It's fun riding in the dunes, even exciting.
But you need to do it safely.
All of the following information is on the orientation sheet and contract.
You need to be aware of the rules and avoid damaging the buggies or your ride could get
very expensive.
First, realize you're in a state park.
You need to follow the park rules.
1, avoid all wildlife.
The park is a sanctuary for two types of birds on the endangered species list.
2, no riding allowed north of Pole 2, beyond fenced off areas, or over vegetation.
Be sure to check your map.
3, speed limit on the beach and near campsites is 15 miles per hour.
And 4, the use of alcohol or drugs is prohibited.
Any kind of negative interaction with park rangers means your ride is over and your deposit
is forfeited.
Plus of course, any citations the park rangers might give you.
This is a good time to remind you that off road driving is inherently dangerous.
Review the terms and conditions of the attached waiver of liability before signing it.
Remember as a voluntary participant, you are assuming all risks for any damage, injury
of loss of life.
Sun Buggy Rental Rules.
First you have to sign a contract and attend the orientation.
Only one rider per seat.
Kids are not allowed to sit on your lap.
You are not allowed to drive in the dunes from Pole 3 to the Sand Highway, just past
Pole 4.
Check your map before you drive.
Be aware of your surroundings.
Pay attention to pole numbers so we can find you should you break down.
Just saying you're near the restroom or along the fence line won't work.
And we can't respond because it would take hours to find you.
So you need to know the pole number and if you don't know, flag someone down and ask.
Absolutely DO NOT drive in the water or even on the wet sand.
Even if you claim another car splashed you, you will be charged.
And be aware of pedestrians and other riders.
Look for approaching flags.
If you're late, you will be charged one hour for every 15 minutes so DON'T BE LATE.
Refunds, our policy at Sun Buggy is no refunds.
Period.
Like any rental car contract, you'll need to inspect your vehicle before you drive.
You are liable for any damage when you return.
We do inspect the vehicles thoroughly when they come in.
You need to inspect yours before you go out.
If you see anything unusual, be sure to note the condition on the sheet before you drive
off.
Heres what you want to inspect: A-arms, Tie-rod ends, hyme joints, shocks, wheels, axels,
and overall body condition.
A Sun Buggy representative will help you with the inspection but you need to note of any
deficiencies.
Before you drive off, put on your helmet.
Long hair must be tucked in the helmet or inside your jacket.
Seatbelt, helmet and eye protection needs to be worn at all times.
And now about the dune buggies.
The dune buggies are not designed for idling so do not start your engine until you are
seated in the driver seat and are ready to go.
Dune Buggies do not have conventional transmissions so they do not neutral or park.
Our buggies use dry belts and these belts can burn out.
So when you stop, turn the engine off until you're ready to go.
For safety sake, absolutely do not exit the buggy without first turning it off and be
sure you and your passengers keep all of your limbs inside the roll cage area, that means
arms, legs and hands.
Before you take off, you have to show one of our representatives the ability to safely
start and stop the vehicle.
One more thing to avoid is two footed driving.
This is where a person pushes the brake and the gas pedal at the same time.
This will burn out belts and brakes real fast.
Okay now you're ready to drive to the dunes.
Remember to avoid the area from Pole 3 to Pole 4.
Stay immediately behind the campers until you reach Sand Highway.
When you drive up and down the dunes, there is a chance you could get stuck.
It happens.
Almost everyone gets stuck at least once.
When you're stuck, you're stuck.
Don't keep trying to drive out or you'll burn out the dry valve.
So what do you do?
You immediately let off the gas, turn the buggy off, next get out and go to the front,
and bounce or turn the front end downhill.
It helps to remove the excess sand away from the back tires.
Get back in and put your seatbelt on and drive down the hill.
Here's some tips for driving so you don't get stuck.
Keep your speed or momentum up right to the top.
Then turn and ride parallel with the top so you can see the conditions on the back side.
If you're unsure, it would be advised that you get out and see where to go.
