It’s amazing to watch people skimboard and wish we could join in ourselves. It is a thrilling activity for those with prior skimboarding experience. If you’re a beginner, it’s not easy work at all. If you’re just getting started, you may run into several issues.
Before heading out on the board, there are several concepts to grasp. Waxing your skimboard is the first and most essential thing to remember before getting your feet on the board. You’ll need to wax your skimboard if you’re skimming or riding a new board for the first time.
To have a firm grip on the board, you’ll need to wax it. Your feet may slip out of the board if you don’t have a good grip, resulting in potential injuries. Creating a sufficient layer of wax on the board will improve its traction. You don’t want to re-wax your board every time you use it.
So you have to make the coating as good as feasible in order for it to endure a long time. We’ve prepared some simple instructions on how to wax a skimboard so that your learning adventure is more enjoyable.
Why should you wax your skimboard
Having the appropriate skimboard is just half of the battle. After you’ve got your skis, it’s time to focus on keeping them in good shape and on time. Waxing your skimboard is one of the most essential upkeep procedures. Waxing promotes longer lifespan for the skimboard.
Wax also keeps you safe and gives you the most out of your water activities. Wax makes sure that you stay on the skimboard during any sort of skimming. Waxing involves using specific techniques to avoid losing your balance and falling off the board.
The board’s natural slippery surface is perfect for surfing in the waves, but it lacks grip. To get a firm grasp, use wax to make bumps on the board. Waxing will improve your board’s traction while also giving you grip to ride the surf. Your feet may fall off your board and into the sand.
If the board is not waxed properly, it might cause you an unpleasant experience. Keep two things in mind: maximize traction and avoid having to wax it on a regular basis.
Necessary Equipment and Products
To skim, you must first wax the board. We need to know what items we’ll need to wax a skimboard before we can begin. Once everything is in place, we may start waxing. The following are all of the things you’ll need to wax a skimboard:
Wax for the top coat
The top layer of wax is softer and allows your feet to stick and be tacky. The temperature of the water has an impact on the top coats. As a result, you must consider what sort of wax you’ll need for the water’s temperature where you surf. Wax has various modifications based on different water temperatures.
There are many different chemicals that they utilize for these changes. They aid in the maintenance of the wax’s suppleness. For chilly water, a tropical temperature wax will be perfect. In a cold environment, a hot wax will solidify.
However, when waxes are heated, a cold temperature wax will be too soft. The usage of a tropical weather wax in cold weather is not the same as with hot water.
Wax for the base coat
A brush-on top coat is tougher than a brush-on base coat. With great care, you may wax the base coat of a skimboard. It stays in that condition until your stick is re-waxed. If a portion of the base coat comes off, there will be an entire region without wax.
There’s no need to add a layer of wax. The base coat gives the tire a bump pattern that lasts for a long time.
Wax comb
Wax combs are used to remove and repair surfboard wax. Wax combs have a jagged or toothed edge and a straight, sharp edge. To create textured grooves for enhancing traction, employ the jagged edge. To remove any unwanted wax, utilize the straight edge.
Wax cleaner & Paper towels
To apply wax to a board that has already been coated, you must first remove the previous layer of wax. Wax cleaner and a few paper towels are required to entirely eliminate it.
Step-by-step Guide on Waxing Your Skimboard
Step 1: Get the right temperature surf wax
It’s critical to choose the correct wax for your board. You must select the finest wax from a large range of options. A cold wax in a warmer environment will swiftly melt off your board, resulting in a sticky mess. In a cold climate, a warm wax will be difficult to apply to your board because it will be hard and lack grip.
So, you must pick the proper wax for your temperature. You don’t need to be exact with your wax. If it’s close enough to the ideal one, you’re good to go. This method allows you to pick the best wax for your board based on the season.
