In a recent blog post, we taught you how to wax a brand new surfboard, so now it’s time to share our best tips and tricks for surf wax removal.
After a few months of surfing and applying new layers of surf wax, you will reach a point where the surf wax loses its tackiness, and it will be time to clean and de-wax your surfboard.
surf wax removal
In this quick guide, you will learn how to remove old surf wax most efficiently without causing any damage to your surfboard.
Keeping your surfboard clean and de-waxing it every now and then will help prolong its lifespan.
While we recommend giving your surfboard a freshwater rinse after every surf session, your surf wax can be sitting on the board for a long time. Just apply a new topcoat layer before every surf session, so your board stays tacky.
You may wonder, how often should I be de-waxing my surfboard? The answer depends on how much you surf and whether you have OCD or not. Jokes aside, we generally recommend de-waxing your surfboard 4-times per year, one time for every season, to guarantee you utilize the proper surf wax for the season and water temperature.
We also recommend removing old surfboard wax before a surf trip since you would probably be surfing different water temperatures than you’re used to at home. When going on a short surf trip, we also want to optimize our chances of scoring the best waves! So keep that board fresh with a brand new layer of wax.
A surf wax comb is a versatile and handy plastic tool, useful for both surf wax removal and maintenance. The jagged edge is good for combing newly-applied wax to increase traction. The straight edge of the comb is sharp and flexible, so it can scrape off old surf wax without damaging your surfboard.
The surf wax comb is also called a surfboard wax scraper, and while it’s not a necessity for surf wax removal, most surfers have one as it’s a handy and cheap tool to get the job done. alternatively, you can use other plastic objects with a sharp edge, such as a credit card.
When we speak about surfboard wax remover, we refer to the products used to clean the board after initially removing the wax with the wax scraper/comb. The Surfboard wax remover will resolve any remaining wax residues from your surfboard to make it completely clean and wax-free.
The surf wax comb is also called a surfboard wax scraper, and while it’s not a necessity for surf wax removal, most surfers have one as it’s a handy and cheap tool to get the job done. alternatively, you can use other plastic objects with a sharp edge, such as a credit card.
3 simple steps to de-waxing your surfboard
Let’s go over the 3-steps to remove surf wax from your board.
1. Soften The Wax
First of all, we need to soften the surf wax so it becomes easy to remove. If you live in a tropical climate, you can simply leave your surfboard in direct sunlight for 5-10 minutes.
If the weather and temperature do not allow it, you can use a blow dryer instead. Blowing hot air or even pouring some hot water over your surfboard also helps soften the wax.
2. Scrape wax off with a wax comb
Once the wax has become soft, it will be easy to remove using a wax comb.
Use the sharp edge of your wax comb and remove all the old wax from top to bottom of your board. Then roll the “wax ball” over your surfboard to pick up the remaining pieces of wax.
Avoid getting wax stuck on your clothing, floor, etc. as it’s both bad for the environment and can leave quite a mess, and remember to dispose of surf wax responsibly.
3. Clean off the remaining wax residue
The last step is to clean off any remaining wax, oil, grease, and sticky residue. There are several good products made for this purpose such as the Wax Remover by Sticky Bumps, or the wax remover & cleaner from Solarez. Alternatively, some regular flour will do the trick as well.
Sprinkle the wax remover or flour onto the surfboard, let it sit for a minute, and then rub it off with a paper towel or a fiber cloth. Apply a fair amount of pressure and use that “wax on, wax off” technique that we all learned from Mr. Miyagi.
This simple 3-step process will leave you with a shiny and brand “new” surfboard. So let’s get to work!
