I change the wax twice a year when the water is rising over 60F and falling below 60F. Tar getting on the board is a normal thing here, so I either scrape off a part of the wax or wax right over it.
To OP... since you seem to be in SoCal, I strongly urge you to make your purchases at your local surf shop as they are feeling quite a financial squeeze from the presence of e-commerce. Wax and the Pickle aren't too expensive even with a slight mark up, but any surf shop worth visiting will give you back in ten folds by sharing their knowledge and passion for surfing as well as making you feel like a member of your town surf community.
