Puddle jumping

It's been a while since I made a trip to Smith Point and I figured I'd get one last ride in before it gets to cold for the beach. Let me give guys the lay of the land. On one side of the dunes is the beach. With all the recent storms, the beach has been eroded away and there's only about 100 feet between the beach and the water but the sand is usually packed so there's plenty of room to maneuver. About half a mile down the beach there's a cut to an inside trail that leads to Moriches Inlet which is about a 30 minute drive over some bumpy sand and some woop de doos. I got to a puddle about a foot deep and blasted through it easy peasy. I made it out to the inlet and had a lovely time watching the swells. On the way back I notice a big puddle and decide I'm feeling confident. Now despite the notoriety of said puddle for being deep and the extra rain lately, I went for it anyway.

I made it 3/4 the way through then stopped moving. The ruts my tires were following got to deep and my front trailer hitch got caught. I tried rocking it but the tires didn't grab and then it died. Then my feet got real wet. As did my ipod which fell of the seat. I climbed out the window and hailed the next dude driving by. By the power of our tow straps combined, he got my ass out. I went for a swim to hook it up to the front hitch. I got to some level ground and low and behold she started right up. A few stumbles but I made it back to the cut back to the beach without any headaches.





I then realized the tide had come in and there was VERY little beach to work with. I made run for it. Probably the most terrifying offroad experience I've had. There was a major riptide and I could feel the water affecting the truck as I was driving. There were buckets of spray coming over the windshield and in the windows. Had my head out the window to see where I was going. If I got stuck, my baby would wash out to sea and end up in Ireland or something.

Luckily I made it back to solid ground and eventually back home without any problems. We'll see what works if everything still works tomorrow.

Cross your fingers and say a couple extra prayers tonight when you hit your knees. Let us know how you make out.

bats said:

...Had my head out the window to see where I was going...

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Sounds like it was quite the ride... At least you got 'er out! Hope all ends up well...

Oooo, been there done that! Had the muddy water up to the HVAC controls at one point I'm assuming this was salt water? Better clean it up pretty thoroughly!

Dude we need pics next time the tide comes in of what you drove through. It sounds harrowing.

I hosed it off pretty damn good when I got home. She still starts and runs strong, but she smells like a salt marsh inside. I finished getting the carpet out today. No saving it between the damage from ripping it out and the pads were still saturated. I'll probably cut some industrial carpet and shove it in there. Then I just have to figure out why my 4WD was stumbling (occasionally before the drink and more frequently afterwards. I doubt both my manual hubs went at once so bad tcase maybe?)

paraphoe said:

dude we need pics next time the tide comes in of what you drove through. It sounds harrowing.

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x2

The pics don't do justice as to how rough it was. When I left the waves were over the jetty. Looking out on the horizon it looked like a wall of white.

sweeet well not the wet truck part but the waves and the its working part haha

I don't get it. That just looks like the ocean to me. You drove through the ocean? Teach me! Teach me!

Call my ride Jesus truck due to it's ability to drive on water.

You check your fluids after that?

After a similar incident I needed a very substantial tranny fluch to get all the water out of it. Unfortunately the damage had already been done and required a new tranny a couple months later. (I'm speculating that it was the water that killed the tranny)