How To Clean A Surfboard
One of the most important things you can do to ensure that your surfboard lasts for a long time and continues to function at its best is to keep it clean.
But even if your board has been through some tough waves and has picked up some dents and scratches, cleaning it is really more vital than ever before since it can prevent future damage and help increase the lifespan of your board, even if it has seen better days.
In this article, we are going to examine the most effective strategies and procedures that will assist you in cleaning your board to a high degree, regardless of whether it is brand new or an old reliable.
How to Clean Your Surfboard
- Soften the existing dirty, sandy wax that’s on your surfboard with sunlight.
- Make diamond patterns on the surfboard’s wax with the serrated side of a wax comb.
- Use the scraping side of the comb to remove most of the dirty wax.
- Apply surfboard cleaner and let dry, then wipe down with a towel.
- Use coconut oil to add further conditioning and an extra protective coat.
- Re-wax your surfboard with a base coat and then a topcoat.
Paraffin Wax
Wax, whether it be paraffin wax or just plain wax, is one of those essential components that every surfer makes use of on a daily basis, and it has to be adhered to the board! It is imperative that a layer of this wax be applied to our board in order to maintain adherence.
In addition to losing its characteristics over time, wax will eventually turn a darker color as a side effect of this process. As a result, it needs to be extracted and then reinserted. The importance of knowing how to clean the surfboard comes into play at this point; however, before we get to that, we want to urge you to choose wax that is created with natural products so that you can be environmentally responsible.
Remove the Old Wax, Sand, and Dirt
It is hoped that you have not allowed an excessive amount of old wax, sand, and dirt to accumulate on your board, but even if you have, it is not a problem. It is simple to get rid of. You’re going to need some assistance from the sun (or some other source of moderate heat), so make sure you have that. This is due to the fact that exposure to sunlight softens the wax, making it less difficult to remove.
You should strive to keep the heat on the surface of the surfboard, and the intensity of the heat should be kept to a minimum. If you apply excessive heat to your board, it could result in irreversible damage to the structure as well as a significant reduction in the board’s lifespan.
After the wax has become more pliable, you will need to make use of a wax comb. These may be purchased at virtually any store that sells surf gear or on the internet for a very low price. It is important to remember that when using the comb, you should strive to work smarter, not harder.
Using the side with the serrations, make diagonal strokes through the wax, and then cross those diagonal strokes with more diagonal strokes to create a diamond-shaped design. Because of this, a larger portion of the skin’s surface has been irritated by the comb. When you have finished covering the whole deck of the board, or at the very least the regions where wax buildup was discovered, it is time to remove any old wax that was left behind.
The piece of the tool that is serrated has a scraper located on the opposite side. Make use of this section of the comb in order to remove as much wax as you possibly can. It’s possible that it will take a few tries, depending on how much wax and sand were left on the board after the previous step. Before moving further, you should try to get rid of as much as possible.
The comb on its own will not be able to remove every last trace of the old wax from the board; therefore, you will need to use warm water. This will assist in reducing the appearance of any lingering spots. After you have spread the warm water throughout the deck, grab a cloth and wipe it clean well.
Under no circumstances should water be used that is either boiling or very close to boiling. This will result in the surface of your board becoming damaged, and it will also cause deformations.
Apply Surfboard Cleaner and Coconut Oil
When you have completed the process of removing all of the wax from the surfboard, you are prepared to use a surfboard cleaning. On the market, you may find dozens of various cleansers, and each of them has a different solvent to clean your board. When you are on the market for one, you will need to know what material your surfboard is constructed out of.
Is fiberglass used in the construction of the exterior shell? Is that foam I see? Wood all the way through? If the surfboard cleaner you use is not formulated specifically for your board, it may have unintended side effects on the surface, as different cleaners use different solvents.
Sticky Bumps Wax Remover is one particular cleaning agent that is effective on all different kinds of surfboard materials. To thoroughly remove any traces of wax and grime, it makes use of a solvent that is safe for the environment and does not catch fire. After applying any product, you need to make sure to follow the directions on the packaging and give it enough time to dry completely before moving on to the next step.
Applying coconut oil to your surfboard as the final phase in its cleaning process is an important step. This not only gives an additional layer of conditioning to your board, but it also adds gloss, giving your board the appearance of being “brand-new” once more. It doesn’t have a foul odor at all, which is a plus. After the coconut oil has been given enough time to dry, you are able to reapply a new layer of wax and then head back into the water.
How Often Should You Clean Your Surfboard?
It is crucial to understand the damaging effects of saltwater and how even modest exposure can result in degradation and integrity issues. Although it may be tempting to postpone cleaning your surfboard to every few sessions at times, this should be avoided whenever possible.
