WHAT IS A POP UP IN SURFING

The pop up in surfing is the process of going from the prone position (lying on your belly on the surfboard), to the standing position. 

Sounds easy in theory, but with a wave propelling you forward, an uneven surface, and a surfboard that's wobbly as hell, it's more tricky than you might think. 

Sure, it is possible to clamber to your feet in any which way you like, but popping up like this will have little success rate over the long term. 

That's why surfers have developed pop up techniques that are fast, efficient and minimise unnecessary steps. 

We'll be going through the different surfing pop up techniques in just a moment. 

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

An effective pop up technique is important as the speed in which you get to your feet impacts the way that you can ride a wave. 

If your pop up takes ten seconds to complete, you'll have missed out on the best parts of the wave, however if you can pop to your feet in under half a second, you're able to maximise every aspect of the wave. 

In short, an effective pop up forms the backbone of all good surfing, and it's a damn important part of the puzzle to get right.

DIFFERENT POP UP TECHNIQUES FOR DIFFERENT LEVELS:

Not all surfers have the same levels of agility, dexterity, or strength, and as such there are different pop up techniques that can be used to find success for any/all levels. 

We'll be outlining each of the pop up techniques in detail below:

WHICH POP UP TECHNIQUE IS BEST

The best pop up technique to use is the 'Pro-Pop', however it's also the most difficult.

So if you're not quite there yet with your strength or range of movement, concentrate on one of the others to build up and steadily progress from there. 

There's no right or wrong though so don't beat yourself up if you aren't able to do the more challenging techniques, it all takes time, and we all progress at different rates.

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR POP UP

I used to call B/S on land training and drills in years gone by, having never been a big fan myself. 

But my outlook changed dramatically after a student - of his own accord - went on a mad pop up challenge at home, diligently practicing his pop up ten times each day. 

The results after a three to four week period out of the water, with no surfing whatsoever, were incredible!

This student went from barely getting to their feet, to popping up successfully almost every time. 

This was the biggest transformation I had ever seen for not having actually surfed, ever. 

So, if you want to improve your pop up, do some training at home, and obviously hit the surf as much as you can too. 

CONCLUSION

The pop up is the most fundamental part of surfing. 

Get it right and you'll have success surfing waves you never thought possible.

Yes, it'll take time to perfect. And yes, there'll likely be some stumbles along the way.

But if you can take one thing away from this article it's this, prioritise good technique over everything else, and the rest will follow, I promise. 

Yew!
Rowan. 

TIMELINES FOR LEARNING TO SURF

Ok, so like I said before I’m going to explain a little more than just how long it takes to learn to surf, as in get to your feet for the first time.

And instead I’m going to give you a rough surfing progression timeline to give you an idea of exactly how long learning to surf can take.

*The approximate times listed below are reflective of a person that surfs at least two to three times per week.

WRAPPING IT UP

Learning to surf takes time, and plenty of it. 

What’s more, the actual time you spend surfing each session is oftentimes minuscule, 2 -3 minutes of on-your-feet time at best. 

So, go easy on yourself, getting good at surfing takes years, and takes a lifetime to perfect. 

Doesn’t make the journey any less enjoyable though.

Yew!

Rowan. 

BUT FIRST, WHAT DO WE MEAN BY LINEUP POSITIONING IN SURFING?

Lineup positioning in surfing refers to a surfer's ability to put themselves in the right spot at the right time - to catch the best waves.

It sounds easy in principle, but it’s much more difficult in practice. 

To optimise their lineup positioning experienced surfers will make countless moment-by-moment computations, constantly reading the ebbs and flows of the ocean, wind, swell, rips and other surfers, to put themselves in the best spot possible. 

Just like a poker player will calculate the probabilities at each stage of a hand to put the odds in their favour, so to do surfers constantly make adjustments to put the probabilities on their side. 

12 POTENT SURFING POSITIONING TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

1. LOOK FOR SPOT X: THE APEX OF THE BREAKING WAVE

In our weekend courses and weeklong incubator retreats we oftentimes refer to the ideal takeoff position as ‘Spot-X’.

What is Spot-X? 

Let me explain.

Spot-X is the perfect takeoff position on any given wave, the apex if you like, where the wave is at its highest. The spot where if you were mind-surfing you’d put yourself every time. 

That’s Spot-X right there. 

And now that you know what it is, now that you’re aware, you need to constantly be hunting around a lineup, changing your position as you go, to put yourself in that spot when a good wave comes. 

Easier said than done, but at least you now know what to look for as a base to get you started. 

2. MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO: LOOK FOR WHERE ADVANCED SURFERS ARE SITTING

If you’re not yet familiar with the pattern recognition required to read the waves and adjust your positioning accordingly, why not just follow the experienced surfers in the lineup? 

