Driving on the sand is not always easy. Here are some simple tips that will help take the guesswork out of your next beach drive.
1. Check your tide times
The variable that will give you the best chance of an easy ride is the tide. The general rule is that you shouldn’t travel on the beach two hours before high tide or for the two hours after. The worst-case scenario for any beachgoer is your vehicle getting claimed by a rising tide and soupy sand; ignoring the two-hour rule can turn this nightmare into reality quicker than you can imagine. On the flip side, by abiding by the two-hour rule you get the possibility of driving on a wide-open beach that’s had its grooved tracks and churned sand smoothed out by the waves like a grader from the deep.
2. Be careful around beach access areas
While many travellers are most worried about getting stuck in the drink, beach access areas are where vehicles actually get stuck most often. There are a few reasons for this: they’re the most trafficked parts of the beach, the tide generally doesn’t reach them to erase the tracks already there and, finally, the variety of angles people take coming onto or off the beach can mean there’s plenty of churned sand in all directions. All this can add up to make beach access points a recipe for vehicle recovery, however by picking your line properly and staying vigilant you can stop this problem from occurring.
3. Keep your momentum going
Knowing when you need to maintain your momentum is a skill that will save you from having to pull out your recovery tracks or snatch strap. There’s a tipping point when you’re driving through soft sand: with enough momentum it feels as if you’re floating across it, but dip beneath that threshold and you’ll start spinning your wheels and sinking into it. By recognising potential banana skins before you reach them you can get enough momentum to ensure you can maintain forward motion and reach the other side with ease.
4. Find the middle ground
One of the joys of beach driving is that there’s no set ‘track’ to stick to. However, this choice can present a problem – depending on the path they take, two vehicles driving at the same time can have a vastly different driving experience. Drive too close to the ocean and you risk sinking into wet sand, too high up the foreshore and soft sand may await (it should also be noted that ground nesting birds and other wildlife often reside in these parts). The answer to this problem is often to simply find the middle ground, allowing you to get an easy ride on hard, compacted sand.
5. Drop your tyre pressures low
The relationship between your tyres, the surface you’re driving on and the resulting traction you need to create forward motion is most evident when you’re on the beach. Perhaps the simplest way to increase traction is to increase the surface area of your tyre, and the most obvious way to do this is to drop your tyre pressures. Doing so lengthens the footprint of your tyre, spreading your vehicle’s mass and creating more opportunity for your tyres to grip the terrain. A common mistake many travellers make is to not drop their tyre pressures enough. Dropping your tyres from 40 PSI to 20 PSI is no guarantee that you’ve maxed out the traction potential of your tyre, so if you’re still struggling for traction after letting some air out, consider dropping your tyres’ PSI even further.
6. Don’t keep your foot down
Picture this: you’re charging through a soft patch of sand and you feel yourself start to lose momentum. What do you do? Unfortunately, most people simply put their foot to the floor even when it’s a lost cause. Realising when you’re not going anywhere is a key part of this tip because simply trying to spin you’re way out of trouble will often dig you in deeper – making it tougher to get out and creating more recovery work for yourself. By recognising an unavoidable loss of momentum early you can back off the accelerator, reverse and try again. Plus, by stomping your foot down you’re just churning the track for the next traveller who comes along, thereby making their path through more difficult as well.