HOW TO DRIVE ON SAND
by Bob White

I will try my best to answer one of the most often asked questions and best kept secret of the locals." how to drive on the sand ". After getting stuck numerous times, groveling for info, and watching the locals for the last two decades. I have compiled a list of things to do and not to do preparatory to hitting the beach.

First and foremost go to Ace Hardware Corolla and get some extra valve stems, a valve stem remover, and tire gauge. Then go to Neds Ice Cream and Convenience Store in the Corolla Town Center for some hand dipped Edys ice cream, or any other beach needs, (beach games, ice, beverages, etc).

Next, take a tour with me for practical application before you begin your beach excursion.

Now you’re ready for the rest of the story, first take a deep breath to calm yourself for the removal of your valve stems. Now that you're ready, offer a small prayer to the valve stem gods and unscrew a stem with your newly purchased tool.

 

At this point, I will mention Mr. Murphy and his law. You all know the rules and how to play his game, and since you purchased extra valve stems you have increased your chances of winning significantly. Keep in mind there is 35 to 45 pounds of air in your tire. This may cause your valve stem to escape Earths gravitational pull and achieve low earth orbit. You may be getting a little antsy at this point about all the air rushing out of your tire and the way the side wall is rapidly sagging. This is A O.K. you want a nice wide footprint in the sand.

 

Now that you have calmed down, listen to the sound that the air makes as it is rushing out of your tire. You will note a change in the pitch of the air, when this occurs put your valve stem back in, (you should be at about 20 pounds). For most applications this is perfect. If you have a large SUV it should take no more than 10 seconds for you t "air down" your tires. This will seem like an eternity, but it really isn't.

 

Note: If your tire got to the point of whistling you have gone down to the 15-pound range. This is fine just go easy on your car so that you don't break the bead on the tire. Now that you have properly deflated the tires you’re ready for a day of fun and sun on the "North Beaches" or snow drifts in the mountains. Yes my fellow readers this will work in deep snow. The general theory is that you do not want to sink or dig in to sand or deep snow. Low tire pressure will accomplish this.
All right, lets go to the beach. You should not even need four-wheel drive unless the sand is really deep, however for the nonbelievers it is all right with me if you use it. While on the beach observe the same rules of the road that you would on the street. The biggest of which is pass on the right. If you find that you have bogged yourself down and are getting stuck let off the gas. This will cause your car to ride up on the sand. Whatever you do don't touch that brake pedal! Now that you are up on top of the sand again back up. For some reason this works quite well. Then choose another lane. Chances are that your ground clearance is an issue especially if you have a Subaru outback or some other vehicle with low ground clearance.

 

If you manage to really dig yourself in get all 10 people out of the car. Then dig yourselves out. Before you try to move again leave 9 of your friends on the beach until you get to a more hard packed area. Remember to park in the middle of the beach and don't touch that brake pedal unless you have to. Please take all your trash with you to help keep our beaches clean.

 

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