A Guide to Eco-Friendly Surf Wax

Surf wax is—quite literally— the glue that holds a surf session together.

Too little wax on your board can be enough to cost you the wave of the day, a catastrophic mishap surfers love to blame solely on the lack of wax on their deck.

But everytime you wax up your board, you’re putting whatever your wax is made of into the ocean—and not all of it comes back out of the water with you.

And as necessary it is for surfing success… surf wax is oftentimes not so good for the ocean.

What’s in Most Surf Wax?

Almost all surf wax on the market is made of paraffin wax, mineral wax, soy wax, beeswax or some combination of these.

So what can make some wax not so eco-friendly?

Paraffin is a byproduct of petroleum and is often paired with synthetic resins. Petroleum based products involve the burning of coals and other fossil fuels— an environmentally detrimental process we are all too familiar with.

Beyond production, 95% of surf wax in the global market contain other toxic petroleum byproducts (like benzene and toluene) which can leach and harm ocean ecosystems when exposed to water by surfers.

What Makes a Surf Wax Eco-Friendly?

It’s pretty simple— surf wax is eco-friendly when it’s made from natural products.

Natural waxes can be made from natural oils, soy, or bees! It’s wax brands that have steered clear of harmful petrochemicals, including avoiding adding synthetic colors or scents.

And sustainable wax goes beyond just the contents of the box— it includes the box itself. Eco-friendly surf wax brands use sustainable packaging to minimize their waste and footprint.

Wax Brands Doing It Right

There are varying levels of attempts at sustainable wax development from wax brands across the surf industry. Some have switched to partly natural ingredients, while others simply refer to paraffin as “natural” and “biodegradable,” taking advantage of the ambiguity of these terms. Across the board— most surf wax brands have adopted recyclable packaging.

Keep a lookout for natural brands that avoid petrochemicals at your local surf shop, or check out these sustainable favorites:

Mantuntas 

Located in Santa Cruz, California, Mantuntas is committed to using only local ingredients straight from their own farm, using no synthetic ingredients. It works just as well—- and is the same price as its paraffin counterparts. They even scent it with real strawberries, raspberries, and jasmine flowers from the farm. 

They are so sure you’ll like their organic wax, that if you don’t they’ll replace it with another brand of wax for free. 

Check it out here: Mantunas Organic Surf Wax

Green Fix

Green Fix is made with only truly natural ingredients and testimonies prove it works just as well as traditional paraffin waxes! Green Fix is made of solely natural and renewable ingredients including bees wax, vegetable waxes and vegetable oils. 

Check it out here: GreenFix Surf wax 

Surf Goo

For cold water surfers looking for wax (who are not particularly inspired to collect their own tree sap) Surf Goo are your guys. They have only one wax, it’s petroleum free, handmade in California, and provides great traction!

Check it out here: Surf Goo's Cool Wax 

Maria’s Surf Wax

An eco-friendly wax and a heartwarming story—- Brooklyn, a 9 year old from Puerto Rico was inspired to make earth friendly surf wax post Hurricane Maria to protect the oceans and support natural disaster victims of his area. 

Check it out here: Maria's Surf Wax

The Bottom Line: Eco-Friendly Surf Wax

Stick to sustainability (and your surfboard) with eco-friendly surf wax!