Posted: 1/16/2014 5:41:36 PM EDT
| I'm thinking about driving down the entire beach on the PINS this weekend. I have a stock Wrangler Unlimited Sport that I plan on taking on the trip. Anyone been down all the way to the cut? I assume I should be good to go in the Jeep, but just wanted to check before I did it. |
Driving conditions can literally change from morning to afternoon. I've gone all the way in 2wd before and I've also gone for miles in 4-low just grinding along the moment we dropped off the pavement. 
I don't live a link handy, but there is a automated beach conditions phone line that the PINS ranger station has. That's your best bet for current conditions. |
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I live right across from the horse stables on SR22. I. Exactly 11 miles from the guard shack at PINS. I fish PINS a lot...ALOT ALOT. I use a stone stock 2004 Wrangler Rubicon. I have also used my 2013 F150 4x4 off road. Neither one has let me down. The rub I is a 5 speed...F150 an auto. That being said...DO bring a shovel, a couple of boards, and a tow strap in case you do get stuck. DO NOT use a mud terrain tire...they dig. Lately driving has been easy...I ran down to the 40s last week in 2wd. It can change though. Fishing has been terrible though. Nick Meyer that runs Breakaway Tackle uses a 2004 Rubicon Unlimited...he goes almost every day. Be mindful of the speed limit until you pass the warning sign, and DO use your seatbelt and Do NOT give the park rangers a reason to think you're drinking and driving...they don't fuck around. Good luck. |
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A LOT can be said by airing down your tires to about 15lbs depending on tires, it allows you to float more over the sand by increasing the footprint, and actually helps smooth out the ride quite a bit. Don't go too low, since you don't want to peel a tire off of the rim if you start rough-housin'.
Just air up at the nearest gas station when you get back on pavement, and be advised that those little cigarette lighter air pumps may have a tough time filling up four big truck tires back over 30 lbs. YMMV. |
| I've gone to the cut from the south twice. Once in a stock Nissan SEV6 4x4 and once in a stock T100 SR5 4x4. I have been most of the way from the north in a stock 4x4 Suburban. In none of those trips did I experience anything that explained the difficulty that I have seen so many people talk about. Could have been luck of the draw. |
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I have never driven on spi or pi. I have driven on many other beachs including Boca Chica It is I guess about 10 miles long. I go to Matagorda beach a few times a year with a 4wd 3/4 ton suburban 4 speed 87 model.
There are some days when you can drive these beach's in twd if you know nothing about beach driving. There are more days you can drive these beach's in twd if you know a bit about beach driving and have a locker. There are many days when you can drive the beach with no problem in a fwd without a locker and no experience. Almost every day you can drive the beach with no problem with experience and a locker But once in a while there comes a day and even with experience and a locker pucker factor is extremely high and the stress of driving past 8 miles makes you chew a hole in the seat and you realize you are very close to getting stuck the whole way. If you are smart and alone you find a shell bank and you turn around. Then the day comes where a storm pushes you up into the dunes at 20 miles and you drive to save your truck through the dunes until you find a ranch road. 
Pins is a long beach and some day I want to go but like a boy scout I will be prepared |
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I, stupidly, pulled off the beaten path several miles in once while cruising along in 2WD in my Z71 'burban.
