Should You Wax A Skimboard?
In this article, we answer the question “should you wax a skimboard?”. We share the benefits and downsides of waxing your skimboard as well as the methods you can use to make sure you do it correctly. We talk about all of that, as well as how waxing a skimboard compares to using traction pads or no wax at all.
If you are using a skimboard for the first time then don’t even worry about waxing, focus on learning the basics. Once you realize how fun skimboarding is and you start doing it all the time then you can start to experiment with wax. If you find yourself slipping off your skimboard all the time then you should probably think about waxing your skimboard.
To save you the time and pain of doing it wrong, this guide will hopefully help you choose the right type of wax and where to apply it on your board. We answer the most common question and try to pass on as much knowledge as we can to you.
4 Benefits of Waxing a Skimboard vs Traction Pads
The benefits of waxing a skimboard are massive and anytime you can improve your grip or increase your skim, you should take it. Here are 4 advantages of waxing a skimboard vs using a traction pad:
1. Wax Gives More Grip Coverage Options
Wax is grippier than no wax and especially when things get wet. Wax is water repellent which means it actually disperses water away to help keep the top of your skimboard grippy for your feet. Better grip means you can make really push into your turns and more confident carves.
Wax you can change, traction pads you cannot. As you improve and change your style you may need more grip in new and different places. Wax gives you that freedom.
2. Sticky Feeling To The Board
Wax gives a certain stickiness to the board which can go far to help your grip and feeling. Traction pads are not sticky. And to make them sticky, you’ll need wax!
Because you are jumping onto your board at speed it is easy to slip straight off before you’ve even done any skimming. Wax halps your feet to instantly stick to the surface and continue your forward momentum through your skimboard
3. Wax is Cheaper
Wax is considerably cheaper than a traction pad. Traction pads are in the range of $15-$60 USD, whereas wax is usually around $5 a cake. One or two cakes of wax would likely last a year or two. Depending on how often you skim and how many friends steal your wax.
4. The Look Of Your Skimboard
Got cool skimboard graphics or colors? They are hidden with traction pads, but not as much when using wax. This may sound silly but it does make a difference when you look at your board and you love the look of it.
3 Downsides to Waxing a Skimboard vs Traction Pads
Here are 3 downsides to using wax on your skimboard but bare in mind that you should overlook these in favor of better grip which is the only thing that really matters.
1. Wax Is Messy
Wax can melt in your car or in the sun. It does not take too hot of a day to melt your wax. Then your board will make a mess and can easily get stuck to the inside of your board bag. If you take your skimboard on a plane and use towels to protect it then your towels can sometimes get ruined.
When you have to store or transport your waxed skimboard you need to be careful not to let any nice clothes get rubbed up against the wax as it may stain them. When you do apply wax to your skimboard it does also get all over your hands and it may take some very hot soapy water to get it off.
2. Landing Support
Traction pads (depending on the type) can give a bit of cushioning to landing on the board. This includes when you initially run and jump onto the board. This is just a minor thing as traction pads don’t actually give that much support, they just feel comfier.
3. Help Your Foot Positioning
A big benefit of traction pads is they aid foot positioning. You will instantly know if your feet are in the correct location or not by feeling the pad under your foot. Some pads have arches for your feet to help lateral control and feel of the board.
Should Use Skimboard Wax and Traction Pads Together?
The most common setup is to have a traction pad on the back of the board and wax on the front. This gives the benefits of both worlds. Of course, this is for ocean skimboards and directional skimboards.
Urban/Flatland skimboards tend to be symmetrical and you generally wear shoes. In this case, a small amount of wax on the top would be beneficial and traction pads are not necessary.
What Kind of Wax Should You Use on a Skimboard?
Surf wax is the best kind of wax to use on a skimboard. It comes in many brands, shapes, and sizes. It is a personal preference which one you use. Use this wax on the top of the board to give you more grip.
Can you use candlewax on skimboards? Definitely not on the top. You will slip off and injure yourself if you do. Candle wax can be good on the bottom of the board, but more on that later.
Typically there are four different ratings of wax; warm, tropical, cold, and cool. These ratings are how “hard” the wax is. The harder the wax, the higher the melting temperature.
Different areas of the world will need different ratings of wax at different times of the year. Usually hard wax in summer and soft wax in winter.
If you buy wax from a local surf store they will be able to tell you which wax hardness is good for that area at that time of year. It’s better to go harder than softer, especially if the skimboard is sitting in a hot car.
Where Do You Wax a Skimboard?
Skimboards are waxed either;
- Completely on the top.
- In the front foot area, when using a tail pad (rear traction pad).
- On the bottom surface with candle wax or car polish.
Can You Wax a Traction Pad on a Skimboard? Traction pads are grippy, but not sticky. You can wax them for extra stickiness and a better feel. This takes only a small bit of wax to achieve.
Do You Wax Both Sides Of a Skimboard?
You can wax both sides of a skimboard, but do not use the same wax. The top of a skimboard needs to give you grip and the bottom needs to give you slip. As mentioned above, we use surf wax to give grip on the top, but the bottom is different.
On the bottom of the board, we want slippage! So we can use candle wax or also car polish. Car polish has silicon in it which gives it the hydrophobic qualities leading to the water beading off the surface.
Waxing the bottom of a skimboard is a controversial topic. Some say it is beneficial. Some say it’s rubbish, or that it’s insignificant compared to simply running a little faster before dropping the board and jumping on (the “drop”).
It has been said that waxing the bottom of your skimboard helps maintain skimboard slide and speed on the drop before you jump on. Especially on the wet sand.
Urban, or flatland, skimboarding could see the biggest benefit in waxing the bottom of the board as we are often sliding across wetted surfaces and not deeper water like in the ocean.
How Often Should You Wax A Skimboard?
You should wax your skimboard as often as you need to. Not a great answer I know, but it is the truth. Generally, you put a bit of fresh wax on before each session. Nothing special, a quick 5-10 second waxing is fine, to give you an idea.
At some point, the skimboard will need complete rewaxing. Sand gets stuck in the wax and over time wax hardens and turns brown. Looks horrible but it can still give a good grip.
A good wax coat takes a few sessions to build up. After the initial waxing, the wax will get compressed in a session and will need topping up. This cycle repeats a few times.
We hope we answer the question, “should you wax a skimboard?” and you know exactly what type of wax to use and where to use it.
