How to Pop Up
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Photo courtesy: Daniel Senda / ©spot-shot.com
You can practice the pop up easily in the comfort of your own home. You can also help yourself by doing regular press-ups to build up some arm strength.
Start by lying straight and flat on your stomach. Here are the steps involved:
- Place your hands up by your chest (as if you were doing a press-up), board width apart.
- In one flowing movement, "snap" up to a crouched standing position as quickly as you can by pushing yourself upwards using your arms and bringing your legs under your body.
- Practice makes perfect, and once you have got it down on dry land, you are ready to have a crack at the real thing in the water.
- Your body is turned during this movement so your feet and body are now facing out away from the board. (The next lesson explains this fully.)
The pop up is not best explained in words. It is better to either check out surfers at your local beach or watch surfing videos to see it in action. Check out the video below.
One Knee First - A Little Shortcut
If you are having a little trouble getting to your feet with the pop up, then there is a short term solution to helping you get to the standing position. Instead of going straight up on to your feet, try sliding your front foot up the board, then pushing your body backwards until you are in the crouched position with both your feet in the right place.
- While lying on your board, place your hands on the rails when you have enough speed to catch the wave.
- Holding the rail, pull your legs up under you, twisting your body around to the correct angle.
- Slide the front foot up under you into the correct position making sure to keep your back foot and lower leg resting at the rear of the board.
- When the front foot is firmly planted in the correct position, come to the crouched position.
That is all for the pop up. During these last few lessons, you've learned how to catch a wave, how to paddle around, and how to duck dive. This lesson taught you how to stand up. Now we're going to tell you all about positioning on the board when surfing. Check it out in surfing lesson #5—positioning.
Oh, and one last thing: Don't practice your pop up on your board out of the water. You will be probably either ding your board or snap a fin off. We know you are keen on practising, but do try to use some common sense!
cool
Wow, this is very helpful! I've always been keen on surfing but never really got to do it properly. This should be great help, cheers mate! x
your pop up - hard to see what the knees and toes are doing. are you starting your pop up from your toes?
Ive never surfed in my life. I dont even live near a beach. I havent been there since i was 5.. 8 years ago. I am very terrified and nervous by sharks. Are they really a problem while surfing?
No kendall j., sharks are not a problem. Crossing the road is much more dangerous. There are only a handful of shark attacks each year.
cant do it! its so hard for me
Everytime I do a pop up, I end up falling out of my board. I do think that I have a good balance (hahaha), but when im in the water its so difficult to execute the pop up.
Same here-looks so easy but even if you pop up - usually fall stright off!
he rode goofy right?
Everytime im trying to pop up, im getting slow and loosing the wave :( on land its ok, but i dont know what im doing wrong in the water. Any suggestions?
I wouldnt recommend grabbing the rails of a board during popups. One should place their hands flat on the deck instead.
Thanks for that. Will try next time im gonna go for surfing (hopefully nest Weekends gonna be sunny^^)
why surfer can ride inunbroke waves when there is no translaion in an unbroken waves????
Yeah, I agree...place your hands on top of the board during the press-up. I'm not a great surfer, but it helped me. When your hands are clenched on the rails, the board will turn faster and lose control if you hit a rough patch or if your arms don't have equal down-pressure.
I feel very comfortable on a boogie board riding big waves, but I suck at surfing. I am lying on a longboard, and I am tipping over. Why is that?
Hey Andrew, sounds like a balance issue but i can reassure u with a little more time in the water you will become easy to ly on your board
Thanks, this really helped me out.
The pop up is something many beginner surfers struggle with. It’s something that every reasonably healthy person should be able to. Yet it seems that some just get it and can do it naturally while others struggle.
The main alternative to the proper pop up is usually going to one knee first. (On longboards some people will use their toes to push up from the board but this method can’t be used on shorter boards where the feet hang off the back of the board). The proper pop up involves going from the prone paddling position to the standing position in one smooth motion without using the toes or knee.
While the alternatives will enable some waves to be caught they will not work on large waves where getting the takeoff correct is critical and will have a negative effect on speed, balance and overall surf style. Surfing is dynamic and too much time and wave energy is wasted with improper technique. The proper pop up is something that all surfers should master.
