Discover the most common mistakes when popping up in surfing and how to avoid them. Technical guide from Surf Mama School to improve your performance in surf lessons in Peniche.

Common Pop-Up Mistakes in Surf and How to Avoid Them

Even with a good technical explanation, it's very common to make mistakes when learning how to do a pop-up in surfing. During surf lessons in Peniche , these are some of the most frequent mistakes we see at Surf Mama School , and how you can correct them.

Pushing with your knees

This is one of the most common mistakes among beginners. Resting your knees on the board makes the movement slower and more unstable.
👉 The goal should always be to go directly from the lying position to the feet , in a single fluid movement.

Look down at the plank.

Looking at the board causes the body to lose alignment and balance.
👉 Keep your gaze forward, in the direction of the wave or the beach, to improve stability and awareness of the course.

Making the pop-up too late

If you wait too long to pop up, you'll lose speed and the wave will stop pushing you.
👉 Timing is essential: start the pop-up as soon as you feel the wave catching on the board.

To stand very straight

Lifting your body with your legs straight reduces control and increases the risk of falls.
👉 Always keep your knees bent to lower your center of gravity and improve balance.

To put your feet too close together.

A very narrow base of support hinders stability.
👉 Find a stance with your feet shoulder-width apart.

Advanced Pop-Up Techniques in Surfing

After mastering the basic pop-up, you can start refining the technique, something we work on with intermediate students in Surf Mama School's surf lessons .

• Shortboard pop up
  A faster and more explosive movement, essential for steeper waves and shortboards.

• Cross-step pop up
  Used in longboarding, it involves walking forward on the board instead of jumping directly onto your feet.

• Angled pop-up
  Ideal for steeper waves, where your body is already rising in the direction you want to go.

The Importance of Practice

Like any technique in surfing, the pop-up improves with consistent practice. Even experienced surfers continue to refine this move.

A great way to train is to practice on land. On the beach, draw the outline of a surfboard in the sand and repeat the pop-up motion, focusing on fluidity and foot placement.

When you move into the water, start in small, gentle waves. As you gain confidence, progress to larger waves. Consistency is key to making the pop-up automatic and natural.

👉 This technical work is part of the progression taught in surf lessons at Surf Mama School in Peniche , for both beginners and intermediate levels.