Have been surfing for a while...whitewater is easy for me to stand up but want to progress to green waves?

Question

i went to an instructor and he said i definetley should be trying to do pop up instead of sliding my knee so i can quickly get up. but everytime i do this i cant bring myself to because i feel im wasting a wave lol and end up sliding my knee to stand..fair enough it works for white water but i want to progress. i know how to do pop up and practice on the floor but cant actually put it into practice thankyou =)

Answer 1

Your going to have to waste some of those waves to practice your pop up. Find slow moving mellow waves and use a longboard. Getting to your feet as fast as possible is the answer.  The in-between stage is only going to cause you to wipe out if delayed. Don't go to you knees first, your only wasting time when you could be mastering your pop up and then move on from there. Check out the following for some tips and links:  http://www.surfingcal.com/learn-to-surf....

Answer 2

surfingb... summed it up pretty well. but your best bet is to go to a surf lesson or two.

Answer 3

hmm try purple waves. jk

confidence really helps, just convince youself you can do it.

Answer 4

I tend to agree with Marty, but the real bottom line is PRACTICE. Stop asking about this stuff on line, and get in the water and ask your friends to help you out by describing what you are doing after take off. What we think we are doing on a surfboard is often different from what we are really doing, just like a golf swing. And get in the Water!!

Surfing is an ocean sport, to do it right, you have to be at home in the ocean, with its currents, rips, undertows and sometimes big waves. I don't just mean being good at swimming in a pool, the ocean can be very unforgiving. I have seen lots of really good pool swimmers have to get rescued. You have to learn surf etiquette (so the experienced surfers in the line up don't want to drown you), how to paddle and take off on a wave, and how to ride a wave.

Lessons are usually the best way to start, unless you are an adolescent or young adult with lots of pals who surf who can teach you. Go to a real surf shop. The folks there can hook you up with lessons, and even rent you a board to learn on. Just work on your basics.

I have been surfing for 42 years, take your time and learn the RIGHT WAY and you will have fun for life.

Answer 5

Hi My name is Marty and I am an Australian qualified surf coach and have been in the industry for many years. I would like to answer your question.

I believe that surfing should be comfortable and natural. The pop up has many advantages, but it isn't always best for everyone.

It's best to be comfortable and relaxed when surfing and the truth is many surfers use the knee to standing version, eventually you just pop up naturally with time. This happens as your shoulders strengthen and your confidence builds.

You can view a series of photo's showing a demonstrated method on this website World Boardriders Club

http://wbc.wildapricot.org/Default.aspx?...

Paddling technique and duckdiving is a must for riding green waves, and also physical fitness is a must for safety and making your surfing enjoyable.  There really are many things to consider such as your surfboard design,,too small you just won't catch waves, so get some lenght and thickness for extra stability and paddling speed.  

Good luck with it, and if you need anymore tips visit

http://wbc.wildapricot.org

ps: there are also surf schools on line at http://worldboardridersclub.ning.com