How to Pop Up on a Surfboard
The key to a sucessfull pop up is keeping your head up. If you look down, you are going to wipe out
The surfing pop up is how you get to your feet on the surfboard. Learning how to pop up on a surfboard can be tricky.
While the pop-up may be a little different from one person to the next, the techniques for popping up on your surfboard are essentially the same for everyone. Here is how to correctly pop up on a surfboard.
Hand Placement
When its time to pop up on your surfboard, place the palms of your hands on the flat part of the surfboard under your armpits. If you place your hands out in front of your chest, you will push the nose of the surfboard into the water and wipe-out. It is also a good idea not to grab the rails or sides of the surfboard when popping up because your hands could slip and cause you to hit your chin on the deck of the surfboard.
Look Forward
To pop up on a surfboard, do a big push up and jump to the center of the surfboard with both feet.
The key to a successful pop-up is keeping your head up and looking where you are going. This is the most common mistake that beginner surfers make when they try to pop up on a surfboard. They are more focused on where their feet are going than where their surfboard is going. Looking down causes you to lose your balance which leads to a wipe out. An easy way to avoid looking down is to pick a spot on the shoreline and stare at it while you are popping up.
Arch Your Toes
In order to get your feet from the tail of the surfboard all the way to the middle, you need enough leverage for a big jump. By arching your toes, you can get a big push and increase your chances of landing in the center of the surfboard.
Push Up, Jump and Rotate
When you pop up on a surfboard, both of your feet should land in the center of the board about shoulder width apart. Remember to keep your head up.
Now that you have your palms under your armpits on the flat part of the surfboard, your toes are arched and you are looking forward you can pop-up to your feet. Do a big push up and jump as far as you can to the center of the surfboard. As you jump, rotate your body in a 180 degree motion so that you land sideways on your surfboard. If you do it right, your feet should land about shoulder width apart down the center of the surfboard. Remember, the surfboard is moving the whole time, so when you get to your feet, stay low and be ready to move forward with the surfboard.
Being able to pop up on a surfboard can be a bit tricky at first and even harder when you are moving on a wave and gravity is against you. Practice the pop-up on land a few times before tyring it in the water. The more you practice, the stronger you will become and the easier the pop-up will be.
Once you get to your feet, stay balanced by bending your knees and pointing where you want to go.
Don’t think you have what it takes to do the “pop-up”? No problem. Our expert surf instructors have taught people of all skill levels and abilities how to surf in Kona, Hawaii using specialized techniques other than the pop-up. Give us call and set up your surf lesson today!
Be sure to share your pop up tricks, tips and secrets with us by commenting below.