The only way to make sure your snowboard performs at its best is to wax it regularly. But how long does snowboard wax last?
On average, snowboard wax lasts around three to four days. If you ride your snowboard a lot, then you’ll need to wax it every three days. However, there are ways to extend how long your snowboard wax will last.
Let’s find out what they are and how to avoid waxing your board so darned much!
How To Avoid Waxing Your Board So Often!
Waxing your snowboard can be time consuming and expensive.
An easy way to buy yourself more time between proper waxes is to use a decent rub-on wax. These are the best rub-on waxes available right now. Give them a go!
You can also extend how long your snowboard wax lasts by taking the time to apply it properly. This doesn’t mean just adding more wax!
Why Should I Wax My Snowboard?
Before I jump into how often you need to wax your board, let’s take a closer look at why waxing your snowboard is so important…
1. Wax Keeps Your Snowboard From Drying Up
Waxing is an essential part of your snowboard routine. It will ensure that the board lasts for years to come.
One of the main reasons why applying snowboard wax is so crucial is because the porous snowboard base quickly gets dry.
When your board base is too dry, then the snowboard becomes stiff and less agile. This has a big effect on the snowboard’s performance and its overall lifespan.
2. Wax Helps You Ride Faster
Whenever you apply wax to a surface, this reduces friction. The same applies to your waxed snowboard base. A good layer of snowboard wax allows your board to glide easier and faster.
You’ll be able to maintain speed on flats, send it further on jumps and keep up with your skiing compadres.
3. Waxing Is A Sensual Experience
Light those candles, start the music and set the mood. It’s time for a slow, hot, wax!
Okay, maybe I’m getting a little carried away.
But many riders find the process of waxing their board quite therapeutic. It’s a great way of taking care of your gear, respecting your ride and even… becoming one with the snowboard.
How Long Does Snowboard Wax Last Before It Expires?
Snowboard wax doesn’t expire when you keep it in a container. Wax can therefore be stored in the off-season and used the following season.
You can therefore stock up on your favorite wax and use it whenever you need it.
How Long Does Snowboard Wax Last?
As we discussed, snowboard wax lasts for around four days on average. Therefore when you apply hot wax to your snowboard, you will need to re-apply it again after roughly 3 to 4 days of riding.
This being said, if you don’t get your snowboard out every day, you won’t need to wax it as frequently.
The quality of the wax and application can also make a big difference to how often snowboard wax lasts on your board. A good-quality hot wax should survive four days, riding each day until the next application.
If you have a new snowboard, then you don’t need to wax it immediately. This is because snowboards come with a factory wax.
Unfortunately, the factory wax only lasts for up to two days, so make sure to apply a new coat of snowboard wax after day two!
How Often Should I Wax My Snowboard?
When it comes to how often you should wax your snowboard, there are four things to consider:
- The type of snowboard base
- How often your snowboard is in use
- How fast you want your board to be
- The riding conditions
Let’s explore these factors in a bit more detail!
1. The Type Of Snowboard Base
Avid snowboarders will know that there are two main types of snowboard bases: extruded and sintered.
As a rule of thumb, sintered snowboard bases require a lot more waxing than extruded snowboard bases.
That’s because the material of sintered bases is much more porous. This means that it absorbs a lot more wax but also dries out quicker.
If you forget to wax a sintered snowboard base, then it performs slower than an unwaxed extruded base.
This means that if your board has a sintered base, you will need to wax it more regularly. This would be typically every two-three days. Extruded bases can wait up to five days between waxes.
2. How Often You Use Your Snowboard
If you use your snowboard more often, you will naturally need to wax it more often. The wax wears off with each ride!
This also means that, if you ride your board less, you don’t need to reapply wax so soon.
3. Riding Speed
Your riding speed varies naturally and you won’t always ride super fast. However, it’s super frustrating when you get stuck on the flats.
To make sure that you pick up enough speed, then apply some wax to your board every three to four days. Rub-on wax can be a life-saver if you don’t have time for a complete wax.
4. Riding Conditions
This one may not be so obvious but the riding conditions will also affect how long your snowboard wax lasts.
If you are riding on hard icy surface conditions, then you will need to wax your board more often.*
On the other hand, riding on soft snow means you can keep up the fast speed with your board for longer without waxing.
Different temperatures also play a role in how quickly your snowboard loses wax. The warmer your riding conditions, the faster the wax will wear down.
*I think it’s worth mentioning here that wax is also a great layer of protection for your board. When you ride in hard conditions, rocks, roots or ice can cause damage to your board. So keep it waxed!
How To Remove Old Wax From A Snowboard
Whenever I apply a new coat of wax to my snowboard’s base, I check for old wax and remove this first before I put the new layer on.
The best way to remove old wax from your snowboard is by using a plastic or metal scraper. This one on Amazon is my favorite. It’s also worth picking up a high-quality base cleaner.
Usually, I would only need to remove old wax from areas that haven’t come into much contact with the ground. This would be mostly the tail and the nose.
The area between your feet should be super smooth by the time you’re waxing it again. (If not, you’re probably over-waxing).
Final Thoughts
Snowboard wax can last on your board for up to four days. However, this depends on the conditions you ride, how often you ride and also your snowboard base.
Applying good-quality snowboard wax to your board doesn’t take long and it’s an essential step to make your board last longer.
Hope that helped!
