How to Wax Your Snowboard
One constant with a snowboard, new or old, is that it needs to stay waxed. A dry base is a slow base, and over time it is a damaged one too, because an unwaxed base absorbs moisture and oxidises from the inside out. Waxing is the single cheapest thing you can do to make your board ride better and last longer.
You can bring your board into our Richmond workshop and we will look after it, or get the tools and have a go yourself. This guide covers doing it yourself properly.
The short version
- How often: every 4 to 6 full days of riding, sooner if the base looks pale or chalky.
- Iron temperature: around 120 to 130 degrees C for all-temp wax. If it smokes, it is too hot.
- Which wax in Australia: all-temp covers nearly every day here. Add a warm-temp bar for spring.
- The step everyone skips: scraping. Absorbed wax is what makes you fast, not the layer on top.
- Cooling time: at least 30 minutes flat before you scrape.
- Easiest way in: an all-in-one tuning kit has everything you need in one box.
- If you would rather not: we hot wax and tune in-house, seven days.
How often should you wax your snowboard?
Every 4 to 6 full days of riding is the rule of thumb, but it is genuinely up to you and more is always better. The visual cue matters more than the day count: if the base looks pale, chalky, or has white patches along the edges, it needed waxing yesterday. Do not wait until the board feels slow, because by that point the base has already been drying out.
If you only ride a week a year, that means a wax before you go and a storage wax when you get back. If you ride every weekend, you are waxing every few trips.
What tools do you need?
The short list for waxing alone is an iron, wax, a plastic scraper and a brush. The rest of this list covers edge work as well, which is worth doing at the same time:
- Waxing iron (a dedicated waxing iron, never a household clothes iron)
- Snowboard wax, all-temp to start
- Plastic scraper
- A nylon wax brush, or a scouring pad like Scotch-Brite
- File guide or edge tuning tool, for edges
- File and a gummy stone, for edges and surface rust
The easy way to start is a complete kit. The Demon Complete Tune Kit has the iron, wax, scraper, file and guide in one box, which works out cheaper than buying the pieces separately. Browse all tuning kits.
How to wax a snowboard, step by step
- Prep. Wipe the base down and let the board come up to room temperature. Waxing a cold, wet board straight out of the car does not work, because the wax will not absorb. Take the bindings off if you want a flat working surface, though it is not essential.
- Set the iron. Around 120 to 130 degrees C for most all-temp waxes. If the wax smokes when it touches the iron, turn it down.
- Drip the wax. Hold the bar against the iron face and drip a line of melted wax down the base from nose to tail. Run a second line so the wax is spread across the width of the board.
- Iron it in. Spread the wax evenly, working nose to tail. Keep the iron moving at all times. Letting it sit still in one spot is how people damage or delaminate a base. You want the whole base covered in a thin, even film with no dry patches.
- Let it cool. Leave the board flat at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. The wax needs that time to absorb into the base material. Longer is fine.
- Scrape. Using a plastic scraper at a consistent angle, scrape nose to tail until no more wax comes off. It will look like you are removing all your work. You are not. The wax that makes you fast is the wax absorbed into the base, not the layer sitting on top.
- Brush. Finish with a nylon brush or scouring pad, again nose to tail. This opens up the base structure so water can channel away underneath you, which is the whole point.
Start to finish it is about 45 minutes, most of which is waiting for the wax to cool.
Which wax should you use?
There is a lot of science in modern waxes, but the thing to remember is that a snowboard does not slide on snow. It melts a microscopically thin layer of water and glides on that. Wax optimises that water layer and reduces the friction between base and snow.
Always use a decent quality wax brand and pay attention to the temperature range it is made for.
| Where and when | Rough snow temperature | Wax to use |
|---|---|---|
| Australian mid-winter, most days at Buller, Falls, Hotham, Perisher, Thredbo | Around -5 to 0 degrees C | All-temp / universal |
| Australian spring, slush and wet snow | 0 degrees C and above | Warm temp |
| Japan, North America or Europe in mid-winter | Below about -8 degrees C | Cold temp |
For almost everyone riding in Australia, one all-temp bar is all you need, with a warm-temp bar added as the season turns. We are happy to answer questions or point you in the right direction, just call or come in.
What about the end of the season?
The most valuable wax you will ever apply is the storage wax. At the end of the season, give the board a proper hot wax and then do not scrape it. Leave a thick coat sitting on the base all summer. It seals the base against drying out and oxidising while the board sits in a cupboard.
Scrape and brush it off properly before your first ride next season, then apply a fresh wax. Riding on bare storage wax is slow. There is more on off-season storage, edge care and pre-season prep in our board care guide.
Watch it done
This clip from Burton runs through the same process:
Frequently asked questions
How often should you wax your snowboard?
Every 4 to 6 full days of riding as a rule of thumb, and sooner if the base looks pale, chalky or has white patches near the edges. Do not wait until the board feels slow, because by then the base has already been drying out. More often is always better.
What temperature should a snowboard waxing iron be?
Around 120 to 130 degrees C for most all-temp waxes. If the wax smokes when it hits the iron, it is too hot. Keep the iron moving across the base at all times, because letting it sit still in one spot can damage or delaminate the base.
Can you wax a snowboard without an iron?
You can use rub-on wax, and it is much better than riding a dry base, but it is not a substitute. Rub-on sits on the surface and wears off within a run or two. Hot wax absorbs into the base and lasts days. Never use a household clothes iron.
Do you have to scrape the wax off?
Yes, and it is the step people skip. The wax that makes you fast is what has absorbed into the base, not the layer sitting on top. Unscraped wax is thick, unstructured and actually slower. Scrape nose to tail until nothing more comes off, then brush.
Which wax should you use in Australia?
An all-temp or universal wax covers almost every Australian day, and a warm-temp wax is worth having as you head into spring slush. You only need cold-temp wax if you are riding Japan, North America or Europe in midwinter. Ask us if you are unsure.
What is storage wax and do you need it?
It is a thick hot wax applied at the end of the season and deliberately left unscraped all summer, sealing the base against drying out and oxidising. Scrape and brush it off before your first ride next season, then apply a fresh wax. It is the most valuable wax you will apply.
Or let us do it
Frosty runs our in-house workshop seven days a week at Richmond. Hot waxing, edge tuning, base grinds, P-Tex repairs and pre-season services, done properly on proper gear. Drop the board in and we will tell you what it actually needs rather than selling you a full tune it does not.
Twelve Board Store, 435A Bridge Road, Richmond VIC 3121. Call 03 9421 2293. Orders over $90 ship free Australia-wide.
Shop: Tuning Kits · Snowboard Wax · Tuning Tools
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