Surf wax is an essential to apply to a surfboard to create traction and make the board less slippery.
If you’re wondering how to make your own surf wax at home, look no further.
In this article, I will cover a few ways you can make surf wax.
Without further ado, let’s get into it.
Why Is Surf Wax Important?
Surf wax is important because it provides something for your feet to grip onto on the surface of the board.
When you’re surfing without surf wax, the surface of your board becomes slippery in the water.
Without the addition of surf wax or traction pads, you will struggle to stand up on your board and won’t be able to make the most out of your surfing sessions.
Bearing this in mind, having a good quality surf wax on hand is thoroughly important to be able to build on your surfing technique.
After all, you won’t get any better at the sport if you’re constantly falling off your board, or worse, can’t even stand up on your surfboard as it’s too slippery!
How To Make Surf Wax
Warm Water Wax
Ingredients
– 1 cup of beeswax
– 1/4 cup of coconut oil
– A few drops of essential oil
Instructions
Step One – Heat Water In A Double Broiler
To begin, you will need to add 1 1/2 cups of water to the double broiler.
Turn your stove on medium until the water is beginning to steam. You do not need to boil the water, you just need it to be hot enough to melt the beeswax.
Note: If you don’t have a double broiler, then all you need to do to make one is to boil water in a pan and place a heat-proof bowl over the top of it.
Step Two – Add The Beeswax And The Beeswax
Once the water has begun to warm up and is steaming, add 1 cup of beeswax and ¼ cup of coconut oil to the top pan of the double broiler.
Step Three – Melt The Ingredients
Once you place the beeswax and coconut oil over the bottom of the broiler, they should begin to melt.
Step Four – Add Essential Oils (Optional)
If you want to give your surf wax a nice aroma, at this stage you can add a few drops of essential oils when the wax and coconut oil have melted.
Note: Common oils to use are peppermint, eucalyptus, and rosemary.
Step Five – Pour The Surf Wax Into A Mold
Last, but by no means least, you will need to pour the surf wax into a mold.
Leave the wax to harden for a few hours, and your surf wax is ready to use!
Cold Water Wax
Ingredients
– 1 cup of beeswax
– 1/4 cup of coconut oil
– 1/4 cup of tree sap resin
– A few drops of essential oil (optional)
Instructions
Step One – Find A Conifer To collect Tree Sap Resin
To begin, you will first need to find a healthy conifer to collect your tree sap resin.
Step Two – Create A Flat Area On The Tree
Once you’ve found the right conifer, you will need to create a cleared area on the tree with a machete or hatchet.
You will need to make a rectangle that is around ten inches long and six inches wide.
Step Three – Place A Bucket Under The Tree To Collect The Tree Resin
Following this, you will need to place a bucket underneath the tree where you have made your rectangle to collect the sap as it falls.
Step Four – Cut A V-Shaped Notch Into The Rectangle
Next, you will need to cut a v-shaped notch into the rectangle that you have made.
This will encourage the tree resin to fall directly into the bucket.
Step Five – Allow The Tree Resin To Build
Collecting tree resin isn’t something that’s going to happen automatically, you need to give it time!
Bearing this in mind, you will need to leave the bucket and come back to check it every day until there is enough resin to collect.
Generally speaking, it’ll take around two to three days in order to collect 1/4 of resin for this recipe.
Step Six – Add Water To A Double Broiler
Like you did in the first recipe, add water to the double broiler and allow it to heat up.
Step Seven – Add The Beeswax And Coconut Oil To The Double Broiler
Next, you will need to add the beeswax and coconut oil to the top of the double broiler along with the tree resin.
Step Eight – Combine The Mixture
Give the wax a good stir until the mixture is well combined.
Step Nine – Add The Wax To A Container
Next, you will need to add the wax to a container.
Make sure that you scrape the sides of the pan to ensure that you don’t waste any of the wax.
Step Ten – Allow The Wax To Harden
Once you’ve added the wax to the container, you will need to allow it to harden.
You can leave the wax container open to ensure that it hardens at a quicker rate, allowing the heat to escape.
Step Eleven – Store The Wax Until You’re Ready To Use It
Last, but by no means least, store the wax until you’re ready to hit the water with your surfboard.
How Often Should You Wax Your Surfboard?
How often you clean and re-wax your surfboard will depend on the temperature of the water that you surf in, so where you live and surf in the world will impact this significantly.
However, generally speaking, you should wax your surfboard every 2 to 3 months, or 4 to 6 times a year, as a general rule of thumb.
This will ensure that your board is grippy enough for you to stand on it, making jumping up an easier process, especially when you’re new to surfing.
Cleaning your board is important every time that you want to reapply wax, as the old wax needs to be removed to keep your board in the best possible condition.
In Summary
Surf waxes are an important part of surfing, they help keep your board clean and dry, and they also protect your board from damage.
I hope this article has given you inspiration and has given you a better idea of how to make your own surf wax!
Good luck making homemade surf wax!
