Standing up on a Surfboard - Taking a Big Step

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05. Standing up (ride a wave in the white water)

stand up surferRight so you have been practicing your pop up on the beach, you have been working at your paddling now its time to get serious and start riding some waves.
Walking through the surf, Make your way out until you reach about waist or chest deep, this will be a good place to make a start, when you see the white water rolling towards you get on your board and start paddling for the shore. If you are paddling in the right position on your board the wave will pick you up and carry you towards the beach. If it doesn’t, it is one of a couple things, either you weren’t paddling for the wave hard enough or you are lying too far back on your board, make sure the nose of you board isn’t sticking in the air when you paddle, if it is shuffle forward on it a little until it’s level underneath you when you take strokes.

If you do catch the wave and the front dives under this is called a “Nose Dive” this is caused by having to much weight towards the front of the board and you are going to need to position yourself a little further back.
If the white water picks you up and starts carrying you towards the beach just lye there and enjoy the ride, it will definitely give you a good rush. As you are getting pushed towards the beach put some pressure on each of your rails using your hands and lean on that rail. This will allow you get a feel of how your board turns using the rails and weight transition.
Once you have ridden a few to the beach on your belly and you have got the feel for the push of the wave its time to try and stand up.
Once you feel the wave pick you up just follow everything you did when you were practicing on the beach in lesson 02. Remember once you get to a standing position make sure you have got a solid stance so its easier to find your balance point.
You will fall off but try and milk every wave for as long as you possibly can. Try and stay standing until you just cant stand any longer. Depending on weather you fall forwards or backwards, learn from it and take that new found knowledge into your next wave until you are standing up every time and riding them all the way into the shallows.