Which Surf Wax Is Best?

Which surf wax is best? It’s a question I’ve asked myself a lot over the years and finally decided to set out and find an answer. I went out and picked up 5 different brands of wax that I wanted to test and went surfing. All waxes are rated for ‘Cool’ water and I tested wax with their matching basecoat, with one exception. 

Skip to the bottom to see my favorite

FCS Surf Wax

FCS is a brand known for their fins, and not necessarily their wax. I was stoked to be able to try their offering and was pleased with the results. The basecoat made some nice bumps and went on easy. The wax smelled fantastic going on and offered solid grip in the water, although not the best. I did feel a small slip on my first wave with the wax but was much better after getting my feet set. 

Bumps: 8

Grip: 7

Smell: 10

Price: $3/Bar

Bear Foot Surf Wax

BearFoot was unknown to me as they are a newer company that I only heard about through Instagram. Overall, I was very impressed. The basecoat gave me some solid bumps and the grip was all there when I needed it. The wax did have a great smell to it but was fairly artificial. Still, it is a great choice and even better to support a local small business. 

Bumps: 8

Grip: 8

Smell: 7

Price: $2.50/Bar

Sex Wax

Sex Wax is a staple in the surf industry and many surfers’ favorite wax. But, how does it really stack up? The basecoat was kind of a let down not giving me hardly any bumps, but the grip of the wax made up for it. The smell was classic and fantastic. Can’t go wrong with Sex Wax.

Bumps: 4

Grip: 10

Smell: 9

Price: $2.04/Bar

Sticky Bumps

Sticky Bumps has been my go to wax for a few years now and for good reason. The basecoat offered great bumps and gave plenty of grip. It also has a great smell that lasts forever. Overall, fantastic option.

Bumps: 10

Grip: 9

Smell: 9

Price: $2.42/Bar (Must buy 6 bars.)

Bubble Gum

Finally, on to the last wax - Bubble Gum. This was the only wax where I couldn't track down basecoat. No local shops had it in stock and they require you to buy 12 bars on their site. I wont be grading them on bumps as I used Sticky Bumps basecoat. With that in mind, the grip was good but smell wasn't my favorite. Still a very solid wax though. 

Bumps: N/A

Grip: 8

Smell: 6

Price: $1.92/Bar (Must buy 12 bars. It looks like there is an option for 6 Bars, but not available at time of writing.)

Overall

I had a great time testing all these waxes. All of them are solid choices, but I am going to throw a curveball for my winners. I loved the bumps I got from Sticky Bumps, but nothing bested the grip from Sex Wax. So, moving forward, I am going with Sticky Bumps Basecoat with Sex Wax on top. 

Let me know if there are any other brands I should test out!

Stay Stoked!