About waxing: on and off
If, from time to time, you throw your surfboard into the storage room for other temporary unnecessary things, then most likely, your surfboard will be covered with a layer of dirt.
Initially, that may look like a harmless thing, but in fact, everything is different.
Dirt that has accumulated overtime on the surfboard can harm your movement during rides.
Most of the time your surfboard rests and you rarely use it. But mind that it is better to take a few minutes to clean your surfboard and cover it with wax for protection than to observe the negative effects during the session.
If you are still in doubt, let’s recall the structure of your surfboard, namely the components of the surface.
It is a smooth layer and it is designed to let water pass through at the maximum speed.
Concerning the hydrodynamic activity, to be as productive as possible, you need to properly care for the surfboard that you use while surfing.
For the comparison, let us take the design of the aircraft. To make its body move as comfortably as possible through the air, manufacturers cut down all the roughness and uneven steep ledges.
The same applies to the surfboard: from time to time, it is necessary to cut off the formed layer of dirt, which interferes with the smooth patency of the substance.
Sometimes, check the irregularities of your surfboard for protrusions or plaque and scrape them.
Remember that your surfboard will be as productive as you take care of it. After all, the smoother its surface is, the better it will go.
In the article below, we will figure out which wax protection is best to use for your sport, how to apply the wax correctly, and, most importantly, how to remove it so that it does not interfere with your surfboard movement.
Wax fully lives up to its name, as, most often, it contains beeswax. Therefore, in Russian, you often hear “wax for surfing.”
The ingredients of manufacturing companies are usually kept secret. But for compassionate vegan surfers, there is a product without beeswax because there is nothing for buzzing toilers to take honeycombs for fun.
The basis of the wax protection is paraffin obtained from oil refining. This is a super popular ingredient for everything in the world: candles, cosmetics, ski grease, or food additives.
Paraffin is used even in nuclear physics as an effective neutron moderator and proton generator.
But we are moving away from the topic of surfboard protection!
The composition of the protection layer often includes wax, petroleum jelly, vegetable oils, resins, and other components providing the stickiness of the final product.
But to the question of whether the surfboard protection layer is biodegradable, unfortunately, you can only sadly negatively shake your head.
Now, there is a kind of protection for every taste and color.
A sticky stick is needed not only for the novices, who have their legs scattered on the surface of a mini-malibu, but for surfing professionals jumping airs who also use the sticky wax protection to fly their complex tricks with surfboards.
There are basic, top-end, multifunctional varieties of coatings for protection. There is a special wax for surfing in cold water and tropical oceans, with a smell, color, colorless, neon, and with sparkles.
Still, there are organic protection coatings based on coconut oil or, by some miracle, thickened soy products (here’s the smell of upcoming pizza, right?).
The thing is that in addition to the giants of the wax industry, such as Mr. Zog’s, Sticky Bumps, Monkey Wax, and Sex Wax, there are many small brands and artisanal basement firms.
You need to create the wax protection in the place where your feet are located on the surfboard meaning a coating of wax protection for better adhesion.
There is no standard procedure and instructions for applying the protection. Therefore, we present them in the form of tips:
The basic protection cannot be always used, but it has been invented to extend the life of the coating, so such protection will not be superfluous.
Do not apply wax under the scorching sun – it will immediately begin to spread.
Consider that you need a lot of wax.
On shortboards, only a small part for the legs is waxed, while the longboard, most often, is completely covered with this layer for protection, since many longboard tricks are associated with walking on the surfboard.
If you have little experience riding, then you should apply the protection with a margin because your stand on the surfboard has not yet been worked out.
You can put a thin layer of wax protection in places where you hold your hands on the surfboard while diving into the waves.
A little bit of wax will help you hold the surfboard tighter during an active move or Eskimo coup.
Update your protection coverage before every surf session. Keep the replacement wax protection in a surfboard cover but do not leave it in direct sunlight.
Use a special comb which is sold in surf shops. This will help make the surfboard coating rougher for a better grip of the legs and surfboard.
The wax begins to melt very quickly in the sun until it comes in contact with water, so do not leave the surfboard coated up while doing a warm-up or changing clothes.
As the wax layer on the surfboard becomes dirty, renew the protection.
Removing the protection is easier than you think. Leave the surfboard up in the sun or heat the surface with a regular hair-dryer.
Remove melting wax from the surfboard with a rag or napkin; many surf combs have a straight side to remove protection wax.
A cloth moistened with gasoline or a diluted solvent is perfect for removing residues from surfboards.
Surf protection is easy enough to be made on your own. Keep the recipe: you will need paraffin, beeswax, petroleum jelly, glue (Vistanex, for example), flavoring, and coloring.
The proportions for the protection are as follows: 70% paraffin, 20% beeswax, 5% glue, and 5% petroleum jelly, a pinch of dye, and a flavor. All this is mixed and heated in a pan to 100 degrees.
Then, the protection mixture is poured into a mold and cooled until it hardens. The proportions of the protection vary depending on the consistency you need (and this depends on the temperature of the water at your spot).
The second option for the protection layer is organic wax. Beeswax, coconut oil, and resin (preferably pine) can be used on surfboards.
The proportions are ¾ – wax, ¼ – oil and resin.
First, the wax is heated, then warm oil and resin are poured into the same container. Stir well and pour into molds (e.g. plastic cups).