Step 2: Get rid of the old wax from the skimboard
If you’re using an old board with old wax, you’ll need to remove the wax first. This is not a difficult activity, but it does take time and patience. Here are the actions needed to remove the wax:
- When removing wax from a wet board, it’s best to leave it out in the sun for a while. Boiling water may be an excellent option. You can still remove the wax without doing any of this, but things will go more slowly.
- To remove the wax from the skimboard, use the flat side of the surf comb. The built-in fin key is also handy. You may press down harder to remove as much wax as feasible. There still may be wax on the board, even after you’ve completely removed it. There’s no need to be concerned about them. In the next phase, we’ll get rid of those pesky little things.
- To remove the remaining wax, use a wax cleaner and some paper towels to wipe it away.
Step 3: Apply a base coat using small circles
Start by carefully applying the wax in small circles, using the corner or edge of your wax. It’s possible that the wax won’t stick to your board at first. After a while, it will set. If flakes come off your block of wax, either press them into your wood or throw them away.
We don’t want to get giant bumps here. Rather, we wish for a solid foundation layer that will give us good traction all over. Make sure to cover any potential stepping surfaces with wax.
Step 4: Apply a top coat using long strokes
After applying a good base coat, work on adding larger wax bumps. You won’t have to wax your board as often if you can create solid bumps. A brief light wax will enough when you need to perform it. Make long strokes with the flat edge of the wax bar on the board.
You may stroke from top to bottom or side to side. A thorough coverage can be achieved by making strokes in all directions. The bumps have no established dimensions. Remember that you may always add more wax if necessary. So, when you’re satisfied with the results, stop there.
Step 5: Top up only as required
If you’ve waxed your skimboard in the past, you don’t have to worry about it for a long period. If the covering falls off or your board isn’t gripping as well as it used to, you’ll need to replace it.
In this case, it’s critical to add wax or totally re-wax your board. However, you should not alter the wax. It’s not necessary to replace the wax every time you go skimboarding.
Things To Remember While Waxing Your Skimboard:
Waxing gets easier with time. You’ll have a feel for it after waxing your boards a few times. Here are some tips to keep in mind when attempting your first waxing procedure:
- Clean the old wax out of your ears using a hair dryer. If you don’t have time to leave it in the sun, use a hair dryer to soften it.
- As the basic coat wax gets more solid, it lasts for a long time but needs to be pressed with force to complete tasks faster. A lighter push will take longer to complete the task.
- You should start at the bar’s pointed edge. It will be easier for wax to chump off this way.
- It’s not advised to skate with candle wax on a skimboard. It’s far too difficult and slipperier than other surf wax.
Common troubles and Their Quick Fixes
What to do if the wax is too soft?
You’ll need to pick the best wax for the water’s temperature. You can look at the chart and get the appropriate type of wax based on the water’s temperature.
Wax Temperature Cold Water Wax: 60-66°F (15-19°C)Cool Water Wax: 58-66°F (14-19°C)Warm Water Wax: 64-74°F (17-24°C)Tropical Water Wax: >75 °F (24 °C)
You may use the waxes with like-labeled temperatures. Keep in mind that a cold temperature wax in warm water will be extremely soft.
Which side of the board should I wax?
The top side of the skimboard must be waxed. Waxing only the bottom side will not enhance performance. Rather, it would work in reverse.
What to do if I’ve overused wax on the board?
It’s impossible to wax a skimboard too much, as doing so makes it more difficult for you to skate. Before you ride the board, remove the excess wax layer.
What to do if wax rubs off from the base coat?
Remove the old wax layer and re-wax it.
Conclusion
You’ve learned how to apply wax on your skimboard, so you’re ready to go for your first attempt using the simplest techniques outlined above.
With repetition, you’ll be able to master the skills in no time! If you’re rewaxing a board that has old wax on it, don’t forget to do all of the necessary measures before applying the new layer of wax.
If the wax is still intact, you’ll need to remove it. Check if you need to scrape off the old wax and use the correct application techniques. You have all of the information you need; now it’s time to head to the beach or your favorite body of water for a surf session!
