How to Take Off on a Surfboard | 4 Different Techniques: Which One is Right for You?

One of the biggest challenges for most beginner and intermediate surfers is to consistently pop up with their feet in the proper position on the surfboard. There are multiple techniques to help you go from the prone position to the proper surfing stance. In this tutorial we will see four of them. We'll cover the reasons why surfers decide to use them or not, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. This tutorial is focused on For a deeper dive into each technique, how to correct typical mistakes and how to practice them at home, make sure to check out our online coaching platform. For the sliding the knee method, the surfer slides both knees forward and onto the surfboard. He then brings his front foot forward in between his hands and then stands up. During the push-up technique, the surfer does a push-up to lift his upper body. He then brings his back foot forward and finally his front foot before standing up. Note that this technique can only be used on bigger surfboards such as longboards or foam boards because the surfer needs to be able to plant their toes on the tail. On shorter surfboards, the surfer's toes float in the water at the back of the surfboard by the tail. The chicken wing technique works on any type of surfboard. The surfer first slides his back foot forwards on the board in the chicken wing position. Once the back foot is firmly placed on the board, he pushes his upper body upwards and brings his front foot forwards before standing up. The standard pop-up is probably the most known of them all and it is the fastest way for a surfer to get to his feet. When using this technique, surfers pop up using their hands and their knees or their lower thighs as a point of contact with their surfboard. Once they pop to create space in between themselves and the board, they swing their feet on the surfboard in a fast fluid motion, with the back foot usually landing on the surfboard just before the front foot, although some surfers land with both feet at the same time. Some consider that since the vast majority of surfers eventually use the standard pop-up, then this should be the one to learn from the start. In our opinion, the technique you decide to use should depend on your mobility, your strength, surf experience and goals. Let's start with mobility and strength, as they can automatically dictate which technique is right for you. If you struggle to do a push-up, or if it's quite difficult for you to get in the cobra pose, then the sliding of the knees could be the technique for you. If you're able to do those, we strongly recommend you choose one of the other three techniques, as sliding your knees is the slowest technique and it isn't ideal when dropping into steeper waves. The next test you can try at home is to check if you're able to lift all of your body up in the air, throw your knees forward and land on your back foot. This should be done by only having your hands and knees touching the floor. While laying on your belly, with your hands below your pectorals, push your upper body up. As your thighs lift up from the floor, see if you can swing both knees up and forward without them dragging on the floor, and have your back foot land towards where your tail would be. If you aren't able to do this, then you probably should start by using one of the other take-off techniques. If you are able to do it, this means this technique could be the right one for you, but it doesn't mean that you absolutely should use it. When looking at these four techniques, you can notice that the faster the take-off technique is, the greater the level of strength and mobility are required. The same goes for surfing experience. From what we have seen, the standard pop-up is often challenging for novice surfers, because it's done very quickly. Often beginners end up bringing their feet to the wrong spot on the surfboard and lose control when trying this technique. From our experience, we've had more success with the middle techniques, like the chicken wing, as it gives beginners a bit more time to pop up. This being said, we've also had complete beginners starting right away with the standard pop-up with the success. An important question you need to ask yourself when choosing the take-off technique is, what is your objective? If, for an example, you're an intermediate surfer that often takes too much time to pop up and ends up getting caught in the whitewater, then you could consider practicing the standard pop-up. This technique would probably be the most helpful for you if the waves at your local break are quite steep and peel very fast. If you are a beginner surfer, speed should likely not be your main objective. You should focus on consistency first and speed second. This means you should choose a technique with which you can get to your feet in the correct position with the highest success rate, without taking too much time. For many of our beginner students, this is often the chicken wing technique or the push-up technique. With a consistent take-off, you fall less often and you get to practice other things like your stance and weight distribution. Therefore, you progress faster and have more fun. If you found this video helpful, check the link below to get started with a free account on our online coaching platform. You will gain access to our premium tutorials designed to help you reach the next level and increase your enjoyment in the water.