Imagine that your surfboard is a boat and you are sailing it. At the very least, it must be cleaned after each and every time that it is submerged in seawater. You shouldn’t have to wipe the board after every single session, but you should at least do it after every other one. Simply put, you shouldn’t put off completing any sort of cleaning. It will be a worthwhile investment that will help the board last for many more years than it would have otherwise.
Should I Clean a Damaged Surfboard?
Before you can clean your board, you will need to get a surfboard repair kit if you did significant damage to it and exposed the core of the board. As was just discussed, the solvents that are contained in surfboard cleaners have the potential to cause irreversible damage to the foam core of the board. This can lead to a decrease in buoyancy as well as water-logging, both of which will have an impact on your performance as well as the amount of time you spend in the water.
You are allowed to start the cleaning process even if the dings are just mild or moderate in nature. Always keep an eye out for any damage that might have been done to your surfboard and be sure you check it after every session.
Clean Your Surfboard Thoroughly and Regularly
This point simply cannot be emphasized enough. It does not make sense to purchase a surfboard for several hundred dollars only to take inadequate care of it, which will significantly reduce the board’s lifespan. It is essential that you take proper care of your surfboard, just as you would with a car or any other significant investment. This means that you should clean your board as frequently as possible. Your surfboard will be grateful to you for it, and you’ll enjoy many more years of incredible sessions in the ocean as a result. Instead of viewing cleaning as a chore that needs to be done, think of it as something that will help keep the good times rolling!
How to clean the surfboard: 3 fundamental factors
Now that you are aware of what components of the surfboard’s surface need to be removed, we will provide you with some pointers on how to properly clean the board. You are welcome to leave a comment on this post if you are an experienced professional who has some knowledge to share with us regarding a technique that has been tried and proven to be effective.
Follow us if you are just getting started in this sport or if you are relatively new to it because it will most certainly be valuable to you.
1. Heat is our best ally
Because wax adheres to the board, we are able to keep our adhesion by avoiding slipping as much as possible. After that, it will become tough to remove because it would have hardened into a solid form. Because we can’t ignore the fact that this substance is still wax, applying heat will be of great assistance to us.
If you went to the beach and want to clean your board after a day of surfing right on the sand so that it looks brand new again, you had better hope that the sun is shining. In this way, you can proceed with the removal of the layer after leaving it under the rays of the sun for a few minutes, during which time the wax will begin to soften.
If it is chilly and you want to clean it for the next session, you can use a hairdryer. However, you must remember to properly disperse the heat across the entire surface. Concentrating the heat on a single area could cause the material to deteriorate. Since you now have softer wax, you are probably asking how to remove it now that it has been loosened up for you. Keep reading!
2. Get a wax comb
Although there are several home remedies, such as using old papers or plastic scrapers, for removing ice from car windows, our advise is to make use of a quality wax comb.
It is crucial to know how to properly clean the surfboard because boards are our most precious resource, if not one of the most precious resources. Never use metal scrapers or things with sharp edges because you could shatter the board.
Because this surface is not flat, the wax combs that are used for cleaning it have specialized edges, and in many instances, each one is designed for a certain function or section. Because of this, the wax combs can be found in a variety of designs.
If you are at the beach, don’t forget to collect them to throw them away later; if you are at home, prepare the space before starting to make collection easier. Pass the wax comb evenly across the board in order to remove the thicker wax blocks.
If you have previously used the wax comb on the surface of the board, you are probably wondering how to clean the surfboard so that those nearly undetectable remnants of wax are removed. Let’s find out how!
3. Remove the remains
Finally, we recommend using a natural solution that dissolves the wax. This will ensure that the board is left completely shining and ready for another layer of fresh wax to be applied. There are goods that are respectful of the environment and are based on citric acid or similar substances; nonetheless, it is preferable to choose products that do not contain any chemicals.
Also, not only for the sake of the environment, but the surface of your board can be harmed by chemical products; therefore, you shouldn’t take any chances and should start taking care of it right away!
When applying the removal product to the surfboard, it is recommended that you use a cloth or sponge rather than a tea towel since the tea towel will leave marks on the surface of the board. This is another piece of fundamental guidance on how to clean the surfboard. Use circular motions to apply it, and keep doing so until the board regains its gloss. You can also give the surface a final rinsing with some water at a later time, but make sure to wait until it’s completely dry before applying another coat of wax.
You are already familiar with the proper way to clean the surfboard.Do you wish to become skilled in this exciting sport?We have the most qualified teachers here! We are excited to have you join us at our surf school in Fuerteventura, which you can learn more about on surfintrip.com.