One of the best and most exciting ways to ride your UTV is in the sand. With dunes all across the United States offering thrilling adventures as well as spectacular views, you can’t go wrong with hitting the terrain. However, riding dunes is one of the more dangerous places to seek adventure. There are a few things you should know before hitting those sandy hills.
Before you head out on your next dune excursion, read up on a few helpful tips and tricks for sand riding in your UTV.
Safety First
When riding in dunes, make sure you and your passengers are being as safe as possible. Here are a few safety measures you ought to take:
Wear Safety Gear — Make sure to wear helmets, goggles, gloves, and protective clothing and always wear your seatbelt when riding dunes.
Equip Your Machine with Safety Gear — Always ride with a whip flag. It is the best way to be seen and to spot other riders in the surrounding area. Make sure your UTV has a fire extinguisher and a stocked first-aid kit.
Safety in Numbers — It’s easy to lose your way or get stuck when riding sand. Always ride with two or three buddies, and bring along two-way radios and a GPS to help in an emergency.
Appoint a Spotter — Map out where you want your crew to ride and then assign a spotter to hang out at the highest dune to help look out for other riders.
Check the Weather — Before you head out, make sure you check the weather to verify there aren’t any forecasted sandstorms.
Extra Lighting — Nighttime riding in the dunes is an awesome experience. Your stock headlights will do the trick to light the way, but for additional lighting, consider an LED bar light and pod lights.
Sand Specifics
Mountain riding and dune riding are not the same and require a couple of different items:
Dune Tires — Sand tires offer the traction your need for sand riding. Consider paddles tires instead of standard tires for your buggy. Ideally, your setup would have smooth front tires and paddle tires in the back.
Dune Fuel — We suggest bringing along plenty of premium fuel for your machine. You burn about twice as much fuel on the sand as you do on hard-packed trails, because of the constant wheel slippage.
Tips for Riding
Here are a few basics every rider should know:
Don’t Stop — Do not stop your engine when going up a hill. Let your momentum help you.
Down Hills — When going down a hill, let off of the gas.
Getting Stuck — As soon as you’re stuck, put it into 4WD. If 4WD doesn’t work, use tow straps or winch.
Give Plenty of Space — Do ride too closely to the machine in front of you.
Food and Water — Take plenty of food and water in your machine (not just at your camp).
Half Tank — When your UTV hits a half tank, turn around and head back to camp.
