Waxing a SUP?

[soulpaddler]

Not just the nose, but the whole board.  I have seen some clips on the web with guys like Laird and others waxing the deck for traction instead of using a traction pad.  Any benefits to this?  Any drawbacks?  Has anyone here ever gone this route?

[ObviousSup]

Other than weight savings and possibly a more even surface for the whole of the board I don't know.

[StuBro]

I've heard the wax melts and just squeezes out from under your feet when you plant them and paddle which makes sense.  Surf wax is pretty soft and get's VERY soft with just body temp.

I'm thinking this doesn't work very well, but, I could very well be wrong as I'm only thinking of regular surf wax.

[Strand Leper]

Benefits:  weight... and if you are used to surfing with wax, familiarity... and no chafing on feet, stomach or thighs from traction pad... you can roll your paddle shaft on it to get some traction for your shaft... VERY clear marking of where your feet are comfortable.

Liabilities:  melts, gets all over everything, you have to reapply often... it's wax.

[soulpaddler]

That's my wife's complaint about my prone boards.  Wax in the car, on the driveway when I scrape it, ect.  

[cole gnar]

Waxing instead of traction pads leaves your board more prone to heal dents. Also when you go down to your knees to paddle when say your waiting for a wave or just tired out its much easier on the knees and more comfortable. IMO pads are more realistic for sups than wax is. You can always wax the pad too I you like a little extra stick like I do.

[Strand Leper]

Waxing instead of traction pads leaves your board more prone to heal dents. Also when you go down to your knees to paddle when say your waiting for a wave or just tired out its much easier on the knees and more comfortable. IMO pads are more realistic for sups than wax is. You can always wax the pad too I you like a little extra stick like I do.

Listen Pocahontas... standup when you are standup surfing...    Or sit down to chat it up with the proners or rest...

Tim

[soulpaddler]

Why don't we keep it clean fellas.  I don't need this thread going the way of my R dot thread.

[Shark]

I have to admit I miss the ritual aspect of waxing my board before a session, as well as that wonderful coconut smell.  Other than that, traction pads rule.

[PonoBill]

I wax my whole board--with traction pad. A pad with wax on it is twice as sticky as one without. And of course there's the nose. Every so often I forget to wax the nose and wind up on my ass.

[jdmotes]

 Surfing for going on 50 years now (last 3 mostly stand-up). Don't miss it (surf wax) at all... My wifey would 'hate it' when she would wash my baggies in the washer as it would get wax all over everything else in the load  ...     Paddle on (with soul and NOT wax),  JD

[SUPerstitious]

Don't mean to derail this conversation, but anyone using that Monster spray on traction instead of wax? At least up on the nose of the board seems like a good alternative to wax. Also, a small shot of this on the shaft of the paddle seems like it would be good for grip there too.

[PonoBill]

I get enough little cuts, scrapes and rashes from my boards as it is. I wouldn't even try it if it would be likely to increase risk of abrasions. Either my hide used to be tougher or I healed faster, but these days I always have a fine set of half-healed cuts on me.

[Brendon]

When I bought my first SUP I bought the board without the pad, the pad being an optional extra. Thinking I was saving a buck I went the wax route. Lets just say that within a month my board had a pad on it.
Those days it was the good old 11'6 needing 2 kegs of wax costing about R 60 the new pad was about R 600. The mess factor was also hectic.  So glad the newer boards come with pads.

Brendon

[Glenn B]

Don't mean to derail this conversation, but anyone using that Monster spray on traction instead of wax? At least up on the nose of the board seems like a good alternative to wax. Also, a small shot of this on the shaft of the paddle seems like it would be good for grip there too.

I have the Monster spray on the nose of my SUP "short board."  It works (and looks) great.  But as Bill points out, significant abrasions to the skin can occur if an unprotected body part rubs across it with any force.  Like many other things, once this happens to you a couple of times, it seems as though you subconsciously adjust so that it doesn't happen again.  I couldn't begin to describe how I avoid it, but I haven't felt that 80-grit on-the-skin feeling for many months (even factoring in the current addition of 4 mils of rubber).