Wax on Wax off - Responsibly

Wax on Wax off – Responsibly

5 February 2010 No Comment

Petroleum has leaked its way into every aspect of surfing. We’ve all driven countless hours looking for surf only to put on our neoprene wetsuit, wax up our board with petroleum-based wax, slather on our chemical-laden sunblock, and paddle out on our polystyrene surfboard. And think about how far all of those products had to travel just to get to you. With the state of the world today, it is more important than ever to reduce surfing’s dependence on oil. More and more companies are developing products that work toward this goal and it is up to us to make responsible choices, vote with our dollars, and slowly swap out our petroleum-based surf products with natural, biodegradable, chemical-free ones. Not only is it better for Mama Earth…it’s better for you.

Surf wax is generally made up of paraffin and other hard waxes, as well as petroleum jelly, but now there is a wide range of biodegradable surf wax for you to choose from, available in local surf shops or online.

MATUNAS

Matunas has been around since 1998 and produces organic surf wax from their 25-acre farm in Santa Cruz, California. It is 100% natural, non-toxic, biodegradable, petroleum-free, and made using local California ingredients without any synthetic chemicals. There are no additives in the wax and organic strawberries, raspberries, and jasmine are used for the scents. The labels are printed from 100% FSC certified recycled paper with soy ink. Matunas comes in a full range of temperatures, including warm, base, tropical, cool, and cold.

FAMOUS – THE GREEN LABEL

Famous Surf Wax now has a “Green Label” line of eco-friendly surf waxes. The wax is 100% petro-chemical free and biodegradable, features recycled FSC certified packaging printed with soy ink, and is made exclusively in the USA. Green Label is part of the Project Blue Initiative and a portion of the proceeds from sales go directly to the Surfrider Foundation. The wax is available in five temperatures from tropical to cold and since it is free of oil it does not work well if put on top of or mixed with other petroleum based surf wax so make sure you use Green Label Basecoat for best results.

BUBBLE GUM – ROB’S ORGANIC BLEND (ROB)

Rob’s Organik Blend (ROB) was created by Rob himself using renewable resources and natural coconut oil scent. The label consists of recycled brown paper and is printed with soy-based ink on presses powered by clean wind-generated energy. A percentage of sales will be donated to the Rob Machado Foundation. The wax comes in three temperatures: warm/cool, cool/cold, and tropical/base coat.

And Bubble Gum now offers an all-natural wax remover. A safer alternative to toxic, hazardous, and dangerous petroleum-derived chemicals, it is made of food-grade citrus byproducts and it effectively removes residual surf wax, adhesive, and tar without any toxic chemicals.

STICKY BUMPS SOY WAX

Sticky Bumps has jumped on board with their soy wax, which they say team rider Dave Rastovich played a key role in the development of. The petroleum-free wax is wrapped in a label that is printed with soy inks on recycled paper. The wax comes in four temperatures, cool, cold, warm, and tropical – but is not offered in base coat yet. Sticky Bumps also has their Day Glo wax, which is made with a soy formula and comes in a variety of colors you can decorate your board with.