Pop up help

[dtc]

This is a video of me practicing the pop up at home as suggested in the above thread .please let me know if I'm practicing it correctly

Your first pop up looks pretty good. On the second one, your back foot drags a bit, then plants, then you use that to pivot around and bring over your front foot. This is ok, its just a bit slow (should be more or less simultaneous planting of feet - the second one didn’t look like you used the same amount of effort/explosiveness). Waikikichan has broken it down better.

But its definitely a suitable platform that you will refine and improve over time - much better than what happens on water from your other video. So you can pop up - you just need to ensure you do it on the water. I partly agree with JJ above re white water pop ups - they aren’t the same as unbroken waves. However, they are also better than on land pop ups. So if you are struggling next time, I don’t think there is any harm in trying some white water pop ups - go and do 15 'proper' pop ups in the white water (will only take 10 minutes if you paddle, pop up, balance and then stop), then go out to the unbroken waves.

Forgot to mention that your stance (after popping up) on the first video looks really good (if stiff). So you just have a small flaw to correct and you will be on your way.

I have to ask though: why does the above poster that I quoted seem surprised that the OP can catch certain waves (what's a 'green wave'?) without popping up? Their post seems to suggest that without popping up you won't catch certain waves.

I think Old Man was probably asking how someone can surf a wave without popping up - ie if you haven’t popped up, then you aren’t surfing.

If you catch the wave but then body board down the wave to the bottom and then pop up, most of the time you will have lost the energy of the wave and wont get very far.

So you need get the timing right - pop up when you have caught the wave, but not too long after catching it. This isn’t as hard as it seems (because you quickly learn to 'feel' when the wave has caught you); although its not as simple either - for some waves you need to pop up instantly (fast pitching/steep waves) or the wave will break, and you don’t want to be in the lip of the wave when it breaks (look up 'going over the falls'); and for other waves you need to wait a little bit after you have caught it (fatter waves) because while the energy is high enough to push you along but not enough to give you enough speed to use the wave. This is not stuff you can learn other than by doing. After 100 or 200 or 500 hours you will pick it up…

Green wave is just a term for an unbroken wave (as opposed to 'white water', which is after it breaks). Here is some other lingo https://surfing-waves.com/surf_talk.htm

[oldmansurfer]

If you don't stand you aren't surfing - you are body boarding

You have to catch the wave before you pop up.

You have to catch the wave - it doesn't catch you. Ie you need to paddle. You then stand and use the wave (and gravity) to have fun. If you stand before you catch the wave, then you will go nowhere - the wave will go on without you

Thanks - so I catch the wave and then stand up once the wave has been caught?

I have to ask though: why does the above poster that I quoted seem surprised that the OP can catch certain waves (what's a 'green wave'?) without popping up? Their post seems to suggest that without popping up you won't catch certain waves.

A green wave is one that hasn't broken yet or at least not where you catch it. Even though I had surfed for years before I came to this forum it is a term I first heard here on this forum. What I meant is generally if you fail to popup you fail to surf so if you can ride green waves you can popup (well enough). I guess sometimes people wonder why they aren't doing the same thing that experienced surfers are doing when they shouldn't really be doing that because they aren't experienced. It's a goal to attain with practice.... lots of practice. But we do have some really knowledgeable members here that can give some real insight into the problems beginners have surfing

[shwetaknulla]

Thank you all so much for your help! I will submit my progress and let you know how I go!!

[Beginner77]

If you don't stand you aren't surfing - you are body boarding

You have to catch the wave before you pop up.

You have to catch the wave - it doesn't catch you. Ie you need to paddle. You then stand and use the wave (and gravity) to have fun. If you stand before you catch the wave, then you will go nowhere - the wave will go on without you

Thanks - so I catch the wave and then stand up once the wave has been caught?

I have to ask though: why does the above poster that I quoted seem surprised that the OP can catch certain waves (what's a 'green wave'?) without popping up? Their post seems to suggest that without popping up you won't catch certain waves.

A green wave is one that hasn't broken yet or at least not where you catch it. Even though I had surfed for years before I came to this forum it is a term I first heard here on this forum. What I meant is generally if you fail to popup you fail to surf so if you can ride green waves you can popup (well enough). I guess sometimes people wonder why they aren't doing the same thing that experienced surfers are doing when they shouldn't really be doing that because they aren't experienced. It's a goal to attain with practice.... lots of practice. But we do have some really knowledgeable members here that can give some real insight into the problems beginners have surfing

That's great, thanks, that makes perfect sense.