Doing this will take away 80%+ of guesswork for you. 

But beware, this does come with a few downsides. 

If you’re just a beginner surfing amongst a bunch of more experienced surfers, sure you might be in roughly the right position in the lineup, but you’ll likely struggle to catch waves as the good surfers will be able to out-position you and catch all the waves before you do. 

So, use this tip with your own discernment.

3. KNOW YOUR SPOT IN THE LINEUP

This tip leads on nicely from the last, and it’s all about knowing your spot in the lineup. 

Not so much knowing where to sit, but instead knowing your spot within the lineup hierarchy. 

You see, surfing has a book of unwritten rules that dictate the pecking order out in the surf. 

It might seem counterintuitive at first (and it is in a lot of ways), but when surfers stick to the rules, everybody gets their waves and everybody stays safe. 

It’s when these surf etiquette rules get broken that accidents happen.

For a detailed breakdown on surf etiquette click here.

4. LONGITUDINAL & LATITUDINAL POSITIONING

Ok, if you’re a beginner you’ve likely been spending a bunch of time surfing in the whitewater.

In the whitewater, your surfing positioning is very rudimentary:

Positioning once you’re out the back surfing green waves however is much more nuanced and involved. 

To put yourself in the right position to catch waves out the back requires more than just one simple frame of reference, instead it requires multiple. 

We call this latitudinal and longitudinal positioning. 

This refers to how far out you are, plus your position left and right across the beach. 

For latitudinal positioning use landmarks on the beach:

And for longitudinal positioning use:

Sounds really complicated I know, but effectively it’s finding things around you that you can anchor your position to, so that you know where you are in the lineup at all times. 

5. STUDY THE WAVES BEFORE YOU GO IN

A large part of positioning yourself in the surf comes before you even hit the water. 

For an experienced surfer they may be able to understand the conditions simply at a glance, but for beginners however it will take a little more time observing. 

So, before you paddle out next time take a moment to analyse the lineup, look for where the waves are breaking, and look for where you’d like to position yourself out the back before stepping foot in the water. 

6. LOOK FOR CLUES FROM PREVIOUS WAVES

All waves that break leave visual clues behind them, so it’s always good to study the whitewater trail left behind broken waves as it can tell you a lot. 

Here’s what I mean.

Let's say you paddle for a wave, only to pull back last minute because it was too steep.

Rather than simply turn around and paddle straight back out, look for signs as to how the wave broke. 

By studying the wave after it’s broken you can further refine your positioning to put yourself in a better spot next time around.

7. PADDLE AROUND, DON’T STAY STATIC

Beginner surfers love to get out the back, sit, and soak it all up - maybe even have a lovely little chat whilst they're at it. 

This is fine and all, but it’s not a great way to position yourself to catch more waves.

You see, the chances of your current position being the perfect takeoff spot are virtually zero, so better to be hustling around the lineup than being static in one place.

8. MAKE MULTIPLE MICRO ADJUSTMENTS

This point kind of leads on from the last, and it’s all about making micro adjustments. 

Just like a tennis player will bounce on their toes making multiple tiny adjustments before a serve is hit, so too is it beneficial for a surfer to make these micro adjustments in their positioning when surfing. 

A metre to the left, a few extra paddles out, a hold and wait can all be the difference to catching a wave or not. 

So in short, try to add multiple micro adjustments to your positioning to get yourself in the absolute best spot possible.

9. BE ASSERTIVE, HOLD DOWN YOUR SPOT

As a beginner it’s easy to feel intimidated in the lineup and forgo a dominant surfing position to someone else to not ruffle any feathers. 

I get it, this is human instinct, but as long as your playing by the rules and know your spot in the lineup there’s no need to be so submissive. 

If you’re in the right position and it’s your turn to go, put your head down and fully commit. 

Be assertive, and hold down your spot.

10. ALWAYS BE READY

There’s one thing you’ll notice about experienced surfers, they’re always ready. 

They could be mid flow in a deep conversation about the meaning of life, but they’ve always got one eye on the horizon, and they’re always ready to break of the chat for a wave coming their way. 

In short, they’re always ready - and you should be too. 

Never allow yourself to take your eye off your surroundings, and never allow yourself to switch off.

11. POP, CORK, & GO

You might not know it yet, but there’s a subtle, sneaky way that advanced surfers catch waves with little to no paddling. 

With this technique in hand they’re able to make even more refined micro adjustments, and be able to turn and catch a wave in under 0.5 seconds. 

Sure, it’s an advanced technique, but this is a skill that’ll set a beginner apart from an intermediate surfer and above. 

We call this technique the ‘Pop & Cork’. 

This technique allows a surfer to go from stationary to full paddle speed in a split second - just like a fighter jet on the back of a carrier ship. 

