Never wax your surfboard again

Waxing a surfboard can be a tricky task if you don’t know what you were doing,  tropical warm cool and cold water wax as well as base coat there is quite a few different waxes you’ll need depending on the conditions if you want to know more about how to wax up check out our how to wax up  post

How to wax a surfboard

why do we have surf wax

if you’re new to surfing wax is  what give you all you’re traction and grip on the board the more group you have the more control you have over where your board Direction goes.Surf wax is  almost as old as surfing itself and it’s only really in the last few years that we have seen some intresting alternatives to surf wax. as time went on and surf boards developed the industry introduced the traction pad for the back foot.  your back foot when surfing does the majority of power turns and more weight goes through this so the need for more grip in this area was needed.

why look for an alternative to wax

surf wax is definitely an ideal material for grip perfect in the water  and out unfortunately wax tends to grip to everything put your bored on the beach it’s covered in sand slide your bored in the car you’ve got wax on your head rests in and out of surfboard bags it groups to the material on the inside if your stacking boards you’re going to end up with wax on the underside of multiple boards for the ultimate kook Chinese wax job.

wax for every season

if you’re new to surfing wax is  what give you all you’re traction and grip on the board the more group you have the more control you have over where your board Direction goes.Surf wax is  almost as old as surfing itself and it’s only really in the last few years that we have seen some intresting alternatives to surf wax. as time went on and surf boards developed the industry introduced the traction pad for the back foot.  your back foot when surfing does the majority of power turns and more weight goes through this so the need for more grip in this area was needed.

so without further ado let’s  see what’s out there as an alternative to Wax.

The  front traction pad

You may have seen this one before usually in warmer countries where  wax will melt as soon as you get it on the beach made from the same material as traction pads for your back foot and also the same material as stand-up paddle boards deck grip,  usually a EVA foam with a grooved pattern cut-out for grip

PROS

• Grip a year round hot or cold
  

• Will not stick to sand or melt

CONS

• Can be uncomfortable when paddling
  

• Can wear out over time and use
  

• Needs 24 hours to fully cure
  

• More expensive than wax

sticky deck grip pads

Reasonably new to the surfing world with more material and technology backing behind it this is a very Sleek and minimal alternative to surf wax.  I’m pretty sure this one is based off of the grippy stickers used to get for bathtubs so you don’t sleep in the bath and shower but just a bit fancier 😉

PROS

• Very thin profile

• UV resistant

• easy application

• Lightweight

• Clear

• will not stick to sand or melt

CONS

• And sure grip performance is improved over wax

• Anywhere from £30 to £60

Cork traction pad.

Similar to eva traction pads the cork traction pad is a sustainable option not made from plastic and has a natural grip, And at home on the sea this material does not perish easy as you will see bottles with corks in still to this day Also like the Eva traction pad  very lightweight but with a lower profile so much thinner under the chest when paddling.

PROS

• thin and light

• Sustainable

• non-aggressive(not like sandpaper)

• will not stick to sand  or furniture

• will not melt

• does not need to be changed for climate

CONS

• costs more than wax

• not as grippy as some wax

• Will wear out over time and use

Wax Trax  whole board sticker

this is not so much an alternative as it is a waxing aid these are a whole board sticker. The idea behind this is you wax on top of the sheet and the raised pattern gives you a clean uniform waxing pattern the bumps in the vinyl sheet cling to the wax when applied over the top this way you don’t use too much wax and still get a great grip kind of your base layer to work on top of.  for many of you perfectionists you must have the perfect wax job this one’s for you in a range of patterns you will have a perfectly waxed board With a cool design of your choice This sheet removes the need for a wax comb and war always have the raised pattern once overused or feel like a change you can fill the whole sheet off with the wax on removing the stress of the waxing a board

Surf wax still reigns King at the moment nothing quite compares in performance currently I’ve yet to see a professional Surfer use any of the alternatives here but for those not competing at such high levels maybe there’s room for a change and I’m sure as Time Goes On technology will get better and better we may even see grip built straight into the glass somehow one day

I always thought a grippy reef boot or shoe might be the answer but  I’ve yet to find it until then we’ve got some pretty cool alternatives to wax you may want to try some of these out the next time you go travelling just for that benefit of never having to worry do I have tropical wax do I have cold water wax having something stuck to your board you always are ready to go .

These are the alternatives we have found if you know of something different unique and not on this list let us know and we can update it over time

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