Surfing really is a world in itself, with its most enthusiastic participants seeming to think about nothing else.
This leads to a lot of specialized and almost esoteric knowledge about the sport, and to those of us on the outside, it can be difficult to understand the reasoning behind a lot of aspects.
Board waxing, for instance—why do surfers do this?
Waxing a surfboard increases the grip by a considerable amount, making it much easier for the surfer to balance on the board and not slip off while riding. The same kind of wax is also used to increase grip on paddles for kayaks. It helps the surfer keep traction and stop them from falling off.
Waxing is a pretty basic and essential part of surfing, then.
Without it, the surfboard is a lot harder to stay on top of, as it is a lot slipperier.
If you’re thinking of taking up surfing, you’ll have to get to grips with surfboard wax!
Let’s find out more.
Is surfboard wax necessary?
Yes, it really is.
You won’t get very far in surfing without board wax.
Without it, you’ll really have no grip for your feet.
The surfboard will be slippery even when it’s out of the water.
By the time you get it in the water, it’ll be impossible to stay on top of it.
Your feet will have nothing to grip.
What type of wax to use depends on where you’ll be surfing.
The temperature of the water is a big factor, as different temperatures of water can adversely affect the wax and the surface of your board in different ways.
Either way, you’ll need some form of surfboard wax in order to be fully prepared for surfing.
Surfing is all about balance and being able to properly position yourself on a wave to ride it for as long as possible.
Without wax, you’ll just fall off immediately—anyone would!
But wax isn’t just for when you’re actually catching the waves.
You’ll need the added grip just for when you’re paddling out, too, otherwise your upper body will also just be sliding around all over the place.
So, yes, surfboard wax is necessary, and you won’t catch many impressive waves without it.
Do surfers on the whole still use wax, then?
Do surfers still use wax?
Yes, surfers still use wax—nothing that dramatic has changed in the design of surfboards that they no longer need wax.
The problem is that surfboards need to be a good deal lighter than many other kinds of similar apparatus.
Take windsurfing boards, for instance.
These boards are much, much heavier than surfboards, and so you’re able to build grip directly into the board itself.
Surfboards and surfers need to reduce weight as much as possible, making adding grip to the board itself virtually impossible.
So, surfers still need to do it with wax.
There are some surfers who don’t use wax, but they’re very much in the minority.
This might be for a couple of reasons, but there will be something else providing grip for their feet.
You can’t surf without that grip.
How often does it need to be done, then?
How often should I wax my surfboard?
It’s naturally going to depend a little on how often you surf.
If you’re surfing every day, then you may find you’ll want to wax it every day to provide the best grip.
However, in this case, it’s also really important that you clean it properly, too.
You don’t want to be piling wax up on top of dirt endlessly.
So, if you’re surfing every day, I would probably recommend waxing it every day, and giving it a good clean every couple of weeks or so, during the surfing season.
If you’re not surfing that often, a full cleaning and re-waxing every two to three months is probably ideal.
This will provide all the grip you need and keep your board in the best possible condition.
But can you over wax?
Can you wax a surfboard too much?
Yes, you can wax a surfboard too much, in the sense that you can put too much wax on it in one go.
Overall, though, you can’t really over wax your board in the sense that you are doing damage to the board.
It will take as much wax as you can put on it.
However, you don’t want to put too much wax on before surfing.
This will actually make surfing harder.
Your feet will end up having an uneven grip, and this will make it much harder.
So, just apply a gentle coat over a few minutes and you’ll be good to go.
How do you remove old wax from a surfboard?
Removing the old wax is usually really easy.
Surfers tend to use a wax comb, which is a little tool designed for exactly this purpose.
Naturally, this is the best and most efficient way to get rid of old wax from your board.
However, if you’ve no wax comb to hand, you can always just use an old credit card!
Waxing is pretty straightforward once you’ve gotten the hang of it.
It’s just a simple solution to apply to your board to help your feet grip on the wet surface.
While not all surfers do use wax, the vast majority of hobby surfers will use wax.
The best kinds of boards certainly need wax to perform at their best, so it’s certainly our advice to use it.
