Can you use warm surf wax in cold water?

But does it really matter if you use warm-water wax in cold water? We’ll spare you what would be a disastrous experiment—it totally matters. “In tropical water, you want to increase the melt temperature,” says Dahl, “so you’d use hard wax with a high melt temperature.

What’s the difference between warm and cold surf wax?

Cool Water Surf Wax falls into the temperature range of 14-19° C, or 58-68° F. This type of surf wax contains lower melting paraffin and more softeners. Warm Water Surf Wax is a unique surf wax formula for water temperatures of 19-23° C, or 66-78° F.

What type of surfboard wax should I use?

Most surf wax manufacturers make products for tropical, warm, cool and cold waters. Use a cold-water wax in the tropics, and it’s going to melt right off. Use a tropical wax in the cold, and you’ll be lucky to even get it on your board.

What happens if you use tropical wax in cold water?

Tropical surf wax might not melt in cold temperatures, but it won’t give you much traction. Use the right temperature. Don’t lean your board wax-side down against your hot car.

Can you use cold temperature wax on a surfboard?

A cold temperature bar of wax will be tacky even in cold water where most wax will have frozen up. However, if you take a cold temperature wax to warm water, it will be too soft. As a rule of thumb, you can always use a warmer wax in cold water, but don’t use a colder wax in warm water.

Why does wax get softer in warm water?

Waxes get softer when the water is warmer. To make sure the wax is at an ideal level of softness in a specific water temperature, different chemicals are added to the wax. A tropical temperature wax will be the ideal level of tackyness in warm water. A cold temperature bar of wax will be tacky even in cold water where most wax will have frozen up.

What should I do before waxing my surfboard?

Before waxing your surfboard, clean it thoroughly first. If there’s any residue of old wax on your surfboard, you will still lose the new wax’s quality, and it will also flake off easily. You have to make sure that you are applying your new wax directly on your board’s body.

What kind of wax is best for surfing?

Wax companies make several different grades of wax: Basecoat — Definitely get a few bars of this. It’s the hardest wax. In some very hot climates this is the only wax that won’t melt. These degree ratings are for Sticky Bumps brand surf wax. Each company might have slightly different temperature ratings, so you’ll have to check it out for yourself.