Anyone been to Pismo lately and know what the water crossing is like right now? I'm going this coming weekend with a bunch of people and some of them don't have great clearance. Thanks for any current info.

 

I was there over Easter weekend and the tides were't bad at all. At "low tide" most every 2 wheel drive I saw was getting through okay. The worst thing were the access ramps. They were both cut up real bad that weekend. The Pier Ave one was worst than the Grand Ave one. The majority of the people that got stuck seemed to be stuck on the ramps. I guess what happened was the state let the permits expire for the ramp maintenence and so no maintenance/grading was done. Last I heard they need to re-new the permits before they can/will start grading the ramps again. I heard the process of re-newing the permits could take up to (6) months. Anyway, your best bet is to get there @ low tide as it's the best time to cross. Check the website below for tide times and heigths. Also, on the site there's a phone number that you can call to speak with a ranger about the current conditons.

www.oceanodunes.com/

Rude Dog.

P.S. If the ramps are still bad make sure you air down your "all" of your tires (including trailer) on the street before you hit the check-in booth.

 

Thanks for the quick reply and good info. That's a bummer about the ramps being tore up. Sounds like the old days of people getting stuck there.

 

Do you have a big problem with rust from riding on the beach or in brackish water?

 

I'd say not a big problem. If you're a total **** and ride in the surf and don't do a complete washdown you will definitely get rust and/or oxidation. The key is to stay away from the water as much as possible. I guess the entire key to riding there is to wash everything as soon as you leave the park because the wind in the afternoons will blow salt spray on all of your vehicles.