The pop up is fast snap that happens very quickly and can be hard to see in surf videos without slowing the playback speed down. While everything happens almost simultaneously the pop up can be broken down into stages.
Breaking down the Pop up into stages (for regular foot):
1. Paddling balanced comfortably on the board in a prone position
2. Placing the hands parallel with the chest, elbows bent, in the pushup position
3. Arching the back, keeping the head up looking in the direction the surfer wants to ride (left/right).
4. Pushing up with the arms
5. Using the stomach muscles in combination with the pushup from the arms to bring the left leg (front foot) under the chest between the arms.
6. Upper body twist, leading with the outstretched arms slightly above the head
7. Both feet land across the stringer spread wide (like riding an elephant)
8. Standing knees bent, back straight in a balanced surf stance.
Problems at each stage (for regular foot):
1. Paddling balanced comfortably on the board in a prone position
Too far forward and you nose dive, too far back and you don’t catch it-find the sweet spot.
2. Placing the arms parallel with the chest, elbows bent, in the pushup position
Some people place the hands further down below the chest. Some (regular foot) like to place their right hand not parallel but slightly below the left to help with the twist (like sticking a paddle down in the side you want to turn a kayak towards).
3. Arching the back, keeping the head up looking in the direction the surfer wants to ride (left/right).
Keeping the head up and not looking down at the board is vital. (Keeping the head down is like looking down at the pedals when turning a bicycle). Look in the direction you want to go. Arch the back and bring your chest off the board as early as possible, where your chest is the same spot where your front foot wants to land.
4. Pushing up with the arms
This requires good arm strength. How many regular on ground pushups can you do? You need good arm strength and also good wrist strength. (Practice wrist strength by placing your hands on the chair you are sitting on and lifting your body off the ground- how long can you hold it?)
5. Using the stomach muscles in combination with the pushup from the arms to bring the left leg (front foot) under the chest between the arms.
You need to have fairly strong abs. You don’t need a six pack but a massive beer belly will lack the strength needed and will prevent your left leg from getting as close to your chest as possible. Your hip and ankle flexibility are also very important.
6. Upper body twist, leading with the outstretched arms slightly above the head
Like a Bollywood dancer, leading with the hands helps balance. Usually one arm is in front of you ‘point the way’ down the line while the other is behind you slightly above the head.
7. Both feet land across the stringer spread wide (like riding an elephant)
Landing with the feet in the right place is almost as hard as not going to the knee first. The feet must be across the stringer facing towards the side of the board. Some people like to have the front foot slightly pointing forwards but excellent balance comes from having both feet across the board.
8. Standing knees bent, back straight in a balanced surf stance.
A proper pop up ends in the ideal surf stance, the bent knees allow compression which is key in nailing a decent bottom turn (especially in larger waves).
ANKLE FLEXIBILITY
Many reasonably fit surfers despite constant practice at home and in the water some still can’t get the pop up down correctly. This is most likely due to ankle flexibility and not fitness or lack of effort. There is an easy test of ankle flexibility:
Squat down in the ‘Asian Squat’ position (imagine you are taking a number 2 in the woods). The Asian Squat position should be a very natural and comfortable position that can be maintained with ease. Millions of people around the world use this position for everything from watching TV or waiting for the bus to going to the toilet. Modern inventions like the sitting toilet and the sofa mean that many westerners simply don’t squat and can’t squat. This will have a big effect on your pop up.
Test 1
Do the Asian Squat. You have poor ankle flexibility if you can’t squat down with a straight back and flat feet (and instead are on your tip toes). The position will feel painful after a few minutes because all the weight is placed on your knee. Your balance will also be very unstable.
Test 2
Muslim Prayer Position. Sit down with your knees bent and feet under your bottom. Go down to the prayer position, leaning forwards. Then raise your upper body and put all your weight over your bent legs. You have poor ankle flexibility if you can’t touch your bottom and heels together. You may feel pain in your knees and ankles when the weight is placed over your feet. Try leaning back to see how far you can go and how long you can hold it.
Why good ankle flexibility is important:
Good ankle flexibility is important because many surfing maneuvers like bottom turns, cut backs and turns in general require compression of the knees and ankles. Poor flexibility means squatting down on tip toes and so putting all the weight on the knees creating pain and a lack of balance. Keeping the feet flat on the board, across the stringer, helps stability a great deal (nobody got barreled while awkwardly balancing on their toes).
