You’ve finally made it to your first surfing lesson! You have your board, your wax, your wetsuit, and your wave conquering attitude. 

When it comes to catching waves, it is important to know that there are many different approaches one can take. Before you even get in the water, we highly recommend lying your board down on the sand and practicing your pop up. 

For those of you who are completely new to surf terminology, the term ‘pop up’ is used to refer the moment when a surfer goes from the paddling position to the standing position.

While it is important to understand the mechanics of the pop up before you get in the water, we’re going to assume that you already understand how to pop up for the sake of this article, as we want to explore how to catch a wave once in the water instead!