Take care of your gear
Well-kept gear lasts twice as long and rides better every day. None of this takes more than half an hour, and almost all of it uses things you already have at home. Discipline by discipline. No gear yet? Start with the calculator or the used gear guide.
Skateboard & longboard
Bearings (every 2-3 months, or now if they sound gritty): pop them out by levering the wheel on the truck axle, remove the shields with a pin, bathe them in isopropyl alcohol or clean solvent, shake, dry well and lubricate with 2-3 drops of light oil. Careful: WD-40 cleans but does NOT lubricate — it evaporates and leaves bearings dry and grime-hungry. Put the shields back on.
Wheels: rotate them in an X pattern (front-left ↔ back-right) now and then so they wear evenly, especially if you ride bowls or slide.
Trucks: cracked or squashed bushings = replace them (cheap, transforms the board). A loose kingpin gets adjusted a quarter turn at a time. On surfskates, check the front system self-centers without noise or dry play; a dead spring is an official spare part and a 10-minute swap.
Deck: water is its enemy — a soaked deck loses its pop forever. If it got drenched, dry it standing away from direct heat and lower your expectations. Polished grip where your foot sits = new grip. Loose bolts = creaky board: snug them up.
Snowboard
Wax (every 3-5 riding days): if the base looks whitish and dry, it's asking. Hot waxing is the real deal: melted wax with an iron (a waxing iron, or an old clothes iron with NO steam), let it cool 30 minutes, scrape with a plastic scraper and buff with cork or a pad. Rub-on waxes work in a pinch but last a day.
Edges: run a deburring stone over light rust or burrs (you'll feel them with a fingernail). A proper angle sharpening (88-90°) is worth doing 1-2 times a season — any mountain shop does it cheap if you don't have the tool.
Damaged base: gouges that don't reach the core get filled with a melted p-tex candle and scraped flush. If you see fiber or a different color underneath: shop time.
After every day: dry it (edges included) before bagging it — rust is born in a damp bag. Summer storage: waxed with a thick unscraped coat, somewhere dry and out of the sun; back the binding screws off a little.
Surfboard
After every session: fresh-water rinse (leash and bag included). The sun is enemy #1: never leave it in direct sun or inside a hot car — it yellows, the wax melts, and delamination starts right there.
Dings: any hit that opens the glass lets water in. Small ones get fixed on the beach with UV resin (Solarez-style): dry it well, fill, 10 minutes in the sun, light sand and back in the water. Big ones or near rails and fin boxes: a ding repairer you trust. Never surf with an open ding: every session pushes more water in.
Wax: when it loses texture, comb it with the jagged side of the comb. Full renewal: 10 minutes in the sun or hot water, scraper, and a fresh coat (hard basecoat + wax for your water temperature — see the surf guide). Fins and leash: check the boxes have no play and the leash has no nicks — they always snap at the worst moment.
Quick schedule
| How often | What |
|---|---|
| Every use | Surf: rinse and shade · Snow: dry before bagging |
| Weekly/monthly | Skate/long: bolts, rotate wheels, check grip and bushings |
| Every 2-3 months | Skate/long: clean and lube bearings |
| Every 3-5 snow days | Snow: wax; stone the edges if rusty |
| As soon as it happens | Surf: repair dings · Snow: p-tex the gouges |
| End of season | Snow: thick unscraped wax · Surf: dewax and shade · Everything: somewhere dry |
FAQ
- How do I clean bearings?
- Out of the wheel, shields off, isopropyl bath, dry, and 2-3 drops of light oil. WD-40 only for cleaning, never as the final lube.
- How often do I wax the snowboard?
- Every 3-5 riding days or when the base looks whitish. For summer, a thick unscraped coat.
- How do I make my surfboard last?
- Fresh water after every session, never in the sun or the car, and dings repaired the moment they appear.
- When do I replace bushings or grip?
- Cracked bushings or a loose-feeling truck despite tightening = replace. Polished grip under your foot = replace. Cheap, and they transform the board.
Based on the maintenance guides from Bones Bearings, the waxing and edge guides from evo, and common repair practice. A guide, not gospel: for structural repairs go to a shop — and nothing beats advice from someone who truly knows.