BajaNomad - Dumbest Baja Moves in Photos!

Dumbest Baja Moves in Photos!

joel - 8-6-2007 at 05:43 PM

So the surf has been real small for a while. Even if they've never seen it before, there is always a group of teenagers or guys in their 20s who come up with the idea of towing a surfboard or skimboard behind a quad or vehicle with a long rope. Well, these guys apparently didn't have a long rope. They drove through the water about 20 times, before I went up and asked them what the deal was with their truck. I mean, it had to have been a salvage title or belong to someone they hated. Nope. It was theirs and they didn't think a little salt water (or a lot) was going to do much damage. I just hope the brakes fail and the car starts to fall apart before they get out of town and find themselves in real danger.

I'm sure there must be a wonderful collection of such winning moves around, so please share your own photos of misadventure.

[Edited on 8-7-2007 by joel]

[Edited on 8-7-2007 by joel]

IMG_4703_edit.jpg - 13kB

Mexitron - 8-6-2007 at 06:11 PM

Egads...but it does look like fun...think I'll bring a long rope next time...

fools

woody with a view - 8-6-2007 at 06:12 PM

BUT, it is good to see that the government is enforcing the federal zone, errrrr the no driving on the beach aspect of it....

these guys know what their doing!!!!

woody with a view - 8-6-2007 at 06:16 PM

santa ana's HOWLING, hitch the boat to the bumper and drag it out until it floats. very little wasted energy. who knows how long the van kept running?

note the surreal seagull in the bottom of the foto standing on the sand!!!!

going fishing (Small).jpg - 40kB

joel - 8-6-2007 at 06:19 PM

I should point out that the vehicle seemed to be in great condition and worth north of $10k as I have one the same year at home that's actually in worse condition.

And speaking of idiots, I didn't manage to get the images sorted out, so here is the second one....

IMG_4701_edit.jpg - 9kB

joel - 8-6-2007 at 06:20 PM

Is there anywhere outside of major cities that the government enforces no driving on the beach?

4baja - 8-6-2007 at 06:28 PM

we did this back in 87, me and my buddy towed each other behnd a ATC on a long rope at santa rasalalita along the beach and the locals were awe struck. we had a great time and washed the ats after the fun. what memories!!! thanks for the link. :bounce:

woody with a view - 8-6-2007 at 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by joel
Is there anywhere outside of major cities that the government enforces no driving on the beach?

i dunno. what's is their reasoning for pushing campers 20 meters from the cliff? seems like they are enforcing "parts" of the law there.

joel - 8-6-2007 at 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by woody in ob

i dunno. what's is their reasoning for pushing campers 20 meters from the cliff? seems like they are enforcing "parts" of the law there.

Are you really wondering why this law and a slew of others not enforced anywhere similar is being enforced here all of a sudden?

woody with a view - 8-6-2007 at 06:52 PM

check u2u in a minute......

Roberto - 8-6-2007 at 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by joel
I just hope the brakes fail and the car starts to fall apart before they get out of town and find themselves in real danger.

So why would you wish danger on ANYONE? They made a stupid mistake, but hoping they get hurt? Wow.

joel - 8-6-2007 at 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Roberto

Quote:

Originally posted by joel
I just hope the brakes fail and the car starts to fall apart before they get out of town and find themselves in real danger.

So why would you wish danger on ANYONE? They made a stupid mistake, but hoping they get hurt? Wow.

You misread my post. I said:

I just hope the brakes fail and the car starts to fall apart BEFORE they get out of town and find themselves in real danger.

Better to have those problems driving around a beach town at 10 mph rather than on Highway 1.

BajaWarrior - 8-6-2007 at 07:07 PM

Quote:

Are you really wondering why this law and a slew of others not enforced anywhere similar is being enforced here all of a sudden?

Are they enforcing no riding on the Beach in Abreojos? What about the locals? They use the beach with vehicles also...

joel - 8-6-2007 at 07:09 PM

Not in Abre. People are still camping in the Federal Zone there.

gnukid - 8-6-2007 at 08:15 PM

Not sure if I'm following this right, but you can put a camp tent in the federal zone but not the car legally. So you park a bit back and put the camp in front of the car where it seems to be at issue, if its a problem usually the marines will tell you without making it a big problem.