Ankle flexibility, especially on the front foot is important when popping up. This is because the left leg (regular) must slide up from the prone position to landing with the front foot under the chest. This driving forward motion requires the leg to move through about a 140 degree angle. As the leg swings forward people with poor ankle flexibility will catch their foot or toes on back of the board, leading them to land on their knee instead of the foot. Going to the knee first then becomes a habit that's hard to break.
The inability to swing the front foot forward is the cause of the knee pop up. This is because the leg is not flexible enough to swing through in one full motion. Increased arm strength can help create more swing room via greater lift but the key is bending the ankle out as far as it will go when swinging through and then bending it in (as close to the shin) when landing.
Improving Ankle Flexibility:
Many swimming websites have excellent tips on how to stretch out the ankles. In general practice with one foot on an incline then lean your weight in front while keeping a straight back. You can also stand with your toes 10cm away from a wall and see if you can bend your ankles to touch the wall with your knees. The Muslim prayer position is also good for stretching them in the opposite direction. When walking upstairs or across any obstacle you can try leading with your left foot (regular) most people will automatically take the first step with their right foot, but you need to get used to the idea of putting the left foot forward when popping up.
Practicing the pop up:
The great thing with the pop up is that it can be practiced on land. In addition to ankle flexing and general work outs (and of course surfing), a good way to practice is to place your board (fins off) on a yoga matt (for cushioning) and then practice popping up on a daily basis. You should focus on bringing the feet around in one motion and landing them across the stringer with the knees bent and arms out, in the surf stance. Make an effort to drive the left foot forward. Hopefully the muscle memory will kick in and after a few weeks it will become automatic.
Wetsuits- if it’s too tight it will reduce your flexibility and all wet suits make you heavier, requiring more strength for the pop up.
Just keep doing it. Yes, it's very tiring. Yes it's hard work. You have to want it. Keep trying without being afraid to fall and you'll eventually "feel it," and it will be much easier going forward.
there are really 3 issues with the pop up..
1/2. balance/timing; only time on the water will make you better
3. speed of popup: first, you have to get skinny (do lots of running), then you have to get strong arms - do bench presses or dumbell bench presses.
after that, practice on a cushy mat - like in gyms..
arch your back, pelvis on the ground, shoulders up, then push down hard with your hands(bottom of palms by the wrist) and "snap" your hips UP...
bring both feet up under you - you dont really need to twist too much yet, just make sure that your front foot is not strait ahead, I'm goofy, so my front foot lands about 11 o'clock (position) - then I twist as I stand up
even when I do my best, my back knee touches A LITTLE... - hey its a hard thing to do for a big guy - 6 foot tall and muscular
now, how to get quicker, better, faster? - practice on land, MANY REPS
ALSO - if its a crappy surf day, dont just go home or smoke bowls on the beach, do your stand ups in the broken surf
ACTUALLY, when it is too big to get out - can be good days for walking out to chest deep water and popping up in the foam - think of it as "paying your dues" so you will be ready for when the good waves happen
FINALLY, unless you surf all the time, you will get tired (your body wont be used to surfing muscles) and your popup will deteriorate - then its time to get out of the water - dont let "them" see you as a kook - they will not let you have waves
so to avoid burnout, learn how to conserve strength in the water like a rock climber conserves strenght on the rock
last note: learn how to get that "last 3 or 4 power strokes" to propel you down the wave - it helps the pop up
For all those beginners out there having trouble popping up try switching your feet.
I spent ages tying endlessly to get up on the board but slipped off every time. It wasn't until I was just about fed up with surfing when I thought I'd switch my feet around and I caught every wave all the way into shore.
Just remember surfing takes a lot of practise and when your just about to give up try something different. It might just work!
