How to Wax a Snowboard

Snowboarding is an all-around fun activity that requires little preparation. One thing that is important however, is waxing. Waxing your snowboard will get you better results in the hill, as well as prolonging the life of the snowboard. How to wax snowboards is the same as how to wax skis, so if you know one of them you know both.

When choosing wax it's OK to go with normal ski wax. You can choose to buy a kit with wax for different temperatures, or you can buy individual ones. The most basic ones that you should have are wax for temperatures 10 F and colder, one for 15 to 25 F, and a warm wax for 25 to 35 F. ln addition to this you'll need a wax iron, scrapes and brushes. There are wax irons specifically designed for waxing, but using an old clothes iron works as well. Just remember that the iron can never again be used on clothes, so have an iron that is only used for waxing. I would not recommend going with the cheapest equipments, get some good quality products and it will last longer than your snowboard.

Next up is to find a good work place. You should do waxing inside, so the wax is allowed to dry at a warm temperature. Also beware of any potential mess, and make sure the room is ventilated.

Find the appropriate wax and warm the iron to the correct temperature. Certain waxes might have different melting points, so make sure you read the instruction on the wax. To check to see if the iron is at the correct temperature you can press the wax into the iron. If it starts to smoke the iron is too hot, and you need to lower the temperature. Heat the iron approximately 20 minutes before you start to let it get nice and warm.

Always start at the tip of your snowboard, working your way down towards the end. Hold the iron over the snowboard, and let the wax drip down on it as it's melting. Be sure to cover the entire base of the snowboard with wax.

Now take the iron and with a light movement move the iron from the snowboards tip to tail. Also here use common sense - if the wax gets too hot i.e. it start smoking, lower the temperature. When this is done allow the wax to completely cool down, approximately 20 minutes.

Once the wax has cooled down, use a plastic scraper to scrape off the wax. Once again, work from the tip of the snowboard, towards the tail. Make sure that all the wax is scraped off before continuing - don't worry about removing too much wax. The wax is absorbed through the base of the snowboard, so there should not be excess wax on the snowboard. You can repeat the process with waxing once again after this is done to get an even better result, but it's not necessary.

Take a soft brush and go over the snowboard with it. Then use a cloth to gently polish the newly waxed base on the snowboard.

There's a general rule that you can never wax too much, so you should try to do this at a very minimum once a season. More often is preferred, especially if there are big ranges in temperature. Once you get the hang of how to wax snowboards, it's an easy job that doesn't require much time or effort.

I have always used Swix ski wax, and am very satisfied with it. There are many other brands out there as well, but to get ones for proper temperatures are more important than brand.

With your snowboard waxed I hope you'll have a great time snowboarding!