How to tell when skis need wax?

Cincher

Cincher

Active member
I never know the answer to when my skis truly need wax, I usually just give 'em a wax every 5 weeks or so. What are some methods to check if my skis need wax?
 
That's what I've been noticing, I can't seem to get very good speed. My friend told me to pour water on them and if it beads there's still enough wax on them.
 
I usually wax after every couple days of skiing or so. It's a good way to relax the night before skiing. Nothing like scrapping wax and having a couple beers.
 
this and you need to wax your skis at least once a week if you ski 4 times a week. you can never over do it. but if your bases are white and/or kinda furry, you need a base grind first because it means your base is dried out and won't absorb the wax.
 
I usually run my fingernails from side to side across the base.

If I feel, very distinctively, the small pores in the base, it's time for a wax. A freshly waxed base you wouldn't be able to feel the pores very well only because they have absorbed wax.

I try to wax every time I shred, but if I'm lazy I'll wax like every 2-3 times.
 
you should still be able to see and feel the pattern in the base... if you cover that up you will be really slow. You want your wax in the base, not on it.
 
Good to know!

I guess my method has been somewhat flawed. Just try to wax every 2-3 times you ski max :)

+k to you sir.
 
The pattern is what prevents your ski from literally sticking to the snow- as you glide over snow, you melt it, and the pattern channels the water and breaks up the resulting surface tension that was created. Without pattern, it would be like putting together 2 plates of glass with water in between- super stuck together. This is why you want to invest in a couple of nice brushes- one to get the wax out of the structure and then another to polish. The shinier your bases look, the faster you will be.
 
So I hear. I typically just use a brilla pad.

Time to invest in a brush with this new found knowledge? I think so.
 
Shit. Looks like I should throw on a coat of wax this week. I've skied on my doubletimes for almost 10 weeks now and I am pretty sure the factory coat they put on them is desolate.
 
I'll get out my iron and wax today I guess..

And how does licking the bases help? What taste am I looking for?
 
If you can taste the wax really well then they are good but if you cannot then they need to be waxed.
 
Well I've never tasted wax before, but I didn't taste a thing so I'm guessing there's nothing on he bases.
 
It also depends on the base material. A ski with a high end sintered base, will actually be slower, without wax, than a cheap extruded base.

 
Basically there is a bigger difference between sintered wax/nowax, than there is with an extruded base with or without wax.
 
Once you start waxing your skis you'll start to notice what bases look like when they are waxed/need to be waxed. Take a look at a ski after you wax it and compare it to the other ski you haven't waxed. You can see a difference in the threads of the base.
 
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