Hi guys how far should your feet be apart and if you are right handed do you put your right foot on the front or the back?
hi i recently started surfing for some reason i started goofy i never really skate boards but when ever got in one i will do it goofy after a month of surfing quite often i was riding the weaves quite often but i was very slow poping up so i try pooping up regular and it was much easier have a some good rides but i wasn't sure if i have better balance goofy so i try to go back to goofy and it was ok in land but once i try in the water i end it up going regular what should i do give priority to the speed of the pop up and continuos regular or follow the sense of balance and try to go back to goofy , just your opinion i am not asking for magic recipies ; )
Guest Hey a belgium beginner Firts it's verry important to have a good beginners board foam 9f I am a goufy I have a trik that helps me I place my hands a littel more in the middel when i pop up my front food leg goe not between but over my arm . It works but still practising the good way. The advice I had was you will be abel to surf and enjoy after +- 12 times in the water it's my 7 time whit a new foam 9f and i can say that i made realy good progres and enjoy Surfing The 9f foam gave me more comfort stability for the pop up than the torq 8f Hope it helps
The real issue with new surfing skill sets is that Kooks (yes, you are a Kook) are stuck in a pool of ignorance. Succinctly put, Kooks are the most dangerous obstruction to the line up.
And this forum is a prime example of Kook arrogance.
- I see no place in this forum where its is advised that you should
have developed better than average swimming skills, prior to
attempting to surf. If you can't swim one mile without having to stop
and rest, you have no business in the line up.
- Surfing lessons with a county certified life guard.
Before you decide to display your total ignorance to all the
knowledgeable surfers in the line up, DO EVERYONE A BIG FAVOR.
Take surfing lessons by a certified instructor, and embrace the fact
that you don't anything, about anything.
- To read this forum, which makes irresponsible comments, such as,
do this and do that, and everything should be alright, is nothing less
than laughable...It won't be alright, Why, because you're a Kook, and
will go out into the ocean with no credible skill set and some body will
get hurt.
- Back in the day, learning to surf was a hierarchy, if you jumped to skill
set C without mastering skill sets A and B, well then, a big guy would
just punch you in the mouth and scream in your face.
This form of corporal punishment combined with public humiliation was
both highly effective at keeping surfing safer, and also a strong
motivational tool for those hearty souls, who were passionate about
learning to surf.
- The Big, Big issue in surfing is that commercial interests, such as the people who make money off of this forum, have surgically removed
the need to prove yourself in the line up.
THE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES
1.The advent of the leash allows any idiot to paddle out.
2. The advent of the leash, combined with DIY blogs like this one,
have created and impact zone filled with ignorant people who in their
surfing experience, will never have to learn to control their surfboard.
They don't even know the meaning of the word, Kick Out.
Kooks, like the people who read this forum will fall off their board,
at any given moment, for no reason at all, completely oblivious to the
dangerous condition it poses to all those within their kill zone.
- If you want to surf then master swimming, and then get lessons, until
your surf mentor says, "Ok, Dude, you don't need me anymore".
Otherwise, don't be surprised if a big guy paddles up, punches you in the mouth, and screams bin your face, because that's how Kooks learn.
Have any of you Kooks noted that none the articles in this Kook site
provides a "By Line".....Can you guess why?
What you all really need to know, is that you're all kooks, because you
will never master surfing, because you have no intention of mastering it.
And in the mean time you will, talk convenient net speak, rather than
developing a credible set of surfing skills, and of course, while we're all waiting for you to give up and go away, you will always be sitting in the impact zone, paddling out "in front of the oncoming surfers" dropping in on us, and then falling off your ten foot board for no reason, with a ten foot leash, and murder everything with in a 20 foot radius.
I could go on and on, but what's the point...Kooks, don't know, don't care, don't listen, don't progress....."that's what they're famous for!
Meanwhile, you'll buy something some Third World pop out, and further
insult the noble traditions that make surfing what you'll NEVER understand.
"""How bout the guy above, who did a dissertation of developing your ankles....hmmmmm, I rest my case.
wow, there are some really supportive people on this site, and some very angry selfish people on this site.
yes, like any skill, new experience or desire, there's a learning process. With practice, dedication, experience, and guidance you can develop some of these surf skills, or at least enjoy the outdoors, the water, the sun, the movement, and the feeling that you are being guided by the earths beautiful force. And yes, I think that respect needs to be given to those who have taken the time to learn, to experience, and to appreciate this oneness with nature. I do not, however, think that people who are searching online for information on surfing need to be referred to as ____ - insert whatever lame label your elitist, arrogant, brain comes up with. I have an idea! What about, let's say..., instead of being, again, an elitist jerk, you share some helpful information?. Like those before you have, before you came aboard and unleashed your angry rant. You know.... you had to start somewhere too and, guess what?! So does everyone else. The beauty of experience and knowledge is that it can be shared. The detriment to progression "..kooks, don't know, don't care, don't listen, don't progress" is narrow-mindedness and negativity. The world has enough close-minded, self-centered people. Don't add to the pile.
