- Surfboard wax or surf wax can be made of synthetic or natural material and is applied to the deck of a surfboard to increase grip and prevent a surfer from slipping off the board. Synthetic waxes are usually composed of paraffin or beeswax or a mixture and natural waxes can contain beeswax, soy, pine resin and vegetable oils like hemp or coconut. There are roughly 17 million surfers in the world and if all of them started using organic, biodegradable waxes the world would be that much better for it.
- Each wax is slightly different in its composition for use in various climates and water temperatures and is produced in an assortment of scents like coconut, blueberry and banana or even bubblegum. It often comes in the shape of a small hockey puck or small rectangle for easy application. A surfer applies the wax to a clean board deck by rubbing it all over the board in a circular motion, then from nose to tail and side to side (rail to rail). This allows layers of wax to build up creating bumps. Scratching cross hatches in it with a wax comb or ones fingernails is the last step. This creates the important textured traction for the surfer while on the board. A surfer may use several layers of wax depending on the conditions.
- The type of wax is all important to a surfer. Basecoat wax is often the first layer of wax put down to create bumps and texture. Then a temperature wax is applied as a second coat. For tropical waters a hard wax is used and for cold waters a soft wax is used. Tropical waxes are usually for climates above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, warm wax for 70 to 78 degrees, cool wax for 58 to 68 and cold wax for temperatures below 58 degrees. Some waxes are designed to work in more than one temperature condition. These ultra waxes are made extra sticky and bumpy such as Sticky Bump's Tour Series Wax.
