Gaining speed when riding a massive wave might feel fantastic. Still, when your board is slippery, this might not sound appealing at all. Imagine yourself riding this incredible wave, gaining wild speed, to suddenly fall off the bodyboard like sliding down the fastest slide at a waterpark. This is when you start asking yourself, “am I supposed to wax my bodyboard?”.
Waxing a bodyboard is not something that is mandatory; some bodyboarders do not wax theirs, but the majority do it in a few specific areas to prevent them from slipping off the board, which is beneficial to avoid problems when riding big waves.
Waxing your bodyboard is not something about looks. When you buy a bodyboard, it is way too slippery due to the industrial protection that makes them shiny and appealing. Instead, waxing the bodyboard helps to create a type of glue for your body on the board.
The wax goes in places where the body should stick to the board, such as where the hands grab the board, the rails, chest, abdominal area, elbow, arms, and hips.
There is no strict rule on where or how to wax your board, and it is better to customize it to your needs. Still, some tips will help you a lot to wax your bodyboard correctly.
If you are still wondering why you should wax your bodyboard, where to apply wax on your board and how to do it properly, and the best wax brands, keep reading. In this post, we tell you everything you need to know.
Why You Should Wax Your Board
A few reasons might convince you that waxing your bodyboard is the best idea, even when some people might tell you you should not bother with waxing your board.
More control and stability
In the market, there are bodyboards designed with special features for beginners. These features help new bodyboarders to stay in control even when riding powerful big waves.
Most boarders won’t sacrifice this control and stability. However, big waves are unforgiving things, and you would like to take ownership of that monster. Waxing your board will give you the feeling of security and control as you will not be slipping off the board.
Doing tricks
The more time you spend bodyboarding, just riding waves could end up feeling tedious, so you will want to start learning some tricks.
Some of these cool tricks might include your body losing contact with the board, besides your hands and abdomen, as this is the case of the wave face 360s, which is a spinning trick.
Waxing your board might be the only thing that will keep you from sliding off your board and into the water.
Other riding styles
With the basic riding style, you have more grip, thanks to having a large area of your body in contact with the surface of your board.
Suppose you want to stand up or drop a knee while bodyboarding; you will need some extra help to keep your body stuck to the board; with fewer body areas in contact with the board, the chances of falling off increase.
Waxing your board will let you explore cool tricks and different boarding styles without slipping away from your board.
Improve easily
After all the reasons mentioned above, this one might be the obvious one. But, with all of the tricks and riding styles you will learn, you will see improvements even in your normal ridings in small waves.
The Downside Of Waxing
Using wax on your bodyboard is not always beneficial for you. For example, there are times when it might be challenging to perform some ticks if you have waxed your board.
Sliding up and down and shifting your weight around are some complex tasks to perform if you are stuck to the surface of your board.
Where And How To Put The Wax On The Bodyboard
The first place you should give some attention to is around the nose of your bodyboard; this is the place where your hands are going to be most of the time.
Some other places you should look at when waxing your bodyboard are:
- Chest
- Abdomen
- Hips
- Elbows
- Forearms
- Rails
You should always keep in mind to use less wax than more, though the abdomen and nose areas could use a little more if you perform a lot of tricks.
The way and amount of wax you apply to your bodyboard is a personal thing. Our best advice is to pay attention to the areas you will need to get stuck to, even if it is just around the nose and the rail.
Some of the techniques to wax your board are:
- Criss-cross
- Horizontal
- Oblique
- Circular
- Random
Also, here we give you some tricks and tips to have in mind when waxing your board:
- Have a wax scraper near you in case you apply too much wax.
- Keep in mind to apply with light strokes.
- Feel the area to determine if you have to apply more.
- Do not apply wax in the sun.
- Consider covering the waxing areas with ocean water and sand before waxing; some surfers and bodyboarders do this. It is believed that this removes what makes the board slippery. This step is up to you and works best for brand-new bodyboards.
- Wax your board in a cool and dark place.
You will have to remove the wax if there is an excess of product, you want to apply a new fresh coat, or the grip is not as effective as it used to be. Here you have some tips that will help you:
- For removing the wax, do not take your board out to the sun.
- You could use a blow dryer to help you remove the wax; you will have to do it without pointing directly to the board.
- You also could use hot water to help you remove the wax. However, do not use boiling water.
- You could also rub a towel; the friction will create heat that will help you remove the wax. Finally, for some extra help, put some hot sand on the waxed area.
Best Wax Brands
This subject is always a matter of concern. There are some factors to consider when selecting the wax you need, like the smell, formula, how well it maintains the grip, how it connects with your board and water temperatures.
There are many options in the market, so you can find one that can suit the water temperature of your location, but a downside to this is most of the waxes are not so eco-friendly.
Still, if you are patient enough, you can make your own wax using natural ingredients like beeswax, coconut oil, and tree resin.
It does not matter if we talk about boards, wax, swimsuits, and even bottled water.
Here we have a list of the best wax brands in the market, so it is easier for you to decide which brand you feel more comfortable with.
Final Thoughts
Whether you decide to wax your bodyboard or not, is a personal decision. However, you have to keep in mind to get a good wax brand and the correct type of wax depending on the temperatures and grip you need.
Also, where and how you wax your board is a personal choice. Still, you have to keep in mind not waxing your board under the sun and avoiding really high temperatures as it could cause some severe damage to the board.
After all of this information, we hope that you have cleared your mind regarding if you have to wax your bodyboard or not.