Ok, now that that's out of the way, thanks for all the helpful information. I am new to surfing and am loving it. I am excited to keep practicing and learning. I just love being on the water! cheers !!
Very disappointed... Those 2 fools although maybe skilful at surfing, inherit all the trates of this "me" society that people who have the calling to nature and surfing are trying to disconnect with, it's a shame that there are ppl like this on my breaks and yours. The main thing is etiquette which I can understand very important to respect the ppl who know how to carve a wave and who caught the wave first, beside that ppl such as those two need to head out to Jaws and get amongst it instead of bitching in productive forums!
I have to say on my behalf, get yourself an old board, put it in front of your couch and practice the pop every moment your not surfing, if you get to the point when your pop is robotic in and out of the water then your ready for the bottom turn.
There are I think 44 surfers on the pro tour. 43 get up almost identical to each other. There is usually one dude who Pops up in some unconventional way. You are not scored on how you POP UP. So it does not really matter how you pop up. It is really what you do after you pop up that counts.
The biggest issue I see is letting go of the hands on the deck before your feet are planted. Much like getting up off the floor you would not let go until you were steady. The same works for surfing.
Good luck!
I just can't do them i go straight to my knees. I try to go straight to my feet but it is to hard!!!
Hey guys,
just learning to surf and am the biggest kook and find it hard to get the pop up down pat! I took my board out a fair bit in the big lake near my house to practise paddling.
Would it help if while Im out on the lake where its totally flat to practice popping up?
Or should i just stick to dry land and surf to practice?
Thanks heaps in advance for any help :)
There's a lot of great tips/pointers in this thread but the comment about "they will see you as a kook" is pretty bad. They've all been there too! That's like making fun of someone at the gym who just started training - it's a no no. Don't be intimidated by someone more advanced.
Go out and have fun, but be aware of your abilities as it relates to your surroundings. Get in good practice and don't be a step jumper, know where you're at and progress gradually. If you love it and want it enough, it'll totally pay off! :)
Hi
I have tried so hard to learn surfing but I'm female,nearly 62 years and have spent years trying and had lessons but there needs to be alternative techniques to the standard pop-up for those lacking flexibility and with a few extra kilos.I windsurf,snowboard and am a long distance swimmer.I can surf and am out there every weekend all year round but still useless.
Hey guys, I think this video would really help you out with learning the proper technique to popping up. It really helped me. Hope this helps!!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0rVXTkld-4
try longboards first
I was able to lend a board from a friend and try surfing. It was kinda small wich made it harder for me to balance, but next to that i couldn't seem to get up. I would very naturally be surfing waves like i was proposing to the ocean (being on one knee and my front foot on the board. Is it just that i don't have enough upper body strength? or is there something else i might be doing wrong?
Sometimes it's tough to get your feet positioned to drive the wave with one pop and lock (lol), keep it up. Muscle memory, years of practice...
In addition try to do pushups with your fingertips and then pop up on your board with fingers not palms. it gives your front foot an additional inch or two of clearance to make the transition.
pretty soon the pop up will seem like your using your thumb and 2 fingers to get out of prone position
Surfing for beginners is more difficult than anyone imagines and why people try it on their own. I teach beginners and everyone says its harder and more tiring than they expected. With a few basic fundamentals, students can be surfing in an hour instead of the days of frustration.
cool
nice
Well here goes, I started surfing at Huntington Beach in 1964 but spent more time swimming for the board than surfing, as there were no leashes then, I gave up, but I always still wanted to do it, now I'm 72 and going to try it again, maybe with a leash i wont have to practice Swimming as much, and spend more energy and time trying to surf. Who ever invented the surfboard leash. Great Idea, Hope I Can Do It. William Ambrogio.