Water Wading vs. Swimming: A Serious Discussion

I'd love to chime in on this fascinating discussion. As an owner of a Defender 110, I've had my fair share of water fording adventures. In my opinion, water wading and swimming are not mutually exclusive concepts. With the right preparation, knowledge, and vehicle (ahem, Land Rover), it's entirely possible to drive through water without compromising your safety or the vehicle's integrity. In fact, some Land Rovers are designed with this very purpose in mind. However, there is a fine line between wading and swimming, and I believe that understanding this distinction is crucial for anyone venturing into water with their 4x4.

I think we're getting a bit carried away with this discussion. As someone who's owned several Land Rovers over the years, I have to say that water wading and swimming are not the same thing. While my Series II did manage to cross some shallow streams, it wasn't exactly designed for submerging itself. I think the main point of contention here is how much risk you're willing to take when venturing into aquatic terrain. From a safety standpoint, it's one thing to splash through a few inches of water, but quite another to intentionally submerge your vehicle in deeper waters. Let's not forget that we're dealing with 2-ton beasts of machinery here - I think caution should be the watchword. Can someone explain why they'd want to swim their Landy?

I think this is where people start to get overly enthusiastic with their vehicles' capabilities. While I agree that some Land Rovers are capable of wading through water, swimming is a different story altogether. It's not just about crossing rivers or fording streams, it's about the structural integrity and buoyancy of the vehicle in a fully submerged state. Let's keep this discussion grounded in reality and not glorify something that could be incredibly dangerous.

I've found that the Discovery 4's wading depth is actually a significant factor in its overall off-road capability, but I'm curious to know how many Land Rover owners have attempted to swim their vehicles and lived to tell the tale.

I've always been curious to know what exactly is the limit of water wading depth for a Series III Landy. I recall reading that it was around 30 inches. However, swimming, in my opinion, is something entirely different. The dynamics change significantly when you're trying to keep the vehicle afloat rather than just driving through shallow water. I think it's worth noting that the new Defender has some pretty advanced systems for wading, but I'm not sure if those would translate to actual swimming. Has anyone done any research on this? Would love to hear from someone with more experience and knowledge. Also, has anyone tried using one of these off-road recovery trucks like the ones used in the Sahara Rally? Those things are essentially floating workshops