Even though summer has come to end, that doesn’t mean beach driving isn’t still on the cards as a great way to spend a lazy day away from the stresses of the real world! Beach driving is one of the most relaxing, enjoyable things you can do behind the wheel of your 4×4, but it’s also true that beaches are responsible for claiming more 4x4s than any other type of off-roading you can do in Australia.

That’s because, by and large, Australia’s beaches are remote and isolated, and in some locations, large tidal shifting changes quickly and can catch an unaware 4WDer out almost without warning. However, beach driving doesn’t have to be stressful – in fact it should be the complete opposite. If you have a few tricks up your sleeve you can successfully drive any beach in Australia, and it all comes down to the gear you carry. Here at 4WD Supacentre we absolutely love going beach driving, and we’ve put together a list of five essential items you should carry in the back of your 4×4 for beach driving.

1.TYRE DEFLATOR
To stop your 4×4 from sinking into soft sand, you should deflate your tyres before you go to the beach. The simplest, quickest and most effective way to lower your tyre pressures is to use a tyre deflator like the Kwiky Tyre Deflator or the Adventure Kings 3 in 1 Tyre Deflator. Drop your tyre pressures down to 16psi as a starting point and watch your 4WD transform into a beach-eating machine. If the sand is really soft or you find you’re still struggling, then you can drop your tyre pressures down in 2psi or 4psi increments down to around 6psi. Be aware that your steering, braking and acceleration are substantially effected at pressures lower than 16psi and drive accordingly.

2.TYRE GAUGE
Did you know that as the day goes on and your tyres heat up, they actually automatically gain pressure? That’s because the heat from your tyres heats up the air inside the tyres and causes it to expand. Keep an eye on your tyre pressures throughout the day with the Kwiky Tyre Gauge. Whenever you pull up and hop out, give each of your tyres a quick check with the Kwiky Tyre Gauge to make sure they haven’t increased in pressure, or that they haven’t dropped pressure either.

3.AIR COMPRESSOR
At the end of the day, you’ll need to reinflate your tyres to drive home. Service station air compressors are slow, unreliable and often very popular on weekend afternoons – and that’s if there’s a service station anywhere near the beach you’ve been driving! A much better option is to carry a portable air compressor like the Thumper air compressor or Thumper Max air compressor. There’s nothing like finding a shady tree to park under so you can comfortably re-inflate your tyres back to road pressures instead of sweating away in the hot sun at the service station. A portable air compressor is an essential bit of kit and the Thumper air compressor and Thumper Max air compressor are fast and reliable!

4.SNATCH STRAP & SHACKLES
You should always carry some sort of recovery gear with you whenever you’re 4WDing, and on the beach the best bit of recovery gear you can carry is a snatch strap. A snatch strap kit are perfectly suited to beach recoveries because there’s typically nothing you can winch off, so as long as there’s another vehicle passing by you can always get a snatch out of a bog. It’s also very good practice to always use your own recovery gear in this situation instead of relying on someone else’s, so carry a snatch strap and two rated bow shackles for those ‘oops’ moments!

5.UHF RADIO
Whether it’s to talk to your mates in convoy, or call out for a bit of help, a UHF radio is an essential bit of gear to carry with you when you’re beach 4WDing. It can be as simple as a hand-held UHF radio or a vehicle mounted radio, but the point is you should be carrying one! 4WD Supacentre sells a range of UHF radios that are excellent value, supremely effective and easy to install as well.