How to pop up on a surfboard (step by step)
Updated 2026-10-11 · Unkook surf coaching
The pop-up is the single most important move in surfing. Almost every beginner problem (falling straight away, nosediving, never getting out of the white water) traces back to a slow or unstable pop-up.
The pop-up in 4 steps
- Paddle in and feel the wave pick you up. Keep paddling 2–3 more strokes after you feel the push. Popping up too early is the most common reason the wave leaves without you.
- Hands flat under your chest. Not on the rails (edges) and not up by your shoulders. Your hands should be roughly under your lower ribs, fingers forward.
- Push your chest up and bring your feet through in one move. Arch your back slightly, push, and swing your feet under you in a single motion. Your front foot lands between your hands, your back foot across the stringer (the centre line) near the tail.
- Land low and look forward. Knees bent, chest up, weight centred, arms relaxed and out in front. Look at the beach or down the line, not at your board.
The 5 most common pop-up mistakes
- Coming up one knee at a time. It's slow and puts all your weight on one spot of the board. It works in the white water but fails on unbroken waves. Practise the one-motion pop-up on land until the knee step disappears.
- Hands on the rails. Gripping the edges pulls your shoulders forward and makes the board wobble. Keep your hands flat on the deck.
- Hands staying on the board after your feet land. You end up bent over the board. Let go as soon as your feet are down.
- Looking down at the board. Your body follows your eyes. Look where you want to go.
- Landing with straight legs, bent at the waist. This is the classic "folded" stance: hips back, chest down. Bend your knees instead, as if sitting in a chair, and keep your chest up. (More in how to stand on a surfboard.)
The 10-minute daily drill
Do this on the floor, a yoga mat, or the sand. A line on the floor (tape or a towel edge) stands in for the stringer.
- Lie on your stomach with your hands under your chest.
- Pop up in one motion and freeze for 3 seconds where you land.
- Check: are both feet across the line? Front foot between where your hands were? Knees bent, chest up, eyes forward?
- Lie back down and repeat. Aim for 10–20 a day.
After a week or two most people go from a slow, knee-first pop-up to a single motion. The goal is under about one second from hands-down to standing.
Regular or goofy?
Regular means your left foot is forward, goofy means your right foot is forward. Not sure? Notice which foot you step forward with when someone gently pushes you from behind, or which foot leads when you slide across a floor in socks.
How to know if your pop-up is right
It's hard to feel your own pop-up. The fastest way to check is to film it: ask a friend to film one wave from the beach and watch it in slow motion. Look at whether your knee touches the board, how long your hands stay down, and whether you land bent at the waist or bent at the knees. (How to film your surfing.)
See what you're doing on your own waves. Send one wave to Unkook and get it broken down moment by moment: slow motion, arrows on what to fix, and one thing to practise next session.
Analyse my wave freeFAQ
Should I pop up to my knees first?
Only on your very first sessions in small white water. It's a habit that slows you down later, so switch to a one-motion pop-up as soon as you can.
Why do I fall straight after popping up?
Usually because you land with straight legs and your weight too far back or forward, or you're looking down. Land low with bent knees, chest up, eyes forward.
How fast should a pop-up be?
Under about one second from pushing up to standing. On steeper waves it needs to be faster, which is why daily floor practice pays off.
Where should my hands go when I pop up?
Flat on the deck under your chest (roughly your lower ribs), not on the rails and not by your shoulders.