If you're new to surfing, you may be wondering why surfers use wax on their
boards. It's actually quite simple, surf wax keeps you from slipping off your surfboard while
you're in the water.
In the early days of surfing, before the product used today was introduced, surfers actually used candle wax. As the popularity of surfing increased through the years, candle wax was replaced by paraffin canning wax, and soon oils were added to the paraffin to make it softer and easier to apply.
As time went on, surfboard wax continued to transform, and in today's market the wax is usually made out of paraffin, resins, alcohol and a variety of other ingredients that add further traction to your board.
Choosing the Right Type of Surfboard Wax
When you wax your board, there are two different types of waxes that will need to be applied. First is the basecoat wax and next is the top coat wax. While choosing the basecoat is simple enough, there are some factors that will effect your top coat choice.
- Basecoat wax. Before you can
spread the top coat wax, you'll need to apply your basecoat. A basecoat is
a much harder wax which makes it a bit more difficult to rub on your
board, but that also means it won't wear down as easily. You won't have to
reapply the basecoat until your board is in need of a complete rewaxing.
- Top coat wax. This type of
wax is much softer which enables it to create a tacky surface that sticks
to your feet. The temperature of the water you surf in determines what
kind of top coat wax you choose. When you're in warmer water, you'll need
to use tropical wax, and when the water is cooler, cold water wax is the
way to go. Unfortunately using cold water wax in warm water makes the
product too soft which takes away from its effectiveness. Unlike basecoat
wax, top coat wax needs to be applied to your board each time you go
surfing or at least every few times you decide to hit the waves.
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