SURF GEAR |
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The Facts About Surf Wax
Surf wax is formulated to perform in specific temperatures. Wax that is labeled for cold water is much softer and stickier then wax labeled for warm water.
When you travel from one climate to another, you will find that the wax that you had on your board will likely not perform well where you are going.
For example, being from the Central coast of California, where the water stays in the mid 50's year round, I use our cool formula. This formula works great in most conditions where wetsuits are worn. When I travel south into Orange county or San Diego, anytime except winter, I find that my wax gets too sticky and even smears on the deck. This is what this sales person was finding. He was using our cool formula in conditions that really call for our warm formula. So - after some time in the water, the wax was softening, and he was literally pushing the wax around on the board.
My advice is this: Experiment. Try going with a heavy base coat of base wax or tropical wax, (up to ½ bar) criss-crossing with the bar to create beads. Then apply a light coat of warm or cool wax. You will find that you will get better and more durable beading, (bumps and beads help create traction!) and the wax will be tacky and durable because of the base coat.
How many guys are now riding epoxy boards? If you are, you know that cool wax does not stick well to the deck when used by itself. We have done extensive testing in and around Santa Cruz with the Santa Cruz team and our own, and have found that you MUST apply base or tropical before you apply the cool wax. This dramatically improves the life of your wax job, and also gives you the tackiness you yearn for.
Quick story: Two years ago, Poorboy sponsored the U.S. Open. We provided all the wax to competitors. We provided two formulas of wax for the event. Cool, and Warm wax stood side by side in the competitor area. The water was warm and most contestants were wearing spring suits or less. During the course of the event, the cool water wax continually needed to be re-stocked. The warm wax trickled. I came to the conclusion, after talking to many of the competitors, that when surfing a heat, it's all about performance. The tackiness of the wax was all that mattered. Durability of the wax was not an issue. It's all about performance. I say that we all look for this every time we paddle out.
In summary, the tip of the day is: Experiment! Wax is the best priced product in the shop. So buy a couple different formulas. Try starting out with a good hard base coat on the board, and then adding the soft cool water wax to the top.
Try using a wax comb every other go-out.
Using a wax comb keeps wax from getting too loaded-up on your deck. The wax comb also blends the base coat into your top coat, thereby adding some durability. It also ruffs up your wax job to create more tackiness and grip. Keep in mind that you're in water that has crud in it. This crud undermines performance of your wax too. In many parts of California, we surf on kelp beds, and where there is kelp, there is some type of "slime" that dramatically effects wax performance. So - the wax comb is an important part of your regimine before paddling out. Check out our flexi-comb next time you are in the shop.
One final bit of advice: Stick with one brand. If you like Poorboy Cool Water Wax, then apply it over Poorboy Base or Poorboy Tropical.
When you mix one brand with another, you might find results that you are not happy with. This is - again - because all of us that manufacture wax are blending different components, and using different recipes and temperatures to cook up our formulas. So the brands may not work together well.
Wax is a very personal and artistic part of the surfing experience. Pay attention to your brands, and your formula(s). It may mean the difference in competition, making a critical section, or getting the barrel of your life.
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Content courtesy of Poorboy® |
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