Harness this technique and you’ll be able to scavenge and hustle for more waves than ever before.

12. MASTER LATE TAKEOFFS

If you’re no good at taking off late on steep waves you're going to reduce your margin for error with your positioning, forcing you to be incredibly refined and on-point with where you sit. 

Become a master of late take offs however and you open up the door to more waves, with a higher chance of making them each time.

The result?

You can afford to be a little out with your positioning yet still make the wave. 

A skill worth investing in if you ask me.

Click here for How To Take Off On Steep Waves

CONCLUSION

A surfer's positioning in the lineup is key to catching and successfully riding more waves. 

By following along with all the tips in this post you’ll be putting yourself ahead of 90% of the people in the lineup, helping you to catch way more waves each time you hit the surf. 

Got any lineup positional tips to share?

Pop them in the comments below and I’ll add them to the post. 

Yew!

Rowan.

WHY ARE BEGINNERS SO BAD AT PADDLING OUT?

Granted, beginner surfboards are generally bigger, and more buoyant than the surfboards used by more experienced surfers, which makes it harder to duckdive under waves.

However, that’s not the main reason they find paddling out so difficult. 

Instead it’s because they hit the water with no plan, they’re unable to read the waves, uncomfortable using rip currents (or unable to spot them altogether), and are unaware of the ebbs, flows, and rhythms of the ocean. 

All of these factors together result in beginners getting smashed & gassed way more than they need to.

TACTICAL PADDLE OUTS: PRE PADDLE OUT CHECKLIST FOR BEGINNERS

Ok I mentioned earlier that experienced surfers go through a mental checklist unconsciously each time they paddle out, a checklist of signals they look for before even touching the water. 

We call this process ‘Tactical Paddle-Outs’. 

Let’s break it down below:

STEP 1. IDENTIFY RIPS, GUTTERS, OR CHANNELS

Experienced surfers are always looking for the easiest way to paddle out, the path of least resistance. 

So before they step foot in the water they’ve already surveyed the lineup for any easy pathways out. 

They’re looking for:

Once you’ve identified the path of least resistance from the shore out the back, move onto the next step. 

STEP 2: IDENTIFY ANY CROSS SWEEP

Water doesn’t just move from the shore out to sea, it can also move across the beach too. 

This is called a cross-sweep.

Failing to identify a cross sweep can result in you entering the water in one spot (the path of least resistance), yet getting swept off your path into the path of MOST resistance - where most beginners are usually found. 

So, it’s important to identify cross sweeps before you enter the water, and make any adjustments to your entry point in the process. 

STEP 3: WADE & DELAY

Most beginner surfers pay little attention to the rhythms of the waves, oftentimes just strapping on their legrope and paddling full force from the get go. 

The result?

They rarely time their paddling between the sets, and end up getting wave after wave on their heads. 

Experienced surfers however will wade out to their waist/chest, wait for the last set wave to break then begin their paddle out the back. 

I suggest you do the same. 

STEP 4: AVOID NO MAN’S LAND…

There is a place we call ‘No Man’s Land’, and this is a place that beginners love to congregate and crystallise in the water. 

It’s the one place you don’t want to be, yet it’s the place beginners are always found…

No Man’s Land is that spot between the shorebreak, and out the back. 

Beginners love this spot as they often think when they’re paddling out that they’ve made it all the way out - but they haven’t.

Chilling here is a sure-fire way to get set waves dumping right on your head. 

So, do like advanced surfers do and don’t take your foot off the pedal until you’re fully out, 100% past the breaking waves. 

Then, and only then, should you relax.

BONUS STEP: REST & REGATHER

You’ve completed the tactical paddle out, so well done on that front, but there’s one last piece of advice you should follow. 

Rest, recoup, and regather yourself before you take off on your first wave.

Why?

Well, when you’ve just exerted so much energy paddling out you’re naturally going to be out of breath, and this is not the time to be taking off on waves - unless you’ve got a strong breath hold that is. 

Instead, take a minute to get your breath back, get settled, and then go. 

You’ll avoid getting stuck in a sketchy situation, trust me. 

WRAPPING IT UP

Paddling out in the surf is a huge part of the sport of surfing, and learning how to do it well, with minimal effort is only going to help you in the long run. 

So, next time you hit the surf don’t just wax up, strap up, and paddle straight out.

Survey the lineup first, and follow these tactical paddle out steps instead. 

You can thank me for it later. 

Yew!

Rowan. 

WHAT IS A SURFBOARD STRINGER

A surfboard stringer is a thin piece of wood that’s built into the construction of a surfboard blank.

The wood type and construction of the stringer will vary across different manufacturers (more on that in a minute), with some adding more strength than others, each with varying levels of flex.