Word of caution: some dunes have a veritcal drop of over 80 feet.
There's also the danger of going too fast and sailing over the top.
Jumping your dune buggy can damage it and is not allowed.
Remember you are responsible for vehicle damage.
To help keep you from getting stuck, we have intentionally kept the tire pressure low.
Rodies, power slides and sharp turns may result in the tire losing its bead and could pop
off the wheel.
We charge a minimum of $100 for tires losing its bead.
Another word of caution: the buggies have a much longer wheel base.
If you drive down a small dune and the valley is short with a narrow transition to the next
dune you might end up driving the front end into the dune.
This will damage the front end components and will be a very expensive fix.
Another element to be careful of in the dunes is the natural speed bumps called whoops.
Like parking lot speed bumps, they can wreck shocks and wheels.
When you encounter them, slow down.
Since our buggies are sturdy, well built and designed for the conditions of the dunes,
95% of our renters return the buggies without any damage and have a memorable experience.
The other 5% have regrettable expenses.
These people damage the buggies or violated park regulations or they broke one of the
7 following rules.
These rules will cause These rules will cause you to lose or forfeit your entire deposit
plus any damages.
1 - Do not drive in or near water.
It means do not drive on wet sand.
Stay a minimum of 20 feet away from wet sand.
And if its high tide, drive near the back fence to avoid the water.
2 - Do not roll, flip or tip the buggy.
This is very difficult to do with a low center gravity and a wide wheel base.
3 - Do not allow others to tow the buggy unless they are Sun Buggy personnel.
Regardless of the reason, if the buggy is not operational, call us.
4 - Do not drive in restricted areas.
5 - No jumping, wheelies or exotic driving.
6 - Do not drink alcohol or consume drugs.
7 - Do not allow anyone who is not listed as an additional driver to drive the buggy.
So, to sum it up, we have noted that most damages occur when people are over confident
or careless in their driving.
Careless is when they're not paying attention to the terrain, going over jumps or disregarding
the rules.
The over confident driver is driving too fast or is attempting to copy what others are doing
on quads or other vehicles.
When driving fast it is hard to calculate correctly the dune condition.
So please, drive at your own level of skill.
Because in the end, you are responsible for the full amount of damages even if the repair
costs exceed your deposit.
Now go have fun, safely.
You should always get on your ATV from the left hand side.
Check that the parking brake is on and holding the handle bar put your left foot on the foot
rest and step over the machine.
It is important that you can identify, understand and operate all the controls on your ATV.
Again, you should refer to your manual for specific information about your machine.
But you should be able to locate and operate the parking brake, your front brake, rear
brake (either foot or hand operated), the fuel tap and choke if you have one, locate
the starter, whether its kick, electric or pull, the throttle, the clutch on a manual
ATV, and how to change gear and select the range.
And lastly, make sure you know the position of the engine stop switch and how to turn
off the ignition.
You should remove the key and get off the machine in the same way you got on, to the
left.
ATV riding is very different than driving a car or riding a motorcycle.
Your stability and safety depends on you being able to shift your weight at the right times
and the correct way.
The correct straight line riding position will help you to easily operate the controls
and react more quickly when you need to shift your body weight.
When making gradual turns you should lean your upper body towards the inside of the
turn concentrating your weight on the outer foot rest to allow the inner wheel to slip
more easily.
When making tighter turns you should shift your weight by coming off the seat keeping
your feet on the foot rests.
When climbing or descending hills, you should always shift your weight to the uphill side,
adjusting the amount depending on the gradient.
You should lean forwards or backwards for gradual hills and when the incline is steeper,
place your weight over the handlebars or over the back of the seat by standing on the foot
rests.
Riding properly means moving your body weight around quite extensively.
But always remain in good reach of the controls so that you could use them easily.
You must practice these maneuvers while stationery so you understand your position limits in
order to keep within a safe reach of the controls.
You should prepare to start your ATV using the same routine every time.
