We spent some time on Crystal Beach over the Memorial Day weekend. Before our trip, I had learned there is a BOLIVAR BEACH VEHICLE RESCUE group on Facebook. It's a bunch of folks that help others that find themselves stuck in the sand, water, etc. and do it at no charge. If you are stuck or see someone else that needs help, you post up the location on the group page. It can be kind of entertaining to follow ala the jeep in the water at SLP. I am posting a sampling of pics from the last few months in the photo album on the group page, some are from SLP and other locales. Enjoy!

Before venturing out on the beach, we checked with the folks at the RV park where we were staying regarding which entrance to use so that we would be on good firm sand as our group were all in 2WD vehicles. We used Crystal Beach Road as advised and had no issues. We turned west and proceeded just past the Monkhouse Drive entrance where we set up for the day so that we would be close to a port-a-can in case anyone needed it. Every few minutes, someone would try to enter or exit at Monkhouse and promptly get stuck in the very loose sand. It was amazing to see how many nincompoops in cars, 2WD SUVs and Trucks, etc.thought they could somehow navigate those conditions.












Here's a "2-fer"

when in doubt air down.

this is why I won't take my truck on the beach. Too damn heavy

Forgot to post their cover photo:

I see one common theme in most: those big expensive rims with low profile sidewalk tires don't give you crap for extra footprint even when you drop the pressure. They are terrible choices for off-road vehicles regardless of tire type on them.

You might have to go 20 or even 15psi to get enough footprint and that's with float tires.

Highway tires are also not very good in the sand.

Need to learn to read the sand, and stay out of the coarse loose packed stuff. Wetting sand down and doing s little digging can also help a lot.

There are certain places that will make you sad for the future of our world.

1) A summer weekend at the Texas beach
2) A Saturday morning at a boat ramp
3) Anytime at a Walmart

Are these all two wheel drive vehicles? Those jacked up trucks sure look like they dug a hole with the ass end.

I guess I've always been of the mindset to turn on my 4wd and make GD sure I know how long the iffy stretch is and make sure I have speed on my side and make sure I don't stop...at all.

PFG said:

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There are certain places that will make you sad for the future of our world.

1) A summer weekend at the Texas beach
2) A Saturday morning at a boat ramp
3) Anytime at a Walmart

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Both 1 & 3 tend to expose way too much flesh and/or questionable tattoos.

Love the badass in the Raptor...

Friend:
"Dude, stay out of that stuff... might get stuck"
Raptor Dude:
"Bruh, it's a Raptor... I'm not getting stuck"

Taking a $70k vehicle that close to the surf is just stupid.

I was at lake Travis the past two weekends and most of those boaters appear to be at least somewhat clued in and experienced. You had a few morons that couldn't figure out how to properly trailer their boats on the ramp but mostly people understood the process and were reasonably efficient. It was stunning.

Yeah, beaches are a whole different ballgame. Many more poors, and mostly they are poors because they are dim or make dumb choices.

what Mouth98 said. And have some pieces of 2x4 and a shovel with you when you go to the beach.

I carry a pair of TRED Pro traction boards and a shovel when I go to the beach. I never want to be "that guy" in a Jeep that has to have someone else get him out.

But no amount of preparation will protect you from stupidity.

HumbleAg said:

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I tried talking rather be fishing into a trek to lost lake at the mouth of the Brazos this year. We got to cedar lakes cut and did not proceed. Looks like we made the right choice.

Was at access point 14 in Galveston yesterday and 2 trucks got stuck in the sand at the base of the dunes. They thought it was a good idea to park between the line of cars and the dunes. For 45mins to an hr both trucks were flooring in and throwing sand everywhere. No one thought to get out and go ask people to move their cars to get pulled out, they just wanted to tear the base of the dunes up. They eventually got out but I'm not sure how.

Bob Hall was that way. Went way south and entered by the Natl Seashore, and all was fine.

This video popped up over the weekend on Fb from San Luis Pass of a stock Lexus GX470 pulling some full size trucks out of the sand.

https://www.facebook.com/100024122107531/videos/198204864326916/

(Of course the GX guys is being a bit stupid in attaching the straps to the ball hitch)

Twice I'ved used my '11 Land Cruiser to pull stuck trucks out. One was a F250 and the other Dodge flatbed. Both were 2wd and sunk like boat anchors.

aggiepublius said:

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(Of course the GX guys is being a bit stupid in attaching the straps to the ball hitch)

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Where should they have attached it?

