Good evening.

Yesterday morning, I was on my school run (I use a '12 Octavia 1.6TDI estate as my cab) driving through Ryarsh and Trottiscliffe and encountered a queue of cars from the brow of a hill down all the way down to the bottom of the dip. I was already late due to traffic and I saw no reason as to why the car at the bottom had reverse lights on. I looked a bit further on and saw there was a huge puddle. There were about five cars on the other side of the dip in the opposite direction too. Without thinking, I travelled on the right of all the cars not doing anything, picked up the speed to 25mph in 2nd gear to keep the revs up and told the kids to brace themselves. The splash on both sides of the cab was nothing short of epic. Almost like two huge tidal waves on both sides. It was only then that I saw the other cars travel through the puddle extremely slowly.

The same went for the puddles through Trottiscliffe. There was a section of road which was like a small river. Again, I shifted into 2nd to keep the revs up and ploughed through at 30mph. Then I saw a Xsara Picasso in the middle of the road doing less than 10mph as I emerged from around the first corner. As I got closer, the lady driving the Xsara Picasso moved left sharply and completely stopped as her nearside tyre bumped the kerb. I didn't see but I'm sure the waves must have completely drenched her car. I saw the windows were shut so that was some relief.

I was sure the Octavia wouldn't drown as I'm assuming the air intake is very high. I would not have even attempted this in a Zafira as the intake is behind the nearside wheel arch. The water levels I encountered yesterday were probably 20", nearly or at full tyre height.

What I found funny through West Malling was that drivers of Touaregs, Cayennes, Discoverys etc. were all dodging puddles and even stopping if the puddle was on their side of the road and there was oncoming traffic. It's as if the collected water in the road is some sort of deadly disease. Cars like SUVs and crossovers have more rugged under trays and seals I'm assuming?

Is this post a wind up?

One of my clients did this on Boxing Day

He decided that he was invincible!

The car is a Ford F-150 V8 Raptor Pickup, similar to this:

He drove his pickup through the floods (4' of water)...It conked out!

The Insurance company have written it off!!!

Edited 8 January, 201610 yr by ChrisRs

I was certainly avoid anything 20" deep, even with a high air intake. its not just the air intake, that will stop water entering the engine but what about the sensitive electronics and sensors all mounted low down.

You have no idea where man covers are, if they have lifted or what other debris maybe in the water, or where the roadside is. Driving through water that deep is inconsiderate and could be considered dangerous and if you had stalled or dropped into a man hole or debris the children that were in your care at the time would be seriously at risk.

The Picasso you passed almost certainly ended up with a hydrolocked engine, the air intake is low down and you actions at 30mph are just incomprehensible.

You do not want to end up like this bus.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/flooding/12082739/York-school-bus-stuck-in-flood-water-driver-ignores-road-closure.html

Either that or this whole thread is a wind up.

Edited 8 January, 201610 yr by mannyo

Not at speed no. Spending my formative years green laning and riding motorbikes tells me not to trust what I can't see.

It seems to me.. Everybody thinks their Vauxhall Corsa can do this...

20" deep is about the rated wading depth of a Land Rover Freelander. 

 

Certainly shouldn't be taking an Octavia through that depth.

 

Lee

20" deep is about the rated wading depth of a Land Rover Freelander.

Certainly shouldn't be taking an Octavia through that depth.

Lee

Risky in a Freelander though.

They're unreliable enough on dry land

Firstly, no, sorry but I value my car too much to take risks like that. Secondly, I saw your car on 9Gag

It does actually say in the Fabias manual not to go through water thats deeper than the sills.

Is this post a wind up?

 

If it isn't, the OP is a pratt!!

20" deep is about the rated wading depth of a Land Rover Freelander. 

 

Certainly shouldn't be taking an Octavia through that depth.

 

Lee

 

Freelander petrol was 14", Freelander Td4 was 16", Freelander 2 was the same.

Discovery Sport is 500mm officially.

 

However I did have a Td4 well over that depth without a snorkel

 

At 24" the rear of a Freelander would float! 

Edited 8 January, 201610 yr by Llanigraham

OP sounds like a ***** tbh, throwing water up at that speed potentially into other cars intakes and engine bay wiring

Lol this post reminds me of a clip I watched on YouTube the other day.

Crazy Russians

I read somewhere that in a normal car, you shouldn't transverse a flood which isn't much than 4 inches in depth and it has got to be standing water. The whole aim is not to create a bow wave which will surge into the air take. Also take flooded roads I know at about 10 mph in 2nd gear.

