Now that you have found which surfboard is best for you to learn on, it’s time to take the next step and learn how to stand up on your board. This is where it starts getting tricky and also where the real practice comes into play. We advise to try these steps over and over until it becomes natural. That’s the only way you’re going to learn.
First off, you want to learn how to stand up on your surfboard on the beach, not out in the water. You can even practice these moves in your house if you want to. There are a couple ways to practice on the beach without risking damage to your surfboard fins. You can either remove the fins from your board or you can draw an outline of the board in the sand and use this outline as your surfboard. Either way will work just fine.
Step 1: Lie flat on the sand (on the outline of your surfboard) right down the center of the board with your feet just touching the tail end of the board. This is the proper position for when you are lying down on your board before you push yourself up.
Step 2: While you are lying down on your board, grab the rails (sides of the board) and do a push up. Your hands should be close to your body and in line with your arm pits. As you push the front of your body up, you also want to pull one knee up quickly to your chest. Once you pull one knee up, your foot should be near the tail of the board. The distance between your front and back foot should be a little more than shoulder width apart. The foot that goes to the tail of the board should be the foot you kick a ball with. This “kicking” foot is what is going to steer the surfboard. You will want to practice this move over and over as it is the most important step in standing up on your surfboard.
Step 3: Your feet should be sideways on your board as if you were standing in the batters box playing baseball. Keep your feet directly over the centerline. Most falls occur because people aren’t centered on their board correctly. Also, point your feet a little forward. This will help with your forward motion.
Step 3: Keep your weight as centered as you can with a low center of gravity. Avoid leaning back or forward. Try to stand as upright as you can. Do not stand straight up, however. Bend your knees a little to lower your center of gravity. This will help keep you balanced. Your goal here is keep your body as relaxed and flexible as possible.
Step 4: Like a trapezist walking on a tight rope, you will also want to move your arms out away from your body. It’s natural to keep them close to your side. This will help with your balance. Keep your arms loose and avoid swinging them.
Step 5: Look up, not down. If your eyes are focused on your feet, you are going to fall, so keep your eyes looking forward at all times.
Practice these steps over and over until you feel comfortable enough to do this out in the water. Remember, the most important step in keeping your balance is to keep your body and feet positioned down the centerline of the board. If you can keep your balance, you are ready to surf.
Thanks for reading and be sure to leave a comment below. See you out in the water!
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