What Is Surf Wax For? -

History Lesson

Surf wax is reported to have first been used as far back as the 1930’s and is designed to be used on the top surface, or deck of your surfboard to provide traction. Since 1930 there have been many changes in the type of wax surfers used, from very basic candle wax to furniture wax to bars of paraffin wax to the famously known Mr. Zogs Sexwax and Mrs. Palmers. Nowadays surf wax is made using paraffin, beeswax, oils for softening that are similar to Vaseline, resins and perfumes that give it the distinctive smell.

Kinds of Surf Wax

Waxes are available in three general classifications:

Classic or traditional waxes, which contain higher paraffin content and are basically harder and less tacky.
Sticky waxes containing more softeners and tackifiing agents.
The very soft and very sticky that have just entered the market in the last few years.

So how do you know which surf wax to use?

Generally in Ireland our water temperature is between 7 and 15 degrees Celsius depending on which part of the coast you’re at and obviously the time of year!

YELLOW LABEL
REVISED RANGE
X-COLD to COLD
58°F / 14°C
& BELOW

PURPLE LABEL
REVISED RANGE
COLD TO COOL
48°F to 68°F
9°C to 20°C

GREEN LABEL
REVISED RANGE
COOL TO MID WARM
58°F to 74°F
14°C to 23°C

ORANGE LABEL
REVISED RANGE
MID COOL TO WARM
64°F to 78°F
18°C to 26°C

RED LABEL
REVISED RANGE
WARM TO MID TROPIC
70°F to 84°F
21°C to 29°C

BLUE LABEL
REVISED RANGE
TROPIC
78°F / 26°C
& ABOVE

Chose a harder wax for your basecoat that will allow stability underfoot, it provides a long lasting surface texture that can hold the top coat in place preventing it from rubbing away in strategic areas. When you start with a firm basecoat, you have the option of using a much stickier top coat then you could without the use of a basecoat.