WHAT DOES A STRINGER DO ON A SURFBOARD

The stringer adds strength and rigidity to a surfboard, and reduces flex within the blank to assist with the shaping process too.

Most people think that a surfboards stringer is what gives a surfboard all its strength, but that’s not entirely true. 

In fact it’s the double wrapping of the fibreglass cloth over the rails of a surfboard  impacts the overall strength and durability far more. 

Sure, the stringer adds a little extra strength, but definitely not as much as one might assume. 

Rather than strength, think of it as something that adds a certain flex to the board when it’s being surfed, allowing the board to bend a little and react back at you, rather than purely for strength purposes. 

DOES A SURFBOARD NEED A STRINGER

Absolutely not, in fact many surfboards shapes nowadays are built without them.

The key difference as to whether a surfboard requires a stringer or not will be the type of resin used in its construction. 

Polyurethane resin, aka PU (used in surfboard construction since the 60’s), has a degree of flex to it, and it’s not particularly strong, hence why these surfboards require a stringer to be present. 

Without them, PU construction boards would flex too much, and would break very quickly. 

Epoxy resin on the other hand is much stiffer, and much harder than PU resin, allowing shapers to do away with the stringer entirely as over-flexing is no longer an issue. 

Because epoxy is naturally stronger than PU, and blanks no longer need the stringer, these boards can be made much lighter - which is why lots of people choose to ride them in smaller, weaker waves. 

ARE SURFBOARDS WITH STRINGERS BETTER THAN BOARDS WITHOUT

There’s no hard and fast rule as to which is better, as it’s all about feel. 

Typically, most surfers will prefer the feel of stringered PU surfboards in waves above about 4ft, as the flex and float of the surfboard tends to cut through the water really well. 

And in surfing smaller, weaker waves - where skimming over the top of the water is more preferable - stringerless epoxy’s are the go-to.

WHAT KIND OF WOOD IS USED FOR SURFBOARD STRINGERS

Blank manufactures have gotten pretty creative over the years, and there’s a bunch of different wood types used in stringer manufacturing.

They are: 

These are the most common type you’ll find, but in all honest there's no hard and fast rule as to its construction.

CAN YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE STRINGER ON A SURFBOARD

Yup, absolutely. 

In theory you can have as many of you like, and with each additional stringer you can expect a different flex and feel to go with it. 

Typically, shortboards will come with just the single stringer, but longboards on other hand often come with more. 

Probably more down to aesthetics than anything else in all honesty, nevertheless, they look cool so go nuts I say. 

CONCLUSION

If you’re just starting out, the type of wood, the degree of flex - or whether a board has a stringer or not won’t be something that affects your performance in the slightest. 

Instead, these little nuanced differences in flex and feel are pretty much only felt by elite surfers that are sensitive to these smallest of changes.

Whether you decide to go with one, two, or three stringer - or none at all, at least now you know everything there is to know about them to make informed decisions moving forward.

Hope this helps.

Yew!

Rowan

DIFFERENT WAVES, DIFFERENT TIMING

There is a big difference in the timing between popping up on a broken whitewater wave, vs popping up on a green unbroken wave. 

In fact the two techniques couldn't be more different. 

For that reason, I've broken down this post into two sections: one for beginners surfing in the whitewater, and one for intermediates and above surfing out the back.

Skip to the section that's relevant for you.

WHEN TO POP UP SURFING WHITEWATER WAVES

Timing the pop up on whitewater waves is a relatively binary, straightforward process. 

As broken waves move to shore, simply paddle and get picked up by the wave, and once you're connected and moving with the waves energy - that’s your cue to pop up. 

Pretty simple, pretty straightforward. 

COMMON MISTAKES

POPPING UP TOO EARLY

Oftentimes beginners will paddle for a wave, wait for it to hit them, and at the moment the wave touches their feet, pop straight up. 

This leads to popping up too early, with the wave passing by underneath you - without you on it. 

To remedy this wait for the wave to push you forward first, before committing to popping up to your feet. 

POPPING UP TOO LATE

The flip side of the above is a when a surfer will paddle for a wave, wait for it to pick them up, then keep waiting and waiting before popping up to their feet. 

By then the wave has fizzled out and there’s nothing to ride - don’t be that guy. 

Instead, as soon as you feel the forward propulsion of the whitewater pushing you towards the beach, use that as your new cue to pop up to your feet. 

WHEN TO POP UP SURFING UNBROKEN WAVES

Popping up on unbroken waves is when things start to get much more complex, and much more nuanced. 

So let's break down a few key points before we move on.

CATCH IT AS EARLY AS YOU CAN

The way to increase your make-rate, and have more success all round is to catch waves as early as you possibly can. 