Firstly, set the parking brake.
Next, turn the fuel and ignition on.
Then make sure the ATV is in neutral.
Check that the engine stop switch is in run or start and remember to use your choke if
the engine is cold.
Close the choke as the engine warms.
Remember to use this routine every time when you prepare to start your machine.
When you understand how your machine works, you can start to master the basic riding techniques.
It's best to find a large flat open space to practice in, free of any obstacles or hazards.
Before moving off, check that you're in the correct riding position.
Apply the rear brake and select first gear.
Release the parking brake and gently squeeze the throttle.
If you have a manual clutch, release it slowly.
If the clutch engages too quickly, the machine will lurch forwards.
Always release the throttle when changing gear to prevent the front wheels from lifting.
Learn to use the sound of your engine to change gears smoothly and at the right time.
Your stopping technique will depend on your ATV's braking system and terrain your riding
on.
Release the throttle and change down a gear so the engine slows you down.
Ensuring that your thumb is clear of the throttle apply both brakes equally.
Remember to pull the clutch in if your riding a manual machine.
When stationery, apply the parking brake.
Practice turning at low speeds until you feel more confident about your abilities, your
knowledge of your ATV and how it handles.
Slow down as you approach a turn by braking and changing down a gear.
Move your body weight forward until the inside of the turn you are making.
Turn the handlebars while looking in the direction you are heading, keeping your head and eyes
level and lean into the turn, concentrating your weight on the outer foot rest to allow
the inner wheel to slip more easily.
As your confidence increases, you can attempt tighter turns.
For these, you need to brake before you start turning and shift your weight more quickly.
Remember to always ride within the limits of your ability.
Never attempt maneuvers that you don't feel confident with.
You must be able to stop your ATV quickly or swerve to avoid unexpected hazards when
out riding, though its a good idea to practice this too.
To stop your ATV quickly, keep your head and eyes up, apply the brakes firmly without skidding
and stop in a straight line.
To swerve around a hazard, keep your eyes up and shift your weight to the inside of
the turn.
Never brake when swerving and keep your feet firmly on the foot rests to stop the ATV from
tipping over.
There may be times when the obstacles are unavoidable and you need to go over them rather
than around them.
If possible, you should approach them at a 90 degree angle and slow down, but maintain
momentum.
Stand on the foot rests with your knees and elbows bent.
Just before the front wheels reach the obstacle, give a short burst on the throttle, lean forward
and release the throttle as the front wheels clear it.
If you think that only one wheel will mount the obstacle, simply use the momentum of your
ATV to get over without using extra throttle.
You should never attempt to lift the handlebars.
You will dapples encounter hills where ever you ride.
And you should master the technique for safely going up, down and across them before setting
out.
Some hills will be too steep for your abilities and some may be too steep for your ATV.
If the hill looks too steep, it probably is and shouldn't be attempted.
The key to good hill riding is to always keep your weight uphill.
When climbing a hill, select a low gear and position yourself with your weight forward.
In order to make a turn on a hill, you need to shift your body weight to the uphill side.
As you descend, keep looking ahead, shift your weight to the rear, and control your
speed using the engine and gradual braking.
When climbing steeper hills, you should stand on the foot rests and lean forward with your
torso over the front wheels.
If you're climbing a longer hill, you may need to change down to a lower gear.
You can also go across hills but should not attempt this on rough, loose or slippery surfaces.
Practice by going up the hill and before reaching the top, turn to the left or right to cross
it, lean your upper body to the uphill side keeping both feet firmly on the foot rests.
Avoid accelerating or slowing down quickly and if you feel your ATV is tipping turn the
front wheels down the hill or stop and dismount.
When descending a steeper hill, shift your weight to the rear of the ATV while standing
on the foot rest, again using gradual braking.
You should practice all the maneuvers you've just seen and increase the difficulty in speed
as your competency increases.
Always ride knowing your abilities and understanding the capabilities of your ATV.