All-temp or universal wax is designed to work well in any temperature or snow conditions. It may be a good choice if the temperature varies a lot where you ride, if you don't wax your skis that often, or if you ski in different geographical areas during your season and can't predict what the weather will be like.
For recreational skiers and boarders, a basic hydrocarbon wax is usually suitable. For a step up in glide, go with a low-fluorocarbon wax. Racers often use expensive high-fluorocarbon waxes for the greatest glide.
What you need is a wax that will work on the plastic base of the ski, is designed to work in very cold temperatures, and stay on even with abrasion (such as you get when skiing), so I wouldn't use a car wax.
No, you should never use candle wax on a snowboard. You should only ever use wax sold specifically for waxing a snowboard or skis. Using candle wax can actually ruin your board and make it go slower on the slopes.
Over time, without wax, the base of a ski or board will start to dry out and whiten, almost like the black is fading. As it continues to dry, it shrinks. In extreme cases, the base can shrink away from your edges, making them prone to blowing out of the ski on a rock or hard ice.
Beeswax works in all conditions for a few runs and re-apply, soap good for a 20-40sec run on just below freezing and above days (catches friend off guard when you leave them in the dust).
Start with 80-grit sandpaper and rub firmly lengthwise along the base of the ski to remove small scratches. Repeat with a finer, 200-grit sandpaper. Finish with a 400-grit sandpaper, lightly dragging the sandpaper from tip to tail.
Roto wool is an excellent way to apply hot wax without using an iron. It has shown us some great test results in all types of conditions. – Roto wool gives you a thin layer with hot wax, which will bring forth the structure in your skis in a better way, says product developer in Swix Jan Olav Bjørn Gjermundshaug.
Wax your skis/board every 4-6 days. Another barometer: If you wax at home, you should be ironing in about four bars, or a kilo of wax, per ski season.
Ski wax companies have been using Paraffin based waxes to keep skiers and snowboarders gliding down the mountain for years. These waxes are costly, complicated, temperature specific, wear off quickly, and produce a huge amount of waste.
Kick wax is only necessary for waxable classic cross-country skis. It is applied solely to the kick zone, also referred to as the wax pocket, of the ski. The wax pocket is loosely defined as the middle section of the base under the bindings. If you have skating skis, you simply don't need kick wax.
Glide wax is selected to minimize sliding friction for both alpine and cross-country skiing. Grip wax (also called "kick wax") provides on-snow traction for cross-country skiers, as they stride forward using classic technique.
That candle wax is softer, and so may not last quite as long as ski wax which may include candle waxes along with other harder wearing waxes.
Glenn and Robin discovered that, although not durable, dish soap, Lemon Pledge, and Rain-X all made their skis much faster in high moisture conditions. But it was durable enough to last a couple laps around the course as required for the race.
8 steps to DIY ski waxing
Secure your skis in place. Thoroughly clean and dry the base with the brush and cloth. … apply it to the ski and evenly spread it with the iron. Wait for the wax to cool off and dry (at least 30 minutes).
Work Space / Ski Tuning Stand
Short of a dedicated work space, you can always lay down a drop cloth and set up a make-shift work zone in the kitchen. If your space is not heated and the temp is cold, bring your skis indoors to warm them up to room temperature before starting to wax.
Wax makes ski bases hydrophobic - thus making turning easier and gliding smoother. 2. Wax stops the bases drying out - and thus help prevent the base pulling away from the edge.
Examine the bases of your skis when you get home. If your black ski bases are looking white in spots they are thristy for wax. If you notice parts of the ski that still have wax on them, usually circular spots, the bases aren't flat anymore. If the bases feel fuzzy, its time for a stone grind.
Yellow Warm: We recommend blending the spring ski wax with our all temperature ski wax when the temperature is between 24º – 30º. Above 28º we recommend adding graphite ski wax as a rub-on to repel contaminates. Black Graphite: This wax is designed to overcome static friction that is encountered in cold dry snow.
Warm rated (Red or Yellow) hydrocarbon is best above 25 F. It is a great wax to ski on but is also used for conditioning a new base and is the best wax for hot-wax-scrape-cleaning. Cold rated (Green or Blue) hydrocarbon is best below 25 F.