I am a biologist and need to drive on some pretty soft beaches for work. I need a vehicle that can carry 2 people, at least 100 pounds of gear, and be fairly easy to handle without getting stuck in soft sand. I have zero experience with beach driving and off-road vehicles and therefore have no idea what to look for in a vehicle for this type of work. I don't need to go fast, just get a few miles down the beach and back safely. Any advice will be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

Part of it will depend on local laws where you want to go. Some vehicles are allowed on some beaches. Some beaches don't allow any vehicles except for emergency purposes. You'd have to let us know what would be allowed.

In general, a 2 person ATV or quad would meet your needs. Soft sand tends to take a lot of power so I'd recommend a minimum of 500 ccs. 3 companies make dedicated two rider quads. Arctic Cat, Can-Am, and Polaris. I don't know much about Arctic Cats. Can-Am makes the Outlander Max in 400, 500, 650, 800, and 1000 cc machines. Polaris has 2 rider machines with 500, 550, and 850 cc engines.

There are also machines where the rider and passenger sit next to each other. These are generally called UTVs or utility vehicles. There are sporty ones and others that are more of a small pickup.

Please find out what machines are allowed on the beaches you're anticipating being on and if there will be hills, and dunes. We can go from there to try to narrow things down. In addition, you should take a safety course that will familiarize you with off road vehicles. It's not a good idea to hop on one if you aren't, at least, familiar with how they work.

 

I would look into a side by side. it will haul 2 people and any gear you might need. It's also a 4x4.

 

Thanks for your quick responses.
I will be receiving a special use permit for vehicle access to the beaches that I will be working on, so I will be allowed to drive any vehicle that suits my needs on the beaches. Some of the beaches have a few low gradient hills that I will have to climb to get from the wave slope back up to the parking lot, but I will not be driving on anything very steep and certainly not on any dunes.

I like the idea of a vehicle where the driver and passenger sit next to each other. I don't need anything particularly sporty but will probably want a little better performance than the "small pickup" style can provide. With that said, I do need to carry some gear, so maybe the "small pickup" style would be best for the job as long as its sporty enough to not get stuck easily in soft sand.

Great suggestion about the safety course. That is something I certainly will do.

 

Polaris Ranger mid-size. Smaller width that can fit in a pickup bed, room for two, and a good size bed in the back. 2013 Polaris RANGER 800 EFI Midsize Utility Vehicle Green: Features If you think you'll need more room the full-sized Ranger is wider, allows for 3 riders (slightly cramped or two very comfortable), and has a bigger bed. The 800 will have more than enough power to get up what you described. Not so sure about the 500. I had the Polaris 500 in a 2 person quad and it had a hard time in wide open uphill climbs when in high gear. In low gear it would do it without a problem. Soft sand is the kind of surface where you want to get up a good amount of speed in high gear and use momentum to keep you going up the hill.

Can-Am makes the Commander in 800 and 1000 cc engine sizes. Can-Am has the most horsepower per cc of any utility machine maker. Can-Am UTVs & Side by Side ATVs | Can-Am USA Can-Am is pretty pricey with about the same towing and toting numbers as the Polaris Ranger.

Others are the Kawasaki Teryx, Yamaha Rhino, and Honda Big Red. All good utility machines. Teryx and Rhino are a little more sport oriented but will do what you are asking without a problem.

 

It all depends on your pocket book, I prefer to by used over new and you can find some great deals on used side by sides. For you purposes I would recommend looking at a used Rhino or Mule.

 

Moose is giving you some solid info. Just remember, drive by the water line so you dont run over the piping plover eggs...