How to wax a snowboard: essential tips for all riders

Keeping your snowboard waxed is all-important to its performance and helps it last longer. Think of your snowboard like a plant in a drought – unless it’s watered, it’ll wither right up. Wax keeps your base hydrated just like the water does for a plant.

You keep your snowboard base waxed for the same reason you wax a ski – it helps limit wear and increases glide and performance by reducing friction. A snowboard base is covered with tiny pores that are so small you can’t even see them. Fresh wax fills these pores, reducing friction and giving you the ability to glide on snow. When your base is dry and without wax, these empty pores increase friction, slowing you down and keeping you from maintaining speed as you transfer from edge to edge. This extra friction can also speed up wear on your base. Keeping your base waxed is really simple (and fun!), so we’re gonna to show you how you can do it yourself.

Do I need to wax a new snowboard?

Most snowboards, like ours, come with a factory wax and tune. This means they don’t need a hot wax before you take them out for their first spin. The quality of this wax varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. We suggest riding about 2-3 days before getting your board waxed for the first time. If you’re taking your brand-new board away on a trip, it’s probably a good idea to go ahead and put a fresh coat of hot wax on it, or make sure you have a way to wax it while you’re away.

How do I tell if I need wax?

Generally speaking, we recommend waxing your snowboard every 5 days of riding. However, if you’re riding in spring-like conditions or in heavy snow with high moisture, you may need to wax more often. Some conditions even call for adding a fresh coat daily. You can usually tell if your board needs wax by the way it feels underfoot. If your base is very dry, you can tell just by looking. Here are a few more signs of a dry base:

• Glide resistance underfoot – If you feel resistance against the snow underfoot and have to compensate by shifting your weight back, you probably need a fresh coat of hot wax. You can especially feel this on cat-tracks, but without wax you’ll feel it everywhere once your base gets dry enough.
• Sluggish Edge to Edge – If you feel sluggish transitioning edge to edge, or if you feel resistance while on edge, you probably need a fresh coat of hot wax.
• Base Discoloration – If your base appears to be ‘losing color’ and feels dry, or almost flaky, it’s time to wax. Typically, you’ll see this most in the areas that have the most contact with the snow—along your edges, between your feet, and at the contact points just outside of your feet.

What tools do I need to wax my snowboard?

Here’s a list of things you’ll need to wax your snowboard:

• Waxing Iron – You can buy these at most snowboard shops. DO NOT use the same iron that you use for clothes.
• Wax – You can buy this at a snowboard shop. Make sure you have the right color for the conditions you’ll be riding in (more below).
• Scraper – Metal or plastic
• Buffing pad – A Scotch-brite scouring pad works great
• Base cleaner – Citrus-based Another piece of equipment that can be extremely helpful (but isn’t completely necessary) is a pair of vice grips. These help you hold your board in place, which is very useful when you’re scraping.

What kind of wax should I buy?

Wax comes in a variety of types and colors, each made for different snow conditions. Generally, with warmer or spring-like conditions you’ll use a brighter wax color like red, yellow, or pink. Cooler conditions need darker wax colors like blue or green. These wax compounds are specially designed to work best and last longer in certain conditions, so make sure you’ve got the right wax for the conditions you’re riding.

How often should I wax my snowboard?

A snowboard should be waxed every 3-5 days of riding to keep it in prime condition. This frequency can vary based on the type of base: 1. Extruded Bases: Require waxing less often, typically every 5-8 days of riding, as they are less porous and retain wax longer. 2. Sintered Bases: Need more frequent waxing, around every 3-5 days of riding, due to their higher porosity and better wax absorption.

How do I wax my snowboard?

It’s really simple! Pop some music on and follow these simple steps to keep your base waxed and happy.

• Remove excess wax and clean your base – Remove any old excess wax with a scraper. Scrape in the direction of tip to tail and keep pressure all the way through. If your base is really dry, you can skip this step. Still, you’ll want to clean your base with a simple citrus cleaner to free up those pores.
• Choose your wax and turn the iron on – Before you start make sure your board is room temperature. If your board is cold, the pores won’t be open enough to absorb the wax efficiently. Choose your wax based on the conditions you’ll be riding. Turn the iron on high enough to melt the wax without smoking.
• Drip – Touch the bar of wax to the iron, tilting the iron at a 45-degree angle upside down so that the melted wax drips onto the base. Drip around the edges, about an inch from the actual edge, then drip around the rest of the base. Each drop should have a few inches between it and the next.
• Iron and spread – Start moving the iron across the base and spread the wax evenly using a circular motion. Keep the iron moving so you don’t overheat or damage your base.
• Cool down – Let your board cool for 5-10 minutes. This lets the wax settle in the pores.
• Scrape – Once your wax is dry and set, it’s time to scrape. Scrape tip to tail pushing the scraper away from you. Make sure you scrape all the wax off. Remember, the pores that need wax aren’t really visible to the naked eye. If you see extra wax on your board, you need to keep scraping.
• Buff – Once you’ve finished scraping, treat your board to a buff using a scouring pad. This will help evenly spread any excess wax and give you a better glide. You can also buff the edges to make sure you’ve removed all the wax from the edges.

ALTERNATIVES TO HOT WAXING

If you don’t have the time (or don’t want to make the effort) to hot wax, there are a few alternatives: 1. Rub-On Wax: Easy to apply and convenient for quick fixes. It provides a temporary boost in performance but lacks the longevity and deep conditioning of hot wax. 2. Spray-On Wax: Similar to rub-on wax, it's quick and easy but offers limited durability and performance enhancement. 3. Liquid Wax: Can be applied quickly and offers better coverage than rub-on or spray-on waxes. However, it still doesn't penetrate as deeply as hot wax.

While these methods are useful for short-term maintenance, hot waxing remains the most effective for long-lasting performance, deeper base conditioning, and better overall protection. Many people find the thought of waxing their board scary or intimidating until they do it for first time. Waxing is easy, fun, and an important part of keeping your snowboard happy and healthy, plus it helps your own performance on the mountain. If you don’t feel comfortable waxing your board, no sweat. Most shops will be able to give you an exceptional tune job that includes a hot wax plus any other maintenance you might need before a big day up the mountain. Check out Snowboarding Stories & Guides to read more tips.