Catching waves early reduces the severity of the waves' steepness making it much easier to pop to your feet.

Doing this right will rely heavily on your timing and positioning in the lineup - something that can take years to master.

TOP POP THEN DROP

When popping up on green unbroken waves its important to pop up to your feet at the top of the wave, not at the bottom. 

Why?

Well, popping up to your feet at the top of the wave is good for a number of reasons:

COMMON MISTAKES

TAIL LOW TAKE OFF

When you take off on a whitewater wave the surfboard is horizontal, we call that a tail low take off, and that's the opposite of what you need to do when popping up on an unbroken green wave. 

Instead, you actually want to encourage the tail of the board to raise with the wave (Tail High Take Off), as this helps connect your board to the wave enabling you to catch more waves, far easier.

BELLY DROP FLOP

We touched on this a little earlier, the idea of riding down an unbroken wave on your belly first before popping to your feet. 

This is not the way things are done. 

Popping up like this is dangerous, increases your chances of nosediving and injury, and makes things much, much harder. 

THE ZERO POINT

The Zero Point is an analogy to help you understand the exact moment of when to pop up surfing - notably on green unbroken waves. 

Let me break this concept down for you below:

When you’re paddling for a wave and it begins to pick you up you’ll notice that you begin to rise up the oncoming wave. 

And subsequently, once you’ve caught the wave, you proceed to move back down .

First rising up the wave as it picks you up, then moving down once it’s caught. 

That brief moment whereby you are no longer rising up, nor falling down, is what we call the ‘Zero Point’, where for a split second you’re weightless, and completely stationary. 

This is the perfect time to pop up.

CONCLUSION

The perfect timing for when to pop up to your feet surfing is a very nuanced affair, requiring high degrees of sensitivity for when to time it right. 

I'd love to be able to give you a formula you could take away with that'd work for every wave you catch, but unfortunately that's not possible. 

Take what you've read above and apply it to your surfing, test it out in different types of wave breaks, different environments, and get aquatinted with the sensation of the waves energy transferring to your board, as that's your moment to go. 

Hope this helps.

Yew!
Rowan

SURFING PROGRESSION TIMELINE: FROM 1-5 YEARS AND BEYOND

Before you start being hard on yourself (or getting ahead of yourself) if you're not at the right level of progression on this timeline, please don't be bummed out, as everyone learns at different speeds. 

And, it's no secret that surfing is ridiculously hard. 

What's more, that's kinda what our coaching retreats, and weekends are all about too - helping you push through to the next levels when you're in a rut. 

So without further ado, here's your timeline of progression.

YEAR 1: THE START OF SOMETHING NEW

Year one is where it all starts. 

Having never surfed before you’ve got a lot to learn, and as such, you’ll need to start with the absolute basics. 

But that’s cool, we all start somewhere right. 

1-3 MONTHS

Your first three months surfing will be spent on a bigger surfboard shape, likely in the region of 8ft - 9ft. 

The best beginner surfboards, the type that you should be riding, will be made from foam (aka soft top), be nice and wide, and have plenty of volume. 

Your expectations for the first three months should be to be able to catch your own whitewater waves unassisted, and pop to your feet successfully most of the time. 

If you’re hitting these targets, you’re on track with our progression timeline expectations, and if you’re using our surf levelling system you can consider yourself a level 1.

3-6 MONTHS

After three months or so in the water you should be starting to leave the whitewater behind once and for all, and begin venturing out further to catch the unbroken waves (on smaller days).

You should anticipate being able to catch your own green unbroken waves now, and have a reasonable success rate whilst you’re at it. 

You’ll also be able to turn left and right, and you should begin to have a degree of control over your surfboard. 

The surfboard you’ll be riding at this stage should be no longer than 8ft. 

6-12 MONTHS

After the 6 month mark you should be comfortably, and confidently, catching green unbroken waves only. 

You should now feel comfortable in the lineup, be able to recognise the different types of waves, and position yourself in the right spot at the right time. 

You should also have a decent level of board skills whereby you can navigate through waves, over and under to get out the back, also have the skills to turn your surfboard quickly and make positional refinements on the fly. 

It’s during this time that you might consider dropping down in board size a little, but be sure not to do so too soon, as this’ll hinder your progression.

YEAR 2: THE QUICKENING

Alright, we’re into year two, and you’ve got a whole years worth of surfing under your belt. 

During the first year you made big improvements quickly, with each session offering noticeable performance improvements. 

In year two however, big progression steps are harder to come by, and you’re now well and truly in that stage of nuanced refinements. 

This will likely be your time to upgrade, and downsize your surfboard as manoeuvrability is now the most important factor. 

Year was all about stability and wave count, but now those things are handled, it’s time to begin moving towards a more progression based surfing approach.

