6ft wading depth
Discussion
I used to drive my defender in water up to 6 feet
It was very modified.
A snorkel for the air intake, properly sealed, not gaffer tape and it’ll do attitude.
35 inch tyres 3 inch lift etc. The 6 foot point was about 1/2 way up the windscreen.
You get very wet. Mine was a soft top and in wet events would remove the rear door. Helps with removing the water in the way out!
The electrics do suffer somewhat
It was very modified.
A snorkel for the air intake, properly sealed, not gaffer tape and it’ll do attitude.
35 inch tyres 3 inch lift etc. The 6 foot point was about 1/2 way up the windscreen.
You get very wet. Mine was a soft top and in wet events would remove the rear door. Helps with removing the water in the way out!
The electrics do suffer somewhat
I think the OP has some good options to choose from now. If none of the above are quite right, and speed is important, one of these swamp racing jeep things might be well be handy.
https://youtu.be/O8Ehd1GCd1M
https://youtu.be/O8Ehd1GCd1M
Thanks for the reply’s
Bit more info.
It is to go from an island to the mainland at high tide. Thought about a little boat but it’s hassle and wet to get in and out of and not convenient place to keep it on either side.
It is not exposed so very little swell or waves
Speed is not important and it’s only a few hundred meters, but occupants would need to be dry and vehicle capable of driving for a couple of miles on the rad at other side.
Bit more info.
It is to go from an island to the mainland at high tide. Thought about a little boat but it’s hassle and wet to get in and out of and not convenient place to keep it on either side.
It is not exposed so very little swell or waves
Speed is not important and it’s only a few hundred meters, but occupants would need to be dry and vehicle capable of driving for a couple of miles on the rad at other side.
Ah, I would suggest looking at purpose built amphibious vehicles in that case, with properly sealed chassis (I.e one that floats) . As much as something like a Defender may be capable of crossing, a year or two after there won't be any defender left, wading in salt water is a nightmare as there are many nooks of the vehicle where the water will just sit and corrode, also there is a lot more work than just slapping a snorkel on, as much as a snorkeled 4x4 can probably wade up to its windscreen, there are a lot of breathers (diffs, transfer case) and electrics which water will get into and damage, especially salt water.
)6ft in the sea would be insane! Most cars would be fully submerged.
To frame this, here’s some wading capabilities from standard vehicles, no snorkels etc:
Cars: typically 150mm to 300mm (approx 1/2ft to 1ft)
Some SUVs: still only 300mm, VW Tiguan 200mm
More capable SUVs: 500mm (nearly 2ft) Audi Q’s and Volvo XC’s, Evoque, standard Defender
Even more capable SUV’s: 700mm (over 2ft) F-Pace and Velar
World’s most capable standard road SUVs: 900mm (approx 3ft) Range Rover, RR Sport, Discovery
More depth than that, and even heavy cars start to float, or sink if not designed for such a job.
Options are either a boat, or the Burgh Island transporters, which still looked like they had to be pretty careful not to be tipped over by the tide, waves or stranded on soft beach when I watched them crossing a few years ago.
I’d go Helicopter if I owned an island :-)
To frame this, here’s some wading capabilities from standard vehicles, no snorkels etc:
Cars: typically 150mm to 300mm (approx 1/2ft to 1ft)
Some SUVs: still only 300mm, VW Tiguan 200mm
More capable SUVs: 500mm (nearly 2ft) Audi Q’s and Volvo XC’s, Evoque, standard Defender
Even more capable SUV’s: 700mm (over 2ft) F-Pace and Velar
World’s most capable standard road SUVs: 900mm (approx 3ft) Range Rover, RR Sport, Discovery
More depth than that, and even heavy cars start to float, or sink if not designed for such a job.
Options are either a boat, or the Burgh Island transporters, which still looked like they had to be pretty careful not to be tipped over by the tide, waves or stranded on soft beach when I watched them crossing a few years ago.
I’d go Helicopter if I owned an island :-)
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