Learning how to improve your pop up surfing is one of the fastest ways to catch more waves and feel more confident in the water.
Your pop-up is the bridge between paddling into a wave and actually surfing it.
If your pop-up is slow, unstable or awkward, you can miss waves you were otherwise in the perfect position to catch. You might also land too far back on the board, stand too tall, lose balance or hesitate at the worst possible moment.
The good news is that your pop-up can improve quickly with the right kind of practice.
You don’t need a complicated gym program.
You need better movement, better timing and enough repetition for your body to know what to do without overthinking.
In this guide, we’ll keep it simple and look at the common mistakes that slow surfers down, the drills that help most and the mobility and strength work that can make your pop-up feel easier.
Why Your Pop-Up Matters
A good pop-up isn’t just about standing up quickly.
It’s about getting to your feet in a stable, balanced position so you can actually surf the wave.
A slow or inefficient pop-up often creates a chain reaction of problems. You might miss the wave completely, stand too far back on the board, lose speed or find yourself fighting for balance before you’ve even started your ride.
For beginner surfers, the pop-up is often one of the biggest barriers to progression. Many surfers spend months trying to improve their wave count when the real issue is what happens after they catch the wave.
The better your pop-up becomes, the more waves you’ll ride successfully.
This is especially important as waves get steeper and conditions become more challenging. On small, soft waves you can often get away with a slower pop-up. On faster beach breaks and steeper waves, hesitation can mean the difference between making the drop and getting left behind.
The good news is that the pop-up is a skill.
And like any skill, it improves with practice.
Common Pop-Up Mistakes
Most surfers don’t struggle with their pop-up because they aren’t strong enough.
They struggle because of a few common technique mistakes that make the movement slower and less efficient.
Looking Down
One of the most common beginner mistakes is staring at the board during the pop-up.
Your body tends to follow your eyes. Looking down often causes you to hunch forward, lose balance and end up in a poor stance.
Instead, look where you want to go.
Bringing Your Knees Up First
Many surfers try to get onto their knees before standing.
While it might feel easier, it creates an extra step that slows everything down and often causes missed waves.
Aim to move directly from paddling to your feet in one smooth motion.
Hands Too Wide
Placing your hands too wide can make it difficult to generate power and lift your body efficiently.
Your hands should generally be positioned close to your chest, similar to the bottom position of a push-up.
Hesitating
Confidence plays a bigger role than most people realise.
Many surfers catch the wave, feel the acceleration, then hesitate for a split second.
Unfortunately, that split second is often all it takes to miss the opportunity.
Commit to the movement.
Many surfers learning later in life have the skills to catch the wave but hesitate at the last moment. If that sounds familiar, read How To Stop Pulling Back On Waves.
Standing Too Tall Too Early
Try to stay low as you land your feet.
A lower stance gives you better balance, more control and allows you to react to what the wave is doing underneath you.
The goal isn’t a perfect pop-up every time.
The goal is to remove the biggest mistakes that are slowing you down.
Skill Comes Before Strength
One of the biggest misconceptions about the pop-up is that it’s purely a strength exercise.
Strength certainly helps, but the pop-up is first and foremost a skill.
Think about learning to drive a car or ride a bike. At first, every movement feels awkward and requires conscious thought. Over time, your brain learns the sequence and the movement becomes automatic.
The same thing happens with your pop-up.
The surfers with the fastest pop-ups aren’t necessarily the strongest surfers in the water. They’ve simply repeated the movement enough times that their body knows exactly what to do when the wave arrives.
That’s why practising pop-ups on land can be so effective.
A few minutes of focused practice several times per week is often more valuable than spending hours trying to build strength without ever rehearsing the actual movement.
Once the technique becomes automatic, strength, mobility and fitness can help support it.
But first, your body needs to learn the movement.
Practice the skill.
Then build the strength to support it.
5 Surfboard Pop Up Exercises
You don’t need dozens of exercises to improve your pop-up.
Focus on a few movements that improve technique, upper-body strength, core control and mobility.
1. Pop-Up Repetitions
The most effective pop-up exercise is the pop-up itself.
Spend a few minutes several times per week practising the movement on land. Focus on smooth, controlled repetitions rather than speed. As the movement becomes more natural, gradually increase the pace.
2. Push-Ups
Push-ups develop the upper-body strength needed to lift your chest and create space to bring your feet underneath you.
Focus on quality rather than quantity. A perfect push-up is far more valuable than twenty sloppy ones.
3. Planks
A strong core helps transfer force between your upper and lower body during the pop-up.
Planks teach you to maintain tension through the trunk while moving your arms and legs, which carries over well to surfing.
4. Deep Squat Holds
Many surfers struggle to bring their feet underneath them because of limited hip and ankle mobility.
Spending time in a comfortable deep squat can help improve mobility and make it easier to land in a stable surfing stance.
5. Explosive Step-Ups or Box Jumps
As your technique improves, adding a small amount of explosive training can help develop power and athleticism.
