Snowboard Accessories – Putting Together a Maintenance Kit

To get the most out of your snowboard you will need to keep it in good repair. This means that you will need to clean it, hot wax it, and repair it regularly. To help you keep your snowboard performing at its peak you will need to put together a kit of snowboard accessories that are used on a regular basis to repair your board. These items include: hot wax, a tuning file, base cleaner, P-Tex candle, and a snowboard carrier.

The snowboard tuning file is used to sharpen the board’s edges. FK, Dakine offers a good tuning file that works well with most board models. When you are tuning your board make sure that you tune it in accordance to the manufacturer’s guidelines. Most will recommend a 0/0 tuning, however, newer models are staring to recommended an angled bevel edge. After using your tuning file you can smooth out burrs and irregularities with a Diamond Stone.

Base cleaner is one of those snowboard accessories that you will need to use frequently. Ball Jay and Da Kine offer a cleaner that works well and that has an affordable price of about $7 per bottle. When you use this product you will want to make sure that you are either outside or in a well ventilated area. This is because this product has strong fumes that could harm you. Also you will want to make sure that you wear latex gloves when using this product to protect your hands from the chemicals in the cleaner. To use this product brush off rocks and dirt with a cloth or your hand, then apply the product to your board and spread it around, and then wipe it off. At this point you will want to allow the board to air dry before waxing it.

A P-Tex candle is another accessory that you will definitely want to keep on hand. This product is used to fill in gouges and dings in your board. To use this item you will need to first make sure that the base is clean and dry. Next light your P-Tex candle and swirl it around a few times to let the carbon burn off of the wick. Next hold the candle over the gouge and allow the wax to drip into the dent. Fill the gouge completely, and then blow out the candle and allow the wax to harden. When the wax has hardened you will want to remove the excess wax with a metal or plastic scraper. Try to create a smooth surface.

Hot wax is one of those snowboard accessories that you will use a lot. To use hot wax you will need an old clothes iron that you won’t be using for fabric anymore, snowboard wax, 3M green scrubby pad, and a scraper. First you will want to make sure that your board has been cleaned and repaired. Next heat the wax using the medium heat setting on the iron. Finally, apply the wax according to the direction on the product.

A padded snowboard bag is the last maintenance product that you should have. A padded storage bag may not seem like a maintenance accessory but it does have a protective quality that will keep your board safe and clean during off seasons, and between trips to the mountain. A good snowboard bag will be made from water repellant material, have padding, and it should also provide enough space to securely store a snowboard up to 180cm.