We got out, ate and enjoyed the scenery, when I started to pull away we started to quickly sink. Very fortunately I was able to slllooooowwwwllllyyyy get out under 4WD. I was very worried as I realize how far we had gone. Have fun! |
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Quoted:
I live right across from the horse stables on SR22. I. Exactly 11 miles from the guard shack at PINS. I fish PINS a lot...ALOT ALOT. I use a stone stock 2004 Wrangler Rubicon. I have also used my 2013 F150 4x4 off road. Neither one has let me down. The rub I is a 5 speed...F150 an auto. That being said...DO bring a shovel, a couple of boards, and a tow strap in case you do get stuck. DO NOT use a mud terrain tire...they dig. Lately driving has been easy...I ran down to the 40s last week in 2wd. It can change though. Fishing has been terrible though. Nick Meyer that runs Breakaway Tackle uses a 2004 Rubicon Unlimited...he goes almost every day. Be mindful of the speed limit until you pass the warning sign, and DO use your seatbelt and Do NOT give the park rangers a reason to think you're drinking and driving...they don't fuck around. Good luck. This guy nailed it. Only thing I could add is always have a full tank of gas. You will burn up your fuel fast on 4x4 in sand. PINS can be a long drive depending on how far you go. If you pull a trailer, bring an extra gas can. I would bring extra gas no matter what actually. |
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Quoted: This guy nailed it. Only thing I could add is always have a full tank of gas. You will burn up your fuel fast on 4x4 in sand. PINS can be a long drive depending on how far you go. If you pull a trailer, bring an extra gas can. I would bring extra gas no matter what actually. Quoted: Quoted: I live right across from the horse stables on SR22. I. Exactly 11 miles from the guard shack at PINS. I fish PINS a lot...ALOT ALOT. I use a stone stock 2004 Wrangler Rubicon. I have also used my 2013 F150 4x4 off road. Neither one has let me down. The rub I is a 5 speed...F150 an auto. That being said...DO bring a shovel, a couple of boards, and a tow strap in case you do get stuck. DO NOT use a mud terrain tire...they dig. Lately driving has been easy...I ran down to the 40s last week in 2wd. It can change though. Fishing has been terrible though. Nick Meyer that runs Breakaway Tackle uses a 2004 Rubicon Unlimited...he goes almost every day. Be mindful of the speed limit until you pass the warning sign, and DO use your seatbelt and Do NOT give the park rangers a reason to think you're drinking and driving...they don't fuck around. Good luck. This guy nailed it. Only thing I could add is always have a full tank of gas. You will burn up your fuel fast on 4x4 in sand. PINS can be a long drive depending on how far you go. If you pull a trailer, bring an extra gas can. I would bring extra gas no matter what actually. GOOD LUCK!
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Ok, I was able to get out for a little today. Made it down to MM30. I had to turn around because I had somewhere to be this evening. If the first 30 miles is any indication, the Jeep will have no problems.
That was a lot of fun. We were the only people out there after MM20. I see some camping in my future. |
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should be no problem. I've done it multiple times in a stock disco2. Just fill up with gas and know when the tides are that day. if you can do your driving at low tide it's like a highway. Bets to schedule the drive back at low tide so you're faster out than in. It's also fun to drive across the island at the big break in the dune (can't remember what it's called), gives a little bit of challenge in the soft sand. Also, check the PINS fishing reports for updates on general conditions.
Last time I went there was a huge man-o-war plague. |
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Quoted:
should be no problem. I've done it multiple times in a stock disco2. Just fill up with gas and know when the tides are that day. if you can do your driving at low tide it's like a highway. Bets to schedule the drive back at low tide so you're faster out than in. It's also fun to drive across the island at the big break in the dune (can't remember what it's called), gives a little bit of challenge in the soft sand. Also, check the PINS fishing reports for updates on general conditions. Last time I went there was a huge man-o-war plague. It's called Yarborough. I was there today. It's at the 15 mm. Fishing was slow. Weather was beautiful. Driving was easy breezy and will be for the next three weeks due to the extreme low tides we have this time of year. |
| Anyone tried camping on the beach? Driving down there has got me thinking about trying it out one of these spring weekends. It's been decades since I've been camping, but I think I'd like to get back into it. There are definitely worst places to spend a weekend. |
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Quoted:
Anyone tried camping on the beach? Driving down there has got me thinking about trying it out one of these spring weekends. It's been decades since I've been camping, but I think I'd like to get back into it. There are definitely worst places to spend a weekend. Yup. I've been camping PINS for many years. Just follow all the good advice above and park/camp out of the way of traffic. You will have no cell service. Take more water than you think you need. Tell someone when you expect to get back so they can start looking if you don't check in. I like to work my way down south fishing different holes and then camp at the jetty so you can fish the surf/jetty/channel. Spring Proxigean tides are rather drastic so as one person above stated time your trips at low tide to save gas, time, danger etc... If you are forced to drive high (against the dune line) because of washouts then tire flats are very possible so a jack, etc... In all probability your wrangler (current JK sport owner, former CJ5 owner) will breeze down there like the wind in 2wd at low tide without a hitch. A lot of people (myself included) just over prepare because being stuck down low with an incoming tide miles and miles from civilization really blows. Just to add that like all things PINS was way better back in the day (80's and previous) when few people had 4wd's and turtles were for soup. It was truly an unconquered wilderness and one had to prepare as breakdown = big trouble. Now it's a superhighway for bro trucks  .
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