Snowboard waxing is a key part of snowboard maintenance and should be done regularly.
But how often should you wax your snowboard?
You should wax your snowboard every 3 or 4 riding days in case of a sintered base and every 7 or 8 if you have an extruded base.
Remember that this refers to waxing with hot wax.
Why do you wax a snowboard?
The base of the snowboard is made up of pores, i.e., tiny holes. When we wax the snowboard, these pores absorb the wax and make the snowboard faster, but also durable.
This habit is important and should be done regularly.
How often should you wax your snowboard?
To figure out how often you should wax your snowboard, first, you must understand what type of base your snowboard has.
Snowboard bases can be extruded or sintered.
Extruded base
The extruded base has fewer pores than the sintered base, which means it absorbs less wax. This makes it slower.
However, it has the advantage of requiring less frequent waxing. Usually, waxing the base every 7 or 8 full riding days is sufficient to maintain excellent performance while avoiding using too much wax.
Sintered base
The sintered base is the best in terms of performance and durability. However, its porous structure requires waxing much more frequently.
To maintain maximum performance and durability, it should be waxed every 3 or 4 full riding days.
I recommend you read our guide to learn more about the differences between extruded and sintered base.
Note: If you don’t need maximum performance and don’t want to use too much wax, I recommend waxing your snowboard a few riding days later.
- After 10 or 11 days for snowboards with extruded base.
- After 6 or 7 days for snowboards with a sintered base.
Remember that waxing also maintains the durability of the snowboard, so don’t exaggerate with the time between waxing because it may lead to future costs to repair the snowboard!
Hot wax vs rub-on wax
In the previous paragraphs, waxing referred to waxing done with hot wax. So, the one applied using a waxing kit.
Due to its application process, it is better absorbed and that gives better performance and durability.
Another type of wax is rub-on wax, which can be directly applied to the base. Since it’s usually rubbed on, it doesn’t fully penetrate the pores of the base, making it less effective.
I consider this type of wax a way to extend the life of the hot wax by about a day.
Pro tip: If your snowboard almost needs a full waxing with hot wax, but you don’t have time to do it and still want to maintain high performance, you can temporarily apply rub-on wax. Another solution might be to apply machine wax at a specialist store.
I recommend you read our guide to find out all types of snowboard wax.
I also recommend you read our analysis on how much it costs to wax a snowboard and what you should do to save money!
What to do next…
Discover when the snowboard season starts in your area and prepare your snowboard for the best experience!
Also, check out:
FAQ
How much wax does it take to wax a snowboard?
Waxing an adult snowboard requires an average of 12 to 15 g (0.45 to 0.52 oz) of hot wax.
While 6 to 8 gr (0.21 to 0.28 oz) of rub-on wax is sufficient.
If you are a beginner the first few times you might use more than that.