Roberto - 8-6-2007 at 08:18 PM

You're right - sorry.

joel - 8-6-2007 at 08:20 PM

I only know what the managers of the campground have said: that the federal authorities have told them it's illegal to park, drive or camp in the federal zone. I did ask in town and people said that the federal zone in the town itself (not Ejido land) isn't governed in the same way.

bajadock - 8-6-2007 at 08:26 PM

I just like the photos, especially's Woody's seagull. Seems to be saying, "These guys are loco, but I'd rather have them than a huge real estate development on my beach!"

Correct

Dave - 8-6-2007 at 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by joel
I only know what the managers of the campground have said: that the federal authorities have told them it's illegal to park, drive or camp in the federal zone.

I had a General of the Mexican Army educate me on the federal zone. He said the armed forces own and govern it and any time they choose, can restrict access, confiscate any property, arrest any person or tear down any house on or adjoining it...And no one, except the President, could stop it.

I believed him... and have doubts about the President.

oladulce - 8-7-2007 at 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by joel
I only know what the managers of the campground have said: that the federal authorities have told them it's illegal to park, drive or camp in the federal zone. I did ask in town and people said that the federal zone in the town itself (not Ejido land) isn't governed in the same way.

That's kinda right.

Since the campground has a "Proteccion" classification of Federal zone concession for the blufftop from inside 2nd out to 3rd point , they are required to act as custodians of the area and are taking the heat for the infractions of the campers.

The same no-driving restrictions apply to the federal zone on the town beach, but there's no one individual to hold accountable for the actions of everybody who drives on that beach. I don't see Tito the smiley cop wasting the gas money we all give him chasing down every quad that drives down the town beach any time soon.

If I understand correctly, an individual can't get a concession to the fed zone that is within a municipality. The S.J. municipal boundary starts out by Don Juan's trailer and extends to the entrance of town. The municipality can apply for the concession, but I don't believe an individual can.

The Puerto Chale fishing co-op, to which San juanico pangeros belong, has a "Pesca" federal zone concession which permits them to conduct fishing activiites such as launching their pangas within the ZFMT. So you might see them driving on the beach.

(correction) I've been corrected by a person wiser than myself in these things. It's not possible to obtain a concession for the beach in front of the town of S.J. because it's zoned and designated a "malecon", and not because of municipal boundaries.

[Edited on 8-8-2007 by oladulce]

Osprey - 8-7-2007 at 06:30 AM

Our fishing Co Op here in La Ribera has a one kilometer concession on our beach and controls that area for 15 years of permit period. PROFEPA still has the last say and recently when we wanted to make new launch approaches from decomposed granite (like we've had for years) they denied our request. Even though the beach has signs about the concession Mexican and other beach users seem to ignore all laws (federal, local, etc) when they visit. Somehow it all works out, it's not a turtle beach, everybody seems to be able to use the beach in lots of different ways without shoreline skirmishes or fistfights (so far).

Russ - 8-7-2007 at 06:36 AM

Is that a "Baja Nomad" sticker on the front of the car in the first photo?

David K - 8-7-2007 at 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaWarrior

Are you really wondering why this law and a slew of others not enforced anywhere similar is being enforced here all of a sudden?

Are they enforcing no riding on the Beach in Abreojos? What about the locals? They use the beach with vehicles also...

There were tire tracks on the beach near Abreojos... as there are on most beaches near fishing camps in Baja...

People that make an issue about beach driving seem to be unfamiliar with the remote areas where there are few or no people and beach driving is no different than driving on any other surface in Baja, to get to where you want to go.

The places where driving on a beach is a real problem and shouldn't be allowed are in front of places like Rosarito where there are people all over the sand... Of course there are horses on the beach there as well... ??

Go to Cielito Lindo/ Pabellon beach during low tide and actually see busses taking people on the beach, as well as all sorts of cars and trucks. That isn't even a remote beach.

[Edited on 8-7-2007 by David K]

Mexitron - 8-7-2007 at 11:01 AM

DK--I may be mistaken but I think the beach driving prohibition also has to do with protecting clams...at least that's what I recall the signs saying years ago in Abreojos....but yes you're right about the beach being the superhighway in places down there, eh, except at high tide!

