Now you have mastered paddling and catching waves, its time to take to your feet and ride your first wave. To do this you are going to need to know how to pop-up, the most crucial of all the surf basics to learn.
There are two methods to pop up: the straight pop-up and the three-stage pop-up method. We’re showing you both techniques and guide you through them one step at a time.
In order to complete a straight pop-up, you need to do all of the following movements simultaneously:
Lay on your board exactly how you would be when paddling.
Toes just off the end of the board, feet and legs together, chest raised and body centred on the board.
Place your hands just underneath your shoulders alongside the rails of the surfboard.
Just how you would if you were going to push up into the prone position.
Remember we do not hold the rails with our hands, instead we place our hands on the deck of the board close to the rails.
With your hands flat on the board, quickly snap your elbows, extending your arms.
This should feel similar to the motion of doing a push up.
As you push off from the surfboard with your hands you want to make sure you twist your hips.
This will help you land with your feet in the correct position on the surfboard, so that you are sideways on the surfboard rather than facing forward with both feet (skiing).
Once you have pushed off and twisted your hips, bring your feet up and underneath your body.
Land on your feet making sure they are in the correct position otherwise you will be unstable on your surfboard. See our tips on body positioning to master this.
The pop-up is a very quick movement, so it is important to remember the crucial parts.
A snap of the elbows, twist of the hips and bringing your feet up and underneath your body ensuring they land in the correct position.
If your feet are in the correct position the rest of the body will naturally follow suit.
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