The first things you’ll be learning is how to trim and pump down the line, you’ll also now be looking to keep yourself in the power pocket of the wave at all times too. 

And after another full year of hard-out surfing you should expect to be able to take off on steep waves - and make them, angle/knife your take-offs, perform shallow bottom turns, pump and maintain speed, and start doing the early stages of cutbacks too. 

If you’re here by the end of year two, you’re doing well.

YEAR 3: LETTING THINGS CLICK

Year three may see another refinement in your surfing equipment as you hunt for more maneurverability, and more performance. 

You’re now fully comfortable surfing waves over head-high, and you’re actively hunting out good surf rather than just hitting up your local each time. 

You understand the ebbs and flows of the ocean, your positioning in the lineup is becoming second nature, and virtually all conscious thought of technique is long gone. 

You’re beginning to feel more connected to your surfboard, with it beginning to go the places, and do the types of things you want it to do.

And so come the progressive manoeuvres. 

By now cutbacks are a very real thing and set the foundation for much of your surfing.

No longer are you nursing bottom turns, but you’re able to lay a little weight on it and come out from this turn with more speed than you went in. 

You will likely also be starting to do whitewater floaters, and small closeout re-entries too. 

All in all, at year three you’re now attacking the surf, rather than surfing with fear and just trying to hold on.

YEAR 4: TIME TO PROGRESS

Year four should see a whole new level of comfort in the surf. 

By now you may have been on your first surf trip abroad (hopefully with us), and have developed a degree of experience whereby you can rock up to a new beach and instinctively know when it’d be good, what type of tides it would like, and how it might break. 

You’re also now fully dialled in with your equipment. 

You’re no longer riding a board that’s built in any way for stability, instead your equipment if focused purely on performance. 

In crowded lineups you’re competing for waves, you’re taking off late, and your the cause and not the effect at all times. 

Your positioning is on point, and your paddling is top notch, and from this basis you’re now able to really start pushing things. 

Whitewater floaters now become lip line floaters, and closeout re-entries now become snaps down the line. 

Roundhouse cutbacks will start to creep in around this point too, and you’re able to surf the wave from start to finish without bogging too much, and without losing speed. 

YEAR 5: THE PERFORMANCE STEP UP

In year five, if you’re still here and still surfing flat out, this should be when all of the foundational skills come together. 

You’ll be commanding a spot in the lineup, maybe not right on the peak just yet but certainly picking up the scraps from the top guys. 

Speed, power and flow are things you’re now beginning to focus on - bigger turns, in more critical parts of the waves, and maybe even the odd tube here or there. 

Really in year five you'll probably be 75% of the way to surfing as good as you’re ever going to surf. 

If you’re still struggling at this point, it’s very unlikely for you to ever progress to an elite level. 

However if you are one of those people that pick up the sport quickly you'll be well ahead of the curve at year five anyway. 

YEAR 6 ONWARDS: ETERNAL REFINEMENT

After about five years the improvements in your surfing will come much slower, and will be much harder earned - with huge amounts of time in the water needed for even the smallest of progressions. 

Sure, you can - and you should - be getting better your whole life until the age of about 40ish, but in truth the progression leaps are much less. 

From five years onwards it’s all about refining what you already know, and pushing for the small gains. 

CONCLUSION

As you’d expect it’s very hard to create a surfing progression timeline that’s going to be accurate for all people, all of the time. 

But having had hands on experience with literally thousands of students over the years, this timeline should be a pretty good guide. 

If you pick up sports quickly, you can ditch everything you’ver read above and you’ll probably move through all five years of progression in a single year, and likewise if sport doesn’t come natural to you, you may never get past the expectation of year two. 

Nevertheless, whatever speed you move through this surfing progression timeline at, you’re going to have one heck of a lot of fun along the way.

Yew!

Rowan

DIFFERENT TYPES OF SURFING AIRS

Below we’ll breakdown all the major aerial manoeuvres, so that you know which is which. 

STRAIGHT AIR

A straight is the simplest of all the airs on the list.

Put simply, a straight air will be when a surfer projects above the lip of the wave and rides back into the waves transition much in the same was as you would a top turn - without any flashy rotations. 

TAIL HIGH TWEAK

A tail high tweak is similar to a straight air above, but this time around the surfers ads a little spice to the move. 

Instead of simply projecting off the wave and coming straight back down, the surfer will project the tail of their board so that it’s higher than the nose, and almost karate kick the the tail into a rotation then bring it back. 

A complex surfing air that’s much harder than it looks. 

AIR REVERSE

In my mind the air reverse is the one trick that separates a surfer from being good, to really good.

The air reverse is when a surfer will hit the lip of the wave protecting them into the air, whereby the surfer will rotate their body away from the wave and land with the tail of their surfboard pointing towards the beach. 

