Riding, jet-skiing and ATV’ing is, by its functional nature, a seemingly solo activity. You can’t talk to anyone while you’re doing it, and your entire concentration should be on the ride at hand. However, there is still so much joy and fulfilment that comes with sharing your riding experience with other like-minded people. If you’re new to riding, have never ventured into a group or club or have moved to a new area and are looking for a riding community, it can feel a little daunting to know where to start… So, we’ve collected what we believe to be some of the best ways to find an adventure riding crew that works for you.
Facebook groups
If you’re ever looking for your tribe, Facebook is awesome for it. There are a bunch of niche groups that can be searched by area, interest and even sub-interest (like, Sea-Doo Riders on a Sunday Who BBQ Afterwards probably exists). And it’s a great free and easy place to interact with like-minded people when you aren’t riding, as well as tee up meet-ups. It is also a slightly safer way to ask strangers to join you in real life, in that you can check their profiles, ask moderators what their entry standards are (for private groups) and monitor interactions between members before organising something. Often though, these groups will host bigger events that are super fun and a great way to get involved in your adventure community (like the Sutto’s ride days!). You can of course decide that you’re happy to keep your adventure club or group experience purely online.
Some options to start with:
Sea-Doo Owners Australia and Sea-Doo Owners Australia Public Group
OZ ATV - Australian ATV and Quad Bike Enthusiasts Group
All Things KTM Australia and KTM Australia
GASGAS Australia
To keep things local, search similar group names to above but include your town or closest capital city.
Forums
Much like the facebook groups, there are interest groups, sub-interest groups and sub-sub-interest groups on forums, it’s just finding your right fit! If you don’t already have a preferred forum platform, your best bet is just to google your area, your adventure interest and ‘group’ or ‘club’. It might take a little more research than for Facebook to find a group that suits what you want to get out of it (some are just purely organising meet-ups, others can’t get enough chat about everything to do with their preferred ride). It’s also a little trickier to investigate who you’re talking to, particularly if joining in on a group ride is part of it, but they are typically great online spaces to bond over your passion for riding, and nab some great tips, tricks and recommendations along the way.
Ask your adventure vehicle dealer
Yep, just ask us! We are deeply embedded in our community’s interest in adventure sports and if we aren’t part of a club or group, we’ll definitely know of one. It’s also a bit of a safety net to get recommendations from people who live and breathe adventure sports, and community adventuring, to weed out dud or unreliable versions and opt in for one that’s worth your time and effort. This is especially nifty for new riders, who aren’t familiar with the local adventure sport landscape.
Keep your ear out while you’re riding
It’s very unlikely that you’ve found a brand new legal riding body of water or on land terrain. Typically, if you’re riding on it, so are other people. During breaks or pit stops, get talking to your fellow adventurers and mention you’re looking to join a club or group with the same interest. It is an extremely welcoming and friendly community, and always happy to have new members join them in the love of their powersport, watersport or motorcycle. If it’s an established group, ask them about joining in (which may sometimes come with a token admin fee, depending on how organised they are). Or, if you’re finding there are a few lone riders out there, start up your own club! Maybe a little daunting at first, but a great way to kickstart a shared lifelong interest and possible friendship.
In the meantime, here are some great tips on prepping for your next (or first) off-road ride! And remember, keep your ears out for some new mates!
