Removing wax from your board

You should change your wax for the change in season or for a trip somewhere warmer/cooler.
It is worth the effort to have good grip under your feet! Plus your board looks nice with a fresh coat of wax on it, rather than layer after dirty layer.

If your wax coat has melted and then hardened again, it tends to separate, lose its grip, and become uneven and gross.

Pouring hot water on your board could result in the glass delaminating.

Instead:
1. Leave it in the sun for 5-10 minutes.

2. Get your wax comb and use the smooth tapered edge to scrape away!

Just how clean do you want this board? If you're reapplying wax, then you're probably done and you can get to work rewaxing...

3. But if you're going to paint your board, it needs to be really clean. As in spotless! Get an old tea towel or rag and get the paddle muscles working to buff the wax residue off the deck. Pay special attention to any pressure dings where the wax gets caught.

4. Next, give your deck a good wipe down with acetone. Basically industrial nail polish remover. It'll take any grease, remaining wax and dirt off the deck, making it shiny and like new. You may even see your board in this state and decide that it is too pretty to make over :)

There are loads of brands of wax on the market now. Why not check out an environmentally friendly one or a locally made...
Stickybumps Soy Wax
Tree Hugger Wax

Which Wax? 

Whatever fancy-shmancy marketing name it gets given, wax generally comes in COLD, COOL, WARM & TROPICAL. Some even have a guide as to the water temps they refer to when they say 'cold' etc. 

Tropical wax has to withstand higher temps without melting, therefore it is harder. Cold wax needs to be able to be rubbed on your board in cold temperatures, won't be exposed to as much heat and therefore is softest. If you're in Perth or Queensland in Summer with a cold wax on your board it will be streaming off the deck in minutes.

Cool Tips

* So you need to pick the right wax for your location and climate. 

* If you want to get really fancy, put a base coat down of the hardest wax (tropical) and then a topcoat of whatever is seasonally appropriate.

* If you clean your deck off ready for Summer and apply harder waxes, these can then become your base coat as the water cools and you simply whack some cool-water wax over the top. (Cool-water under tropical doesn't work so well ;)

* Applying wax is its own art form and everyone has their own method. You can try rubbing it on in circles or long strokes, diagonally down the deck, or a combination. Whatever works best for you! 

Maldives - Day 8

Saw Mona in the airport who I hadn't seen for 14 years. I thought checking our bags in first would be a good idea, then we'd go grab a coffee. Turned out with their security that we weren't allowed to go back out again and Mona wasn't able to come in! So we chatted for about 45 minutes in the little section next to the X-ray machines. Great to hear about her life, different resorts she's worked at, crazy tourists and all of her cats!

Mona and I

At the airport - Unimpressed about the food

Unimpressed about the plane delay

Our flight got cancelled. We are still in Male. It is now midnight and we just spent 12 hours at the airport, getting on and off the plane. On our way OUT of Male airport, we see the girls from the boat who will all be on their plane before us. We manage to follow some guy, back out through immigration and onto a water taxi, to arrive at some random hotel on Male proper after midnight. We've had to lug our boards back with us.
We're bummed. We're ready to come home. Oh well. Found some blokes from Tassie to hang out with.
At its Ramadan, everyone is out eating even though it's late. We sit down at 1am with the three guys to enjoy the best spag Bol I've ever had and to marvel at the tartan table dressing. Most surreal dinner ever.

Day 8.2
At a count, I think we went through the airport X-ray machines seven times in Male. It isn't until the sixth time that someone finds the tiny screwdriver I'd left in my carry-on after taking my fin out...

We board our repaired plane and Leeann and I promptly sit down in the sits we were allocated yesterday on yesterday's flight.... Which belong to someone else. Unbelievably stoked to get to Singapore. Manage to transfer onto a slightly earlier Qantas flight for the way home and even manage to get our excess luggage on without issue. Spend the interim pushing each other around the terminal on a luggage trolley. We're experts now. On and off the train, up an elevator. The best bit is the ramps where he person pushing gets to hop a ride too.

Rad cabin onboard the Haira

The girls and Brian

We arrive home 24 hours later than expected and are very glad to finally be back. Put a bit of a downer on the end of the trip, but I've just had the most fantastic time. It has been an experience of a lifetime. The all girls charter was so much fun. Being on a boat, just magical. And the waves... well it will be a while before I get to surf such consistent, quality waves again.

Time to start planning the next adventure!

All photos are copyright Hannah Katarski except those reproduced with the permission of Mikala Wilbow Photography. 

Maldives - Day 7

I had a sleep in til 8 o'clock this morning! We went onto the island last night and watched some locals drumming. Then we were waiting for ever for a dinghy because our crew had all gone to bed. So, nice to have a little lie in. Some of the other girls went out at Cokes this morning, but we watched.

Poor Tamara got hit by a set out there and cut her leg on her fin. Needed three stitches from Gobi: Steward/Chef/Medic. :( Luckily it is the last day, and she will only miss one surf or so. She's disappointed though, but will just take it steady this afternoon.

Surf Session # ??
Great day today! Surfed for four and a half hours or so. Before Lunch and after lunch we surfed til about 5. I had a great noseride in my first session! Technology.... GoPro started playing up because the disk was full. Then the battery went flat. So I'm not sure if that wound up on the video or not.

Nice and small, some nice waves again.  Had countless waves. Caught some set waves and shared three party waves with Mikala which were so fun. Got one of them on vid. Got a hang five on the second ride too, but battery was flat again by then. Great fun getting around the section, except when you don't get around it and then take three waves on the fase :P

Happy Friday!!

It's our last afternoon. It has been fabulous! Hopefully surf early in the morn, before chucking the boards in the bags and then getting our boat to the airport. Waiting around for some dinner and then we'll chill out tonight. Catching a fast boat back to the airport around midday tomorrow. A few dramas trying to sort out our transfer as most of the girls don't fly out til 8pm.

We've surfed so much! We were saying we'd need a break... for at least a week or so. i won't miss the sea lice though. Been so itchy. Just like stingers, I come up in welts.

My patented move

All photos are copyright Hannah Katarski except those reproduced with the permission of Mikala Wilbow Photography. 

Maldives - Day 6, waves

Session #9
After lunch we had another surf at Ninjas. Saw a ninja turtle in the line up. I have so many itchy-bunkers, but it's been worth the stings. So many good waves again today. Can't wait to check the GoPro when I get home. Plus Mikala was in the water today, so some great shots to show for it.

So glad I brought the longboard for the friendlier waves.

Ladies in the line up

The size dropped off during the week.

Party wave with Alanna - until I forgot she was there and cutback :/

How clear is the water?!

We are docked at the Harbour at Cokes again tonight before blasting off somewhere new tomorrow. Very surreal experience having a surf in your cabin after a shower as the boat gets underway and takes us to a new destination. We're all checked in for our Saturday flights and will be home Sunday am. Could easily have done a 10 day trip I reckon. Staying on the boat has been so good!!

Home for tonight

Primo resort

Anchoring the Haira

All photos are copyright Hannah Katarski except those reproduced with the permission of Mikala Wilbow Photography.