Surf wax is a big part of the sport but can be a big headache when it melts. The last thing you want to be worried about when you’re out on the waves is whether or not there’s a mess waiting for you in your car. It’s important to know how to store surf wax properly, and we at LISS are here to steer you in the right direction. Small, inadvertent mistakes have had messy consequences for countless surfers, and we don’t want you to join them.
1. Don’t Leave Your Wax Out in the Open
Surf wax is meant to provide your board with traction so that your feet don’t slip off. This sticky quality is exactly what you want while you’re in the water, but on land, your bar of surf wax can collect all manner of debris. Your bar falling in the sand or even the floor of your car is a nightmare waiting to happen if you leave it exposed. Even if you’re being especially mindful of it, a swift breeze can pepper it with a layer of coarse sand.
What’s worse, any abrasive material stuck in your wax can scrape and damage your board during your next application. The easy solution to all of this is to buy yourself a wax box that keeps debris out.
2. Avoid Direct Sunlight
Surf wax comes in a variety of temperature tolerances, from cold to tropical, but it’s important to remember that this refers to the temperature of the water — and the temperature of the ambient air is always going to be warmer, especially in direct sunlight.
Wax made for cold water is designed to be sticky and pliable under cold conditions. This means it takes less heat to melt, and ruin your wax. On the opposite end, tropical waxes have much higher melting points.
Wax needs to stay adhesive from Maui to the Caribbean, where water temperatures can reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit, or 26.6 degrees Celsius, or hotter. However, this is nothing compared to outdoor air temperatures of these places. Peak season in Hawaii can see days hitting 90 degrees Fahrenheit, or 32.2 degrees Celcius.
The bottom line is: Avoid leaving your wax in direct sunlight. Find a cool, sheltered place for it so you don’t come back from the beach to find a big, glossy puddle.
3. Don’t Place Wax on Your Dash
Many people consider their car’s dashboard the perfect place to store items they don’t frequently use. After all, it keeps items off the floor and out of the way of people trying to sit. Tossing your sunglasses onto the dash before running down to the waves may be harmless, but dashboards are the last place you’ll want to store your surf wax.
Even if you’re parked in the shade, your dashboard will quickly become the hottest part of your car. The broad glass of your windshield easily lets heat through, and anything sitting below it is sure to get cooked.
4. Avoid Radiators and Heaters
While your car’s dash is no place for your surf wax, you need to be just as careful with it when you’re at home. Not only do you need to avoid direct light from the windows, but make sure you’re conscious of where the heaters and radiators are. Nightstands and bookcases can often be right beside these appliances, making a microclimate inside your own home. To avoid your wax melting, make sure you’re not storing it on a surface directly above or below a heater, and be sure you never idly set it down on top of your radiator or nearby furniture.
5. Be Cautious With Freezers
Since wax is sensitive to heat, the logical assumption could be to store it someplace cold like a fridge or a freezer. This can be a quick remedy if you realize your wax is beginning to melt, but it should be just that: a temporary fix. Once your wax has firmed up again, you’ll want to remove it from the cold environment.
Using the fridge or freezer as a long-term storage solution isn’t a good idea because any moisture in or around the bar will crystallize and end up weakening the integrity of the wax when it thaws. Plus, using wax that hasn’t thawed completely to try to coat your board can prove to be a Herculean task. Not only will the wax not spread like it’s meant to, but the hardened block can end up scratching or denting your board.
6. Treat Your Wax Gently
Surf wax is pliable, but that doesn’t make it indestructible. Handling your wax too roughly can cause the bar to crack or break. You may be able to salvage the pieces that come off, but you’re just as likely to lose them.
Loose wax makes for unsightly litter if left on the ground, and they can work their way into your upholstery and your spare clothes if they’re loose in your car.
Plus, if your bar breaks apart, you effectively reduce the lifetime of the product. Not all the pieces will be salvageable or usable, so you’ll end up buying more wax sooner than you would have otherwise, effectively flushing away hard-earned money.
Just as crushed ice melts faster than solid cubes, broken wax bits are more susceptible to high temperatures. So not only are you losing chunks of a product you paid good money for, they’re more likely to make a mess.
Quick Review
The LISS Recommendation
Keep your surf wax out of direct sunlight and away from extreme temperatures. Your wax will serve you best if you keep it at room temperature whenever possible and work it gently into your board. So, search for a spot in your home that stays cool and a place in your car like the glove compartment.
However, we at LISS recognize that surfing is often a hot-weather sport. Making sure your car is staying cool may not be practical when you’re out on the waves.
Rather than risk your wax melting if you can’t find the perfect spot to store it, take the guesswork out of the equation with the LISS wax box. Made from eco-friendly materials, our insulated wax box keeps your wax safe from the heat of the day. Plus, its snug design keeps out sand and grit. Time to keep your wax safe so you can spend more time enjoying the surf and less time struggling with grimy, melted wax.