Good evening.

Yesterday morning, I was on my school run (I use a '12 Octavia 1.6TDI estate as my cab) driving through Ryarsh and Trottiscliffe and encountered a queue of cars from the brow of a hill down all the way down to the bottom of the dip. I was already late due to traffic and I saw no reason as to why the car at the bottom had reverse lights on. I looked a bit further on and saw there was a huge puddle. There were about five cars on the other side of the dip in the opposite direction too. Without thinking, I travelled on the right of all the cars not doing anything, picked up the speed to 25mph in 2nd gear to keep the revs up and told the kids to brace themselves. The splash on both sides of the cab was nothing short of epic. Almost like two huge tidal waves on both sides. It was only then that I saw the other cars travel through the puddle extremely slowly.

The same went for the puddles through Trottiscliffe. There was a section of road which was like a small river. Again, I shifted into 2nd to keep the revs up and ploughed through at 30mph. Then I saw a Xsara Picasso in the middle of the road doing less than 10mph as I emerged from around the first corner. As I got closer, the lady driving the Xsara Picasso moved left sharply and completely stopped as her nearside tyre bumped the kerb. I didn't see but I'm sure the waves must have completely drenched her car. I saw the windows were shut so that was some relief.

I was sure the Octavia wouldn't drown as I'm assuming the air intake is very high. I would not have even attempted this in a Zafira as the intake is behind the nearside wheel arch. The water levels I encountered yesterday were probably 20", nearly or at full tyre height.

What I found funny through West Malling was that drivers of Touaregs, Cayennes, Discoverys etc. were all dodging puddles and even stopping if the puddle was on their side of the road and there was oncoming traffic. It's as if the collected water in the road is some sort of deadly disease. Cars like SUVs and crossovers have more rugged under trays and seals I'm assuming?

 

So you're a 'professional' taxi driver and you drove like that? What a first class idiot that makes you. Oh and your 'fare' was school contract children? What an even bigger idiot that makes you. I really hope this is a wind up. If it's not, I think Kent CC School Transport need tipping off about this incident. In my county you'd not be working on a school contract again after admitting to pulling a stunt like that.

Freelander petrol was 14", Freelander Td4 was 16", Freelander 2 was the same.

Discovery Sport is 500mm officially.

 

However I did have a Td4 well over that depth without a snorkel

 

At 24" the rear of a Freelander would float! 

 

The Freelander 2 press release I have says ground clearance 220mm, wading depth 500mm which is 20"

 

Lee

If this is serious then you have NO idea how to drive................................

 

Yes I  have driven through water deep enough (about 7inch)  to get it in the front fog lights on an old bread van style VW polo.......................but I knew the road so no manholes & that the trucks driving through where it was on them..........

 

also 15mphish the max for safe driving as you have to keep the sped down to PREVENT the car aquaplaning.............& stop the bow wave toping over the car.................

 

As for causing a danger to the other road uses..........................you ****........................& doing it when having some one else's kids in the car & you being a taxi

 

BIG FECK OFF ****.......................

As to 20" wading depth and Media Pack,. Official figures,  water is level, (horizontal) but the surface below it is usually not,

so measuring one side of a flood tells you nothing about the middle or the dry land at the other side.

You pays your money and take your chance, get it wrong and you pay lots of money.

 

This one is not mine, 

it is a Jimny on a Range Rover Chassis with V8 engine.

My Jimny has the same wading ability, but its rather unpleasant wading and then any H20 or Muddy H20 freezing on you and staying frozen for days or weeks.

Edited 8 January, 201610 yr by GoneOffskiroottoot

As to 20" wading depth and Media Pack,. Official figures,  water is level, (horizontal) but the surface below it is usually not,

 

 

 

Yep, I know that, I drove LR products professionally on and off road for 20 years.

 

Just making the point that the OP drove his Octavia through water which is the maximum quoted for a well known 4x4.

 

Lee

Professionally !   Lovely.    He is a Professional driver as well.  Says it all often.

.

Edited 8 January, 201610 yr by logiclee

I suppose it's how you want to define Professional. What additional training does a taxi driver have/require over a standard uk driver?

Egg stained vest and heavy right foot?

Lol I think it's safe to say the op is on a windup if not he could possible be the most silly person I have come across yet, to do something like that is one thing but to talk about it in a Internet forum is Another thing all together.