From this point the fins grip and rotate the final 180 turn to point their surfboard back into the right direction.

ALLEY OOP

An alley oop is where a surfer will launch into the air and rotate in towards the wave (the opposite of an air reverse). 

If landed with the fins pointed towards the beach it’ll be catagorised as an alley oop, if the surfer rotates 360 it’ll be considered a full rotation alley-oop.

FULL ROTATION AIR 360

A full rotation air 360 is the same set up process as the air reverse above, however rather than landing with the fins pointing towards the beach, the surfer will spin the full 360 in the air and land with their board pointing towards the shore. 

BACK FLIP

As the name suggests, this surfing air is when a surfer projects out of the lip of a wave and performs backflip in the air, landing back into the waves transition. 

Considered one of the hardest moves in surfing.

RODEO CLOWN

The Rodeo Clown is a mix between a backflip and a 360 spin together. 

A surfer will first twist in a backflipping motion, then rip the board around into a 360 spin. 

Hard as hell to do, and very rare to witness. 

SURFING AIR GRABS VARIATIONS

DOUBLE GRAB

Two hands grabbing the both rails of the surfboard.

INDY GRAB

Grabbing the inside rail with the trailing arm.

MUTE GRAB

Grabbing the outside rail with the leading arm.

MUTE GRAB

Grabbing the inside rail with the leading arm

STALEFISH GRAB

Grabbing the outside rail with the trailing arm.

CONCLUSION

With a bit of luck you should now know all the different types of surfing aerial variations, and all of the grab variations too. 

It's a lot to take in, and can get very complex when adding grab variations to aerial rotations, nevertheless at least you can use this guide to help figure it all out.

Hope it helps.

Yew!
Rowan

SURFING COST BREAKDOWN: EQUIPMENT ESSENTIALS

The water temperature where you live will have a big impact the amount of surfing equipment you’ll need, and how much things will cost. 

So do bear that in mind when tallying up the surfing equipment costs below:

SURFBOARD $700 - $1200

Buying a surfboard is an unavoidable part of the sport, and there's a big difference in what you'll pay depending upon the type of board you want to buy, and it's quality. 

As with everything you generally get what you pay for, and surfing is no different. 

If you're just a beginner though, there's no need to be shelling out on expensive boards just yet, and the performance enhancements will be negligible.

So, just choose the best beginner surfboard you can at a reasonable price and you should be good to go.

FINS $90 - $170

Surfboards need fins to grip into the wave to help you steer, and you won't be able to surf without them.

Now, back in the day surfboard fins would come inclusive with the board, however nowadays that's often not the case.

And, they don't come cheap. 

The two leading surfboard fin brands are FCS and Future Fins, and they're ranges usually start from around $90.

LEGROPE $40 - $90

A legrope or leash is chord that attaches a surfer to surfboard to stop it floating away when they fall. 

Again, this is an unavoidable cost to surfing I'm afraid.

The good news is though that they're relatively inexpensive, with ranges starting from about $40.

SURFBOARD WAX $5

Surfers apply a specific type of wax to the deck of their surfboards to add grip, and stop them from slipping off. 

Surfboard wax is available in all surf shops and is pretty cheap to buy. 

WETSUIT $150 - $600

If you're not lucky enough to live in the tropics you're going to need to invest in a wetsuit. 

The prices for wetsuits vary considerably with quality, and thickness, with the best wetsuits for surfing in cold water costing much more. 

If you're not sure what thickness wetsuit you'll need for your location, just ask your local surf shop and they'll be able to help. 

WETSUIT BOOTS $50- $150

When you're surfing in winter, it's not uncommon to need wetsuit boots, as the feet are the first thing to go numb in cold water. 

Wetsuit boots come in varying thicknesses from 2mm upwards, and the increasing thickness impacts the overall price. 

WETSUIT HOOD $40 - $90

Usually the next piece of kit you'll have to invest in when things get cold is a wetsuit hood. 

A wetsuit hood will not only protect your head from ice-cream headaches (brain freeze), but also keep you much warmer too as lots of heat is lost via the head.

WETSUIT GLOVES $40 - $90

When the water get's really cold you'll have no option but to purchase wetsuit gloves. 

They're the final piece of kit that is absolutely essential for surfing. 

Just like wetsuit boots they come in varying thicknesses, and the price you pay will vary along with it. 

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

There are a few additional costs to surfing that aren't absolutely essential, but are certainly nice to have's. 

SURFBOARD BAG OR BOARD SOCK $90 - $250

Around about 80% of the damage that happens to your surfboard will happen outside of the surf. 

Usually knocking it whilst putting it in the car, or banging it moving it from a) to b). 

