The importance of being fully waxed

There are few things in surfing as aggravating as paddling out and catching a wave, only to have your hand or foot fly out from under you as you try to pop up because you missed a spot when you waxed the board. Not only is it frustrating as hell to lose the wave you worked so hard for, but the slip is typically accompanied by a swift and unhappy encounter between the surfboard and your elbow, knee, foot, or face. Occasionally it's possible to recover and stay on the wave, but at least for me the most common outcome is to resurface with my head full of equal parts rage, pain, and seawater.