Reminds me not to assume that what works on one beach, on one day might be a terrible idea another. Last three nights, ive driven the Matagorda beach front on low tide at about 40 mph. Silky smooth and hard packed. In years past, 2wd near the entrance was no problem. This year, no 2wd on the Matagorda beach. Pulled four out myself. Seen another two dozen.

Ive watched he video twice now and can't figure out what the hell he is talking about... those straps are hooked up properly and I don't see a second option that wouldn't involve body damage or a bumper being ripped off.

ttha_aggie_09 said:

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Ive watched he video twice now and can't figure out what the hell he is talking about... those straps are hooked up properly and I don't see a second option that wouldn't involve body damage or a bumper being ripped off.

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I was taught that the ball itself is not a good option for using as a strap attachment point due to greater likelihood of slippage or failure of the ball post. Shackles to the frame mounted points or the receiver would be the best.


At the very least it would been better for him to remove the with and attach the strap by threading it inside the receiver and then place the hitch pin through the strap.



Here is a bit of an article about options:
https://practicalmotoring.com.au/car-advice/use-snatch-strap/

Good video on various options of getting unstuck with emphasis on safety.

That's exactly what I am talking about... I don't see a ball in the video. It's attached properly (or at least appears to be) through the hitch pin. Do you see a ball on either vehicle?

There might be a shackle on the 470

Winch plus sand anchor works pretty well.

Turns out I noticed on One of his other videos where he pulls out a Dodge

https://video.fhou1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t42.9040-2/34122094_2025310537721806_8528003843651272704_n.mp4?_nc_cat=0&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6InN2ZV9zZCJ9&oh=5afd64c5fb2488db46c1ef31749e5af3&oe=5B166925

Salt of the water said:

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HumbleAg said:

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I tried talking rather be fishing into a trek to lost lake at the mouth of the Brazos this year. We got to cedar lakes cut and did not proceed. Looks like we made the right choice.

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Yeah it does. Reading another FB group, sounds like the sand is loose on both sides of SLP and lots of folks getting stuck just trying to get in/out of the beach areas right around the pass.

The overwhelming majority of folks I have seen stuck or pulled out on the beach growing up were stuck because they had the following things or combination of things (assuming alcohol wasn't a factor):

1. Drove through loose dry sand.
2. When they got stuck, hit the accelerator and dug themselves a nice hole
3. Had mud tires

The beach isn't hard to drive on if you halfway pay attention and don't do things that make your situation worse, but most people do the worst possible thing you can do and end up sitting on their frame.

Pour one out for that buried hardbody.

You can drive on sand with aired down mud tires but they will dig fast if you are foolish enough to spin them.

MouthBQ98 said:

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You can drive on sand with aired down mud tires but they will dig fast if you are foolish enough to spin them.

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I grew up on Surfside, never even had to bother to air down mud tires, but I also wasn't an idiot that hit the gas and dug holes.

On a beach, all terrains or street tires are better than mud tires, but if you just don't go stupid, you can get on and off without any issue.

When I lived in ca, I would see 1 tons with 3 axle toy haulers drive in sand you couldn't walk through at Pismo dunes. Secret is to air down to 8lbs including trailer. They even make caps that are preset to bleed to setpoint.

I pulled a F250 out of his hole a few years ago when I was camping on Cape Lookout. He was grateful but embarrassed he needed help from a little Subaru Outback. Same situation as schmellba99 said, great big inflated mud tires and loose sand just means you can make a bigger hole to sink into.

schmellba99 said:

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The overwhelming majority of folks I have seen stuck or pulled out on the beach growing up were stuck because they had the following things or combination of things (assuming alcohol wasn't a factor):

1. Drove through loose dry sand.
2. When they got stuck, hit the accelerator and dug themselves a nice hole
3. Had mud tires

The beach isn't hard to drive on if you halfway pay attention and don't do things that make your situation worse, but most people do the worst possible thing you can do and end up sitting on their frame.

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Yeah a couple of years ago we were at Matagorda and it was a "beach day". We had two vehicles, my wife's Tahoe and my youngest daughter's Infinity SUV. Everything was fine until on the way out my daughter decided to "cut the corner" to the exit through some soft sand instead of following my path on the packed stuff. She got stuck pretty good but almost before I could get out and get over to her there was a small army of folks that gathered up to help push her out. I asked her why she didn't just follow me and she said she just wasn't paying attention. When we were headed out to Crystal Beach I made sure to remind her to pay attention before we got out on the sand.

AKA, texting while driving.