out and it makes a big difference. For the sake of 5mins airing back up IMHO I think it's worth it.

You may have missed posts about a trip I did to Horrocks Beach with Aaron40 and his new D4 and Tailslide (Ron) as a passenger.We were at 15psi and having lots of dramas.
The post was a bit tounge in cheek about that trip.
As for the run along the beach at Esperance to the National park.Ive done that in my D2 at highway pressures,and there was a time the tides/winds had messed it up,down to 15psi and fingers crossed.Love that run out to Cape LeGrande
Andrew

[TerryO]

I took the son in law and grand daughter on to Stockton Beach last weekend when they were up visiting, didn't realise until I got to the beach that I had not taken my tyre gauge and gear so didn't air down, thought it would be OK.

All was fine till we stopped for a swim a couple of kilometres down the beach. Had a good swim and then promptly got bogged as I set off.

So jumped out to air down and was absolutely inundated and I mean inundated with Toynissan drivers coming from all directions all wanting to tow us out and offer advice. I thanked them all kindly and after airing down, which took a bloody eternity while they all waited in anticipation that we would get further stuck I just jumped in and drove back down the beach as if nothing had happened.

Don't mind admitting it was rather embarrassing especially being surrounded by four or five Toynissans all just about begging to snatch us out, or lend us mantrax etc etc. Worse still the bloody son in law owns a Hilux, he didn't stop laughing all the way home and couldn't wait to tell everybody about how the mighty Land Rover Discovery got stuck driving down the beach.

Won't make that totally avoidable mistake again. ...

[~Rich~]

Doh Terry, brain fade!!

[TerryO]

Doh Terry, brain fade!!

Yep life is full of mistakes and as long as they are all little ones like this was I won't mind to much.