DanO - 8-7-2007 at 11:29 AM

Wish I'd had my camera a few years back at La Bocana when a guy in a Ford Ranger got stuck in the swash zone. He was parallel to the surf, with the driver's side facing the waves. He got out to take a look at the back wheels, leaving the driver's side door open and his girlfriend in the passenger seat. From our perch on the cliff above, we saw that he was completely unaware of a huge set that was rollling in. He didn't even look up when we started whistling and shouting and pointing at the waves. The first one got his attention thought, when it broke -- the whitewash knocked him over him and swept right into the truck cab through the open door. The girlfriend bailed out of the passenger side door after her drenching, and the next two waves refilled the cab two more times, because the guy was too busy fending off his peeed off, sopping wet girlfriend to close the doors and windows. A guy in a Toyota Landcruiser drove down to try pull the Ranger out, but got stuck too, a little higher up the beach. In the hour that the two of them were trying to get both vehicles unstuck, the tide, of course, was coming in, so that the Ranger was eventually about half submerged in small surf, and covered during sets. The two of them finally recruited a crowd of people from the beach to lift and physically carry the Ranger out of the water. Amazingly, he got the thing started after awhile and drove off. I'm guessing it didn't smell to nice inside after that.

viabaja - 8-7-2007 at 11:58 AM

It's a blast wakeboarding from the beach behind an ATV until you fall in 6-12" inches of water. The sand is real hard and very abrasive! I did it once and that was the last time!

mtgoat666 - 8-7-2007 at 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaWarrior

Are you really wondering why this law and a slew of others not enforced anywhere similar is being enforced here all of a sudden?

Are they enforcing no riding on the Beach in Abreojos? What about the locals? They use the beach with vehicles also...

Actually, driving over clams, turtle eggs, grunion eggs (do they have grunion in baja?), nesting birds, etc., aint the best thing for them little creatures. Better if you stay off the beach, regardless of people being present. Even a solitary person at the beach to enjoy the beach usually prefers to be there without cars and ATVs.

Iflyfish - 8-7-2007 at 05:35 PM

Ah! Youth!!

Once took my 40hp merc powered run about over the surf in Santa Cruz, my goal, water ski circles around the surfers! I did it and flipped the boat on the way in........sucked salt water into the engine......I leaned not to do taht any more........Ah! Youth!

Iflyfish

Ken Bondy - 8-7-2007 at 05:52 PM

This happened at San Francisquito about 20 years ago. Definitely among my dumbest Baja moves:

My dear friend Jim Bailey and I kept two inflatable boats there in a locker. Both were Metzelers, superb pieces of German equipment, one a twelve footer called (by Metzeler) a “Maya,” and a bigger one, a sixteen footer called, appropriately, the “Elefant.” Our drill, after coming back in from fishing or diving or whatever we were doing on the water that day, was to haul the boats up on the beach to a point well above the high tide line where it would remain overnight. One afternoon we hauled the bigger boat, the Elefant, up to a point which we thought was safe, and proceeded with the evening festivities. In the morning the boat was gone. We had substantially underestimated an extreme high tide, and sometime during the night, the water reached the boat, and the Elefant floated away. The morning was beautiful, warm and clear with virtually unlimited visibility, the sea was brilliant blue and dead calm, and there was no Elefant in sight. Frank Armellini was flying the smallest airplane that trip, a Cessna 172, he had plenty of fuel (none was available then at PFQ), and so Frank volunteered to do an aerial search for the boat. We talked to Savino who felt, based on his knowledge of the currents, that it would most likely have drifted to the south. So Frank took off in the 172 and headed south; it didn’t take him long to find our Elefant. It was drifting about five miles offshore and, amazingly, about ten miles south of where it had started, sometime in the night. Frank spotted the location of the boat using landmarks on the coast, and headed back. Savino fired up the panga and Bailey and I headed for our drifting, crewless boat. It was right where Frank said it would be, and Bailey and I boarded it to bring it home. Savino waited until the engine, a Johnson 25 hp, lit off, and then both boats headed back north to PFQ. On the way back we passed huge boils of yellowtail working on the surface, and since we still had fishing tackle on board, managed to land a few for the day’s ceviche. Our haul-out protocol changed that day; from that point on we tethered the boats to the center pole of a palapa so they wouldn’t ever again wander away in the night.

David K - 8-7-2007 at 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mexitron
DK--I may be mistaken but I think the beach driving prohibition also has to do with protecting clams...at least that's what I recall the signs saying years ago in Abreojos....but yes you're right about the beach being the superhighway in places down there, eh, except at high tide!

I think the bus on the beach was full of clam diggers!

Cielito Lindo, 2002