How to Properly Stand on a Longboard

Please keep in mind that this method is only effective on longboards and foamboards! Check out “How to Stand Up on a Shortboard” if you’re riding a shortboard.

Make sure you’ve caught the wave by paddling till you are certain you have. Until you can glide with the wave, you must paddle. Having trouble determining whether or not you’ve caught up with the wave’s momentum entirely? 

Two more paddles should be provided. Place both of your hands flat on the surfboard, near to your pectorals, once you have caught the wave.

Push yourself up to your full height. Keep your toes tucked into the tail of the surfboard. You should leave enough distance between your body and the surfboard so that your knees, legs, and waist do not come into contact with the surfboard.

In order to do this, first slip your rear foot forward on your skateboard. On your board, your back foot should be moved to the position of your opposite knee, which should be around 40-50 cm ahead. When you want to slip your rear foot, you may rotate your body.

Then, using your front foot, move it forward until it is in between your two hands (see illustration). When the surfer does his pop up, it is important to note that his hands remain in the same place on the board. His hands aid in the stabilization of the surfboard as well as the preservation of its speed.

Stand up as soon as you feel secure and comfortable. Before you remove your hands off the board, check that your feet are properly aligned. Stay upright with your knees bent, compression of the lower body and a clear view of where you are headed while standing.

Always maintain a stable position. Both of your feet should be apart by at least shoulder width or slightly more. Ensure that your foot arches are aligned squarely with the stringer of the surfboard.

 Angle your front foot at a maximum of 45 degrees with your back foot. For additional information on the proper surfing posture, please see The Proper Surfing Stance. –

Errors that are often made

Keep your hand flat beneath your pectorals and avoid grabbing the rails. – The act of grasping the rails may make it more difficult to maintain your balance, and it can also cause drag underwater, which can slow you down significantly.

Keep your hands in front of you as you are pushing up to avoid falling. “Protection reflexes” are common in humans. In an unconscious attempt to defend yourself from a wave, you may place your hands in front of you on your surfboard as the wave approaches you. With your hands in front of the board, it is difficult to do a pop up. Keep them beneath your pectorals for the best fit possible.

Don’t go down on your knees on the table. Another extremely typical blunder is to put your knees in front of your surfboard instead of your feet, which is a very common error. 

Additionally, it is a terrible habit in the long run for larger, steeper waves that don’t allow you much time to pop up, since it increases the number of steps and complexities in your take off.

Make sure you don’t start with your front foot first, otherwise you’ll wind up riding your longboard far too far back. It is best to maintain your pace and remain with the wave if you bring the rear foot first, then the front foot, as seen below.

Your knees should not be locked or straightened. Maintain a bending of the knees and a compression of the lower body. Beginner surfers often “celebrate” their accomplishments, which we find to be really amusing. 

Their knees are bent and their hands are raised in the air after they have taken their first step. It becomes quite difficult to maintain your equilibrium once your legs are straight, and you will almost certainly fall.

The upper body should not be bent in any way. Probably the most frequent error we see newcomers make is failing to recognize their surroundings. When standing up, they bend the upper body down to bring it closer to the surfboard in order to maintain their balance.

 It is quite common for surfers to lose control of their surfboard and fall off in front of other people. When you bend your upper body, you lose sight of where you’re heading and are unable to perform a correct turn by engaging your chest, shoulder, and head muscles as you would otherwise.