How to Remove Old Wax From a Surfboard

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When it’s time to apply a fresh coat of surf wax to your surfboard, you need to start by removing the old surf wax.

How You Get Old Wax Off A Surfboard?

  • Heat up the old wax so it will be easier to remove. On a sunny day, let your surfboard sit in the sunshine for about five minutes.
  • Use the straight edge of a wax comb to scrape off the remaining wax.
  • Clean off remaining residue with a liquid wax remover. Use a cloth and a circular motion to rub the remover on the surfboard.
  • After taking off the old wax, follow the steps above to apply a fresh coat.

Here is everything you need including a wax comb, wax and fireball wax remover from Amazon to clean up your surfboard.

How To Remove Wax From Soft Top Surfboard?

You can remove wax from your foamie or soft top surfboard the same way you remove wax from a regular surfboard, using a wax comb and/or sun light. Be careful when it comes to scraping the wax off of your soft top using a wax comb. You don’t want to gouge or nick the foam.

When Do You Remove Surf Wax?

Generally, the more you surf, the more you should remove the wax and put on a fresh coat. This is because the wax gets stale and loses its tackiness after a while. Remove your old wax once every 6 – 12 months, depending on the look and tack of the wax. If you surf wax has no tack, remove it.

If your wax is some shade of dirty brown or feels like sand paper because you got sand imbedded in the wax, remove the surf wax.

Start with a fresh, wax free deck by using a wax comb to remove the old wax. You can let the sun soften up the wax a bit, but don’t let your surfboard bake in the sun. The extended heat isn’t good for the surfboard and you could end up delaminating (separating) the glass from the foam.

Although the process might seem complicated at first, you’ll soon become an expert at waxing your surfboard and won’t think twice about it. Keeping your wax in top condition will help you stay on your surfboard and make learning to surf that much easier.