A guide to surf wax

Surf wax is a simple, but essential accessory for surfing. Without it, you're going to be sliding off your surfboard every time you get to your feet. This guide will help you learn more about surf wax and help you choose the right one you need.

What is surf wax?

Surf wax is a product that is formulated with natural or synthetic wax. It is normally made up of ingredients such as beeswax, paraffin and other waxes. Traditionally it contained things that are not very environmentally friendly, including palm oil, however many companies, such as GreenFix, are now using natural waxes and oils.

It usually has a scent added to it - something you will recognise when you walk into most surf shops - and again these days most brands are trying to use more natural oils and resins to do this.

Surf wax is applied to the deck (the top) of your surfboard to provide traction and stop you slipping off it.

Types of surf wax

You need to have two different types of surf wax on your surfboard:

• Basecoat - this is the first layer of wax you put onto your surfboard and is often a harder wax. It's purpose is to provide a layer for your top coat to stick to
• Top coat - this is applied on top of the basecoat and gives the traction for your feet to grip better.

You then need to consider how hard or soft a wax you need, which is related to the water temperatures you will be surfing in.

The golden rule is the warmer the water, the harder the wax, as it needs to not melt off your board. 

The main temperature gradings of surf wax are:

• Cold
• Cool
• Warm
• Tropical

Here in the UK, with our much colder temperatures, you're likely to be using cold wax from October through to May, then cool wax in the Summer - possibly even warm wax if it's been a particularly warm year. This will naturally depend where you're surfing in the UK, as there is a variation in our sea temperatures.

For example, in February in Newquay the average is 9.7 degrees centigrade, versus 7 degrees in Aberdeen. Then in August this rises to 16.9 degrees in Newquay and 13.5 degrees in Aberdeen.

However if you're planning a surf trip to warmer waters, then make sure you get hold of some warm or even tropical wax.

This table helps you choose the right wax for the average water temperature:

How to apply surf wax

Some surfers have their own preferences when it comes to applying surf wax, however one common method is:

1. Ideally start with a clean surfboard with no wax on it. You can use a wax  comb to help remove the old wax
2. Take your basecoat wax and make diagonal lines across the deck of the surfboard (across the stringer). Remember you need to wax any area where your feet could be placed. On a shortboard you are likely to leave the front section, including the nose, wax-free, however on a longer style board, you might want to wax the entire deck if you're thinking of any noseriding or cross-stepping.
3. Now take your top coat wax and rub it over the basecoat in a circular motion. this should lead to small wax 'bubbles' appearing on the board.

Each time you go surfing, you can simply repeat step 3 and apply more of your top coat, to replace what gets removed by your feet.

Surf wax maintenance

If you notice that the wax on your board has become especially dirty and sandy, or very worn, then it's worth taking the time to do a bit of maintenance.

Simply strip off all of the old wax, using a wax comb and a heat gun (on a low heat) if it's particularly stubborn.

Then repeat the basecoat and top coat wax applications again, leaving with you with a lovely new wax job.

We stock a wide range of surf wax in our online store, including Greenfix, Hueys and Waxy Wax. Need some more advice? Contact us today.