[Case.N]

Hey all, question for you. I've been snowboarding a few times, but just recently bought boards for my wife and I rather than renting. I took her board in to get it waxed, and it came back looking like this. Is it supposed to look like that right after being waxed? Anytime I've seen a freshly waxed board, it usually looks a lot more rich in color and doesn't have that white film. I noticed that it also feels a little sticky in some spots. Did they just not scrape enough wax off? If that's the case, would it wear off through a little use? I don't really want to go back to the shop and ask them to fix it but I will if I have to, I just want to make sure it's not actually supposed to be that way before doing so.

Thanks for any advice

 

[BrighamR]

Photo?

 

[Case.N]

Crap. Yeah, the photo didn't attach the first time. It's on there now.

 

[sandwi54]

Some bases have structures that look like that even after waxes. If you glide you palm over the base, does it feel smooth and slippery? If it does then you should be ok. If it feels dry and somewhat rough then take it back to the shop.

 

[BrighamR]

Crap. Yeah, the photo didn't attach the first time. It's on there now.

Ya I’d say if it’s not fuzzy and dry, or on the other hand there’s not thick wax you can scrape off with your fingernail, it’s probably fine. Looks to me like they were a touch lazy on the finishing work.

 

[money4me247]

Plastic scrappers are cheap so can get one and see if anything scrapes off. Get a big one so if you start waxing af home, scrapping will be faster. Looks fine to me though, even if a little bit of extra wax, will be slightly sticky and slow the first few runs, but will go back to normal after a few runs. There are some folks here who never scrape of never wax so I think your wife will be okay. Maybe a good idea to invest in an iron and some wax & DIY. Very easy to do & will save money in the long-run.

 

[Case.N]

Thank you guys, I really appreciate the help. It does feel a little rough, but I can still scrape a little bit off with my fingernail, so I'll probably pick up a scraper and try scraping off some more and see how it goes.

 

[tanscrazydaisy]

Did you pay for a hot wax job?

If no, then they used a heated roller to apply wax.... this is the fastest way to apply wax at a shop.

If yes, then....

Scrape some more.

Most shops skip the one step of waxing, in order to pump out wax jobs. Brushing to remove the wax from the structure.

Many people just use a scotchbrite pad instead of a brush, since scotchbrite pads are cheap and readily available.

 

[Case.N]

Update: ended up taking it back to the shop and they said that the board needs to be conditioned because it's pretty dry, so that's why it looks dry even though it's been freshly waxed. We bought it used, so I guess it wouldn't surprise me if the last owner hadn't waxed it in a little while. Will that affect the way it rides? I was hoping to have my wife try it out tomorrow (we just bought it a week or so ago), but if it doesn't ride well then I know she'll just have a crappy day.

 

[Chern]

You and your wife are new to snowboarding and have only gone a few times, correct?
You are still learning to ride I’d imagine.
Having your own equipment is step in the right direction. It’s got to be better than the rentals.
I don’t think you wax concerns will determine her day.
The fact that you are looking out for her and have her best interests in mind will make more of a difference.

 

[Case.N]

You and your wife are new to snowboarding and have only gone a few times, correct?
You are still learning to ride I’d imagine.
Having your own equipment is step in the right direction. It’s got to be better than the rentals.
I don’t think you wax concerns will determine her day.
The fact that you are looking out for her and have her best interests in mind will make more of a difference.

I've been snowboarding for awhile now, my wife is just starting out. You're probably right and I'm overthinking it, I just know that the only resort close to us has some pretty hefty flat spots. Last time I went there, my board wasn't waxed up very well and it gave me a lot of trouble at some points. But we can just try and avoid those areas, and it should be fine!

 

[tanscrazydaisy]

Update: ended up taking it back to the shop and they said that the board needs to be conditioned because it's pretty dry, so that's why it looks dry even though it's been freshly waxed. We bought it used, so I guess it wouldn't surprise me if the last owner hadn't waxed it in a little while. Will that affect the way it rides? I was hoping to have my wife try it out tomorrow (we just bought it a week or so ago), but if it doesn't ride well then I know she'll just have a crappy day.

Has the shop defined conditioned?

Are they actually using a base conditioning wax to hot wax it in, then apply another all-temperature hot wax?

 

[Case.N]

Has the shop defined conditioned?

Are they actually using a base conditioning wax to hot wax it in, then apply another all-temperature hot wax?

View attachment 167505

They did mention that I should get it conditioned, so I'm assuming they didn't do it (which is a little frustrating that they saw it was needed and didn't ask if I wanted them to do it, I would have been fine paying a little extra for it). Assuming they didn't use a base conditioner, do I need to strip this layer of wax and have it conditioned immediately, or is ok to ride a couple times before conditioning it? Obviously it would be ideal to do it sooner than later, but with the season ending, we're only going to go out once or twice more, so it may be worth it to just wait until we're totally finished and then condition it to let it sit over the summer. Do you think it would ride ok being freshly waxed even it the base isn't conditioned?

 

[bseracka]

I’d ride it.

 

[tanscrazydaisy]

They did mention that I should get it conditioned, so I'm assuming they didn't do it (which is a little frustrating that they saw it was needed and didn't ask if I wanted them to do it, I would have been fine paying a little extra for it). Assuming they didn't use a base conditioner, do I need to strip this layer of wax and have it conditioned immediately, or is ok to ride a couple times before conditioning it? Obviously it would be ideal to do it sooner than later, but with the season ending, we're only going to go out once or twice more, so it may be worth it to just wait until we're totally finished and then condition it to let it sit over the summer. Do you think it would ride ok being freshly waxed even it the base isn't conditioned?

You can ride it...but you don't have much reserve wax in the base. So, you'll probably have to wax it again earlier than usual.

but sometimes it's just better to do things yourself like waxing. Then you can be as OCD as you want.

Of course, it's an investment with an eventual ROI to get into waxing. And waxing isn't that hard, unless that base is not very flat, which my Burton Sherlock is more concaved, which makes it a PITA to iron.