i appreciate all the comments from everyone, and my neck is feeling much better. anyways, my understanding was that once a car goes into a hydroplane, there is ABSOLUTELY no way to control or correct the car. basically when i felt the back end kick, i got off the gas (which i was barely using anyway, i was really just maintaining speed-not accelerating). by this time it was too late, i tried to countersteer it, but i had already entered the dreadful drift to the the divider. i will definitly take into consideration in regard to attending a driving a course, but i highly doubt that even experienced drivers with practice in the rain could have avoided the hydroplane that i encountered.

 

I'm not convinced you were hydroplaning.

Getting off the gas in a situation like that just makes it worse. The problem is weight transfer. Even steady state throttle, holding yourself at 60 mph, there's weight transfer to the back tires which give them a certain amount of traction above normal "sitting still" traction. By letting off, that additional weight transfers forwards to the front and then you've just unloaded the rear tires so the traction is less then steady state.

I totalled a Miata the same way. If I'd stayed on the gas I could have probably counter-steered clear but, by lifting, the back which was already loose became uncontrollable.

It's a hard reaction to train out of yourself. I'm still working at it.

 

sorry that happened to you. becareful out there.

 

Dooh - double post.

 

I've hydroplaned at 60 before, but never enough to do a 360 and hit a divider. Not to mention my rears were completely to the wires (yaya) and stock suspension.

 

No one did alignment on your car, you would have clearly been charged forit.

You need a alignment rack to do this properly.

For anyone just looking to lower your car on the cheap (no alignment) please realize you can make your car handle worse

 

had this happen to me as well. doin about 55 or so back of the car kicked out with the right amount of throttle control and counter steering i got it goin straight again. like said above practice this type of oversteer and be prepared when it happens again.