How to pop up on a surfboard: Surf pop up for beginners in 3 steps

Introduction

The surf pop up is a 3-step process and includes 1) pushing up your body with your arms, 2) bringing your back foot forward and placing it close to the tail of the board, and lastly 3) bringing your front foot forward and placing it in the middle of the board before finally standing up.

The right timing to do the pop up is when you feel the tail lifting up and the nose starts going down- this is a sign that the wave has started to push you forward.

Some common beginner mistakes when it comes to the surf pop up are incorrect body position on the board, incorrect hand placement, bringing both feet forward at the same time, using knees on the board, looking down, and standing up too quickly.

Now, are you ready to get into the nitty-gritty details of the 3-step surf pop up process, and tips on how to correct common beginner mistakes? Then let’s dive into it!

What is the right timing to do the surf pop up?

As you paddle for a wave you are at one point going to start to feel the wave. When you feel the tail lifting up and the nose starts going down, the wave is starting to push you forward- this is the moment that you want to perform the surf pop up. A video I think explains how to get the timing right is this one by Shannon Ainslie.

For me personally when I have not surfed for a while, it helps to catch a couple of waves and then I start to naturally feel when is the right time to pop up. So, give it a couple of tries and hopefully finding the right timing for the surf pop up will come naturally to you!

The 3-step surf pop up for beginners

1. Push up your body with your arms

The first step in the 3-step surf pop up is the push up. Put your hands close to your chest and push up your body while looking up.

It’s important to have your body positioned correctly on the surfboard before performing this step. You can learn more about body positioning on the surfboard here.

2. Bring your back foot forward and place it close to the tail of the board

When you have enough speed and feel balanced, bring your back foot forward and place it close to the tail of the board, slightly in front of the fins. Place it right on the stringer of the board, pointing 90° to the stringer. You can learn more about foot positioning in this article.

3. Bring your front foot forward and place it in the middle of the board

The last step of the surf pop up is to bring your front foot forward and place it between your arms, under your chest. It should end up somewhere in the middle of the board. Place it right on the stringer of the board and point it 45° to the stringer. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart.

When you have placed your front foot in the right position, take a short moment to make sure you feel balanced. Then release your hands from the board and slowly start to stand up while maintaining your balance. In this article I go through step-by-step how to stand on a surfboard, and how to position your feet, body and arms to achieve the perfect surf stance.

Common surf pop up mistakes to avoid

1. Incorrect body position when lying down and when standing up

Mistake:

The body position where you lie down on your board is what happens before you do the surf pop up. A good body position when lying down on your board is a pre-requisite for a successful pop up. A common mistake among beginners is that they are not centered on the board and therefore not balanced.

The body position where you stand up on your board is what happens during and after you do the surf pop up. It’s common that the feet are placed incorrectly when doing the pop up, for example too far back and in the wrong angle.

How to fix it:

For the right body position when lying down on your board, stay centered on the board. You can read more about how to position yourself in this article.

For the right body position when standing up on your board, place your back foot close to the tail of the board, slightly in front of the fins. Place it right on the stringer of the board, pointing 90° to the stringer. Then place your front foot close to the middle of the board, right on the stringer of the board and point it 45° to the stringer. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart.

2. Incorrect hand placement

Mistake:

A common beginner mistake when it comes to the surf pop up is the hand placement. Many beginners tend to place their hands too far in the front of the board, which is a position that gives them little leverage to lift their body up. Another common mistake is to grab the rails of the board. The rails of the board are sensitive to weight, so grabbing them will make the board unbalanced and wobbly.

How to fix it:

Your hand placement should be on the board, close to your chest.

3. Bringing both feet forward at the same time

Mistake:

While it might look like some professional surfers bring both feet forward at the same time during the surf pop up, that is rarely the case. They do the steps so fast that it can be hard to see all the steps, but if you record them and watch the recording in slow motion, you can see that they first bring forward the back foot and then the front foot as a next step.

By putting one foot forward at a time, you can take your time to find balance before standing up. Otherwise chances are you loose your balance and fall.

How to fix it:

Bring your back foot forward first, and then as a next step bring your front foot forward.

4. Using knees on the board

Mistake:

Another common mistake among beginners is using their knee or knees in the surf pop up, putting one or two knees on the board before positioning their feet in the correct place on the board.

While this is sometimes taught as an extra step in the pop-up for beginners who are having a hard time popping up without adding this extra step, or for those who are injured and cannot pop up without using their knee(s), it’s not a recommended long-term solution. So try not to get too used to it!

What this does is hindering you to take off on steeper waves or at the peak of the wave, because by the time you have managed to get up on your feet it’s most likely too late- it’s a technique that takes too much time.

How to fix it:

Do not use your knees in the pop-up, at least not long-term. Learn how to do your surf pop up the 3-step way, going directly from the push up to the feet placement, and skip the knee as a step in-between.

5. Looking down

Mistake:

Like many other beginners, this is a mistake I am guilty of. If you look down at the board while popping up, there’s a good chance you’ll lose balance and fall.

How to fix it:

Look straight ahead towards the beach when popping up. Once you are up on the board you should focus your eyes on where you want to go.

6. Standing up too quickly

Mistake:

Don’t stress your surf pop up when it comes to the part of standing up. It’s common that this step is done too fast, not taking enough time to find balance before releasing the hands from the board and standing up.

How to fix it:

In the last step of the surf pop up where you have just placed your front foot in the right position, don’t immediately stand up unless you feel fully balanced. Instead take a moment, say 2 seconds, to make sure you feel balanced before you release your arms from the board and stand up.

How to pop up on a surfboard:
Surf pop up for beginners in 3 steps

Post contents

Introduction

What is the right timing to do the surf pop up?