There is nothing Aussies love to do more than getting out and hitting the dunes at your local 4WDing beach, the sounds and smells of sand driving is what summer feels like.

Whilst some 4WD beaches become difficult to navigate during the cooler months due to storm damage to beaches, they still present us with a good weekend activity, and if you are new to the scene, offer the perfect way to sharpen your skills for when prime season comes around and it’s time to head out with the whole convoy!

So listen closely and we’ll offer some helpful tips to those who are new to sand driving or have just picked up a new 4WD after a few years of being limited by a 2WD!

1 Drop your pressures
If you have been reading our articles, we’re probably sounding like a broken record right about now, that’s because there is nothing more effective at getting your 4WD further offroad than redicing your tyre pressures enough.

We’ve seen newbies unscrew their dust caps and release about 2 seconds of air from their tyres, which may seem like a lot of air but is not only not an accurate way to release your tyre pressures, but is also extremely inefficient.

This is why we choose to pull out our purpose designed Kwiky Tyre Deflator, by simply screwing onto your valve stem you can dump massive amounts of air easily and in control, meaning you can get your tyres down to around 16-18psi they need to give the extra float you require when smashing the dunes!

This is the most effective thing you can do to get your 4WD further offroad than any other modification, and increases your vehicles footprint by up to 250%!

2.PUT IT IN 4WD
As much as your 4WD has plenty of clearance offroad, you’ll find that unless you engage 4WD you are going to sink pretty quickly. Every 4WD is different so read your users manual for the specifics of your vehicle. You also have the choice between high range and low range so if you arent sure try high range, if you start to feel your car struggling, slow right down don’t bury yourself, and shift into low range and you should be able to drive straight out of it!

3.Keep inputs smooth and in control!

Erratic movements offroad can make you quickly lose control, when you allow your vehicle to take a little more time to steer speed up and slow down you are asking less of the surface below, which means you will have a much easier time at getting your 4WD through the obstacles on the beach!

4.Bring recovery gear.

When you are on your own, getting stuck can be a nightmare, this is why bringing a mate and a Rated recovery kit will be invaluable when you are hitting the tracks! by setting up a snatch recovery using rated shackles and a snatch strap you will be able to effectively yank each other out of trouble.

5.What goes down must come up

When you have had your fun and its time to head home you shouldn’t try and find the nearest servo, we’ve seen tyres shred over just 10km of tarmac driving on reduced pressures. Chuck an air compressor in the back of your 4WD and you will have unlimited free air wherever you pull up.

The Thumper range offers a MKII and a MAX which both offer plenty of air, but if you like to race your mates, grab yourself a Thumper Max, you wont be disappointed!
6.Get out and drive

Finally, get out there, the more you drive the more familiar driving offroad will be and the more predictable your 4WD will be when you find yourself in crazy conditions!