Investing in a board bag or a board sock will go a long way to avoiding this unnecessary damage. 

An upfront cost, but a long term investment. 

TRACTION PAD $50 - $90

Most surfers like to surf with a traction pad at the tail of their surfboards. 

The tail pad helps them to know their foot is in the right place, plus it has a raised kicker that can help with turning manoeuvres. 

These traction pads are not absolutely essential, but for many surfers they basically are. 

Ultimately it all depends on your preferences. 

TOTAL COST OF SURFING BREAKDOWN

Below is a table breaking down how much surfing costs to get started:

*OPTIONAL EXTRAS: $140 - $340

CONCLUSION

You've hopefully now got a good idea on how much surfing costs as a sport to get started with, and at first sight, the initial outlay might shock you. 

But here's the thing. 

Once you've made the initial investment it's free forever more. 

No recurring subscriptions, no pay to play - ever. 

A small price to pay if you ask me.

Yew!
Rowan

10 DIFFERENT TYPES OF WAVE BREAKS EXPLAINED

There are a lot of different wave types out there, each with their unique character. 

Let's take a closer look at each.

BEACH BREAK

A beach break is what most people learn to surf on, and it’s the type of wave break that’s most popular. 

Beach breaks will break onto a sand bottom, and are found at all beaches around the world. 

Famous beach break examples:

SHOREBREAK

A shorebreak is a nuanced version of a beach break. 

Yes, it still breaks on sand, and yes, it holds many of the same characteristics of a beach break too, but the difference is in how it breaks.

A shorebreak (aka shorey), will come out of deep water and break in shallow water close to the shore.

Shorebreak waves will often be more powerful, barrel, and be one heck of a lot of fun. 

Famous shorebreak examples:

BOMBIE

A bombie is another type of beach break wave that breaks far out to sea only in very big swells. 

Famous bombie waves:

WEDGE

A wedge is a unique type of wave, very different to all the others on this list.

In simple terms, a wave will travel to shore at a certain angle, it then hits a fixed object - a rock jetty, a cliff, etc. - then rebounds back across the beach. 

This rebounding wave travelling across the beach will merge with another wave travelling towards the shore.

Then something cool happens.

As the two waves meet they jack up into an apex and basically double in size. 

It’s these types of wave breaks that are often novelties, but damn are they fun.

Famous wedge examples: 

REEF BREAK

Reef breaks are waves that break over shallow rocks. 

The rocks provide a platform for the wave to break in a very consistent way which is why surfers love to ride them.

They’ll oftentimes be hollow and powerful too.

Reef breaks are where surfers tend to get the best, most consistent barrel rides, and they make up the majority of the best waves in the world. 

Famous reef break waves:

SLAB

A slab is a type of reef break, but one that’s very unique. 

A slab will be an extremely shallow rock shelf, that backs onto very deep water which makes the swell that hits it be incredibly powerful. 

Unlike most other waves that will gradually go from deep water to shallow, reducing the power of the wave as it goes, slabs just go from swell, to wave in an instant. 

It’s these types of wave breaks that surfers will take off on crazy late drops into enormous, thick tubes. 

The wave itself is usually very short, and very intense. 

Famous slab waves:

POINT BREAK

Point breaks are waves that wrap around a land mass, like a headland, that causes the waves to refract and break along its side.

Unlike the other waves on this list the wave itself will travel down the land point creating long, open faced waves. 

And it’s at point break waves that surfers are able to get the longest rides. 

Famous point break waves:

TIDAL WAVES

Tidal waves are (you guessed it) created by the tides. 

They only occur in places with extremely large tidal ranges, and only on the biggest of spring tides, but when do, they’re a sight to behold. 

A tidal surge will travel upstream, creating a wave which will break as it hits the shallow sand banks underneath. 

These tidal waves will throw up some of the longest waves on the planet.

Famous tidal waves:

RIVER WAVE

River waves are standing, stationary waves that occur in rivers. 

As the water flows downstream it’s interrupted by a shallow underwater shelf that creates a perpetually breaking wave.

If surfers position themselves correctly they are able to ride this stationary river wave indefinitely. 

Famous river waves:

WAVE POOL

Wave pools have been around for a long time, but they’ve seriously gained popularity in recent years. 

There are a variety of different wave pool types, each with their own unique flavour and spice, but the fundamentals remain the same - the waves are man made. 

Famous wave pool waves:

CONCLUSION

So many different types of wave breaks, so little time. 

If you’re lucky you’ll have had a chance to try out a few, and if you’re really lucky you may have tried out the lot.

Either way, there’s so many different types of wave breaks to test your skills and explore, each providing a unique look and feel each time. 

That’s what makes surfing so damn alluring right?

Here, here.

Yew!

Rowan