New surfers need a beginner pop up because most don’t yet have the specific muscle development and agility for the advanced pop up. The advanced pop up requires upper body and core strength plus flexibility and agility.
Mastering the Advanced Pop Up
Surfers make popping up and riding easy because they have been surfing for years training the exact muscles necessary to make it look easy. Gymnasts, triathletes, and yogis come closest to having the right combination of training to do advanced pop ups from the beginning.
The advanced pop up and beginner pop up have the same first three steps. The surfer paddles and catches a wave. Then the surfer puts his hands under his chest in a man’s push up position. Then he pushes in full extension. At this point the technique varies.
The advanced surfer brings both feet to the board driving the front foot to the nose and landing upright with hands up and shoulders and hips squared to the front. Weight is equal between front and back legs and knees are flexed.
Mastering the Beginner Pop Up
The beginner pop up changes the back portion of the pop up. After fully extending, the beginner puts his back foot on the board flat and under his butt so he can stand on it. As he rises, he lifts his hands making his front foot weightless. He then drives the front foot to the nose of the board.
The difference is the beginner surfer is using the strength of his back leg instead of his upper body to stand up. This helps people who don’t work out, most women, and young adults. The beginner still benefits by not being over weight, having upper body strength, and flexibility.
Stamina is a Hidden Surprise
Stamina is the surprise for most beginners. Regardless of your workout routine, paddling is tiring. It is using lots of oxygen and lots of glycogen. Glycogen is glucose converted by the liver from sugar gleaned from carbohydrates. If the muscles have not been exercised regularly, the muscles have no receptors for glucose and it passes by to fatty tissues.
The mostly sedentary students have no glycogen stores in their muscles and are tired from paddling very quickly. People who work out and most teens can learn in a lesson for two hours although they too are tired.
The Beginner Pop Up Finish Posture
The beginner pop also requires the surfer to have hips and shoulders squared to the front on the board. Feet have to be shoulder width apart to create a stable stance. The front foot has to be near the front of the board to hold the nose down and keep the board in the wave.
See my Dry Land and in Water Demo video
For Surf Lessons in Oceanside, see the Home Page
For a video on Popping up with the back foot first