Exercises such as step-ups, squat jumps or box jumps can help improve your ability to move quickly and react to changing conditions in the surf.
Remember, the goal isn’t to become a gym athlete.
The goal is to build a pop-up that feels automatic when the wave arrives.
What Helped My Pop-Up The Most
For years I assumed my pop-up limitations were caused by a lack of strength.
What I eventually realised was that mobility was often the missing piece.
After dealing with lower back pain for more than 15 years, I spent a long time trying different approaches. Stretching helped, but the biggest improvements came when I started focusing on mobility, strength and movement quality together.
During some of my worst flare-ups, reformer Pilates was incredibly valuable. It helped me rebuild strength and confidence without aggravating my back and allowed me to return to more demanding training.
As my body improved, I added movements such as Jefferson curls, back extensions, split squats, side lunges and rotational exercises. These not only improved my back health but also made movements like the pop-up feel smoother and more natural.
One thing I’ve noticed coaching surfers is that many people try to force the pop-up with upper-body strength alone.
Often the real issue is limited hip mobility, stiffness through the spine or a lack of control through the movement itself.
The easier it becomes to move through your hips, rotate through your torso and stay strong through a full range of motion, the easier the pop-up tends to feel.
For me, improving movement quality made a bigger difference than simply trying to get stronger.
The goal wasn’t a faster pop-up.
The goal was building a body that could move well enough for the pop-up to happen naturally.
Pop-Up Tips for Older Surfers
One of the biggest mistakes older surfers make is thinking they need to train harder.
More often than not, they need to move better.
As we get older, it’s common to lose mobility through the hips, shoulders and thoracic spine. Sitting for work, old injuries and years of wear and tear can all make the pop-up feel slower and more difficult than it used to.
The good news is that most of these limitations can be improved.
Rather than focusing purely on explosive power, older surfers often benefit more from improving mobility, maintaining strength through a full range of motion and practising the pop-up regularly.
Simple things such as hip mobility work, deep squats, rotational exercises and consistent strength training can make a significant difference over time.
I’ve also found that recovery becomes increasingly important. A body that is stiff, sore and fatigued will rarely move well in the water.
The goal isn’t to pop up like a 20-year-old grommet.
The goal is to build a body that can continue surfing well into your 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond.
If you’re looking for a more complete approach, check out my guide to Surfing Fitness for Older Surfers
Looking for a Structured Surf Fitness Program?
Practising your pop-up is important, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle.
The best surfers don’t just work on technique. They build the mobility, strength, balance and durability needed to perform consistently in the water.
After dealing with lower back pain for more than 15 years, I’ve found that improving movement quality, mobility and strength through a full range of motion has had a much bigger impact on my surfing than chasing random exercises.
One resource I’ve found particularly useful is Surf Strength Coach. Their programs are designed specifically for surfers and focus on building strength, mobility, power and long-term resilience in the water.
I especially like their emphasis on movement quality, rotational strength and surf-specific training rather than generic gym workouts.
If you’re looking for a more structured approach to improving your surfing, it’s worth checking out.
→ Check out Surf Strength Coach here
Related Reading
Want to continue improving your surfing? These guides may help:
- Mobility Training for Surfers – Improve movement through the hips, shoulders and spine to make surfing feel easier and more efficient.
- Best Stretches for Surfers – Reduce stiffness, improve flexibility and recover better between sessions.
- Yoga for Surfers – Discover how yoga can improve balance, mobility, recovery and body awareness in the water.
- CO₂ Tolerance Training for Surfers – Learn how breath control can help you stay calmer and more comfortable in challenging conditions.
- Surf Apnea Training – Build confidence for hold-downs, wipeouts and bigger surf through structured breath-hold training.
- Surfing Fitness for Older Surfers – Stay strong, mobile and surf-ready as you age.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I improve my pop-up surfing?
The fastest way to improve your pop-up is through consistent practice. Focus on good technique, practise pop-ups on land regularly and work on improving mobility through your hips, shoulders and spine.
Why is my pop-up so slow?
A slow pop-up is usually caused by a combination of poor technique, lack of practice, limited mobility or hesitation when committing to the wave. Most surfers improve significantly by practising the movement consistently outside the water.
What muscles are used during a surf pop-up?
The pop-up uses your chest, shoulders, triceps, core, hip flexors and legs. However, the movement is more about coordination and timing than pure strength.
Can mobility improve my pop-up?
Absolutely. Limited hip mobility, thoracic spine stiffness and restricted shoulder movement can all make the pop-up more difficult. Improving mobility often makes the movement feel smoother and more natural.
How often should I practise my pop-up?
Five minutes several times per week is usually enough to see improvements. Consistent repetition is more effective than occasional long training sessions.
Do older surfers need a different pop-up technique?
The fundamentals remain the same, but older surfers often benefit from spending more time improving mobility, strength and movement quality. A smoother, more efficient pop-up is usually more important than trying to move faster.