Blue Mind Surf & Yoga Tribe online surf lesson: today we focus on the right position on your board, paddling and popping up. To catch a wave it is important to get a feeling about your correct position on the board. You should place yourself centered so that you feel balanced. Therefore try not to be too much in front of the board which will put the nose of your board under the water. Also don’t be too much in the back with your feet in the water as this would lift the nose of your board too much out of the water – normally your toes will touch the end of your board.

To get enough speed it is important to paddle until you feel the wave picking you up from behind. Paddle steadily and rhythmically with your chest up and your lower back arched as this will reduce the pressure on the board and give you some extra speed. Circle your arms over the front, deep into the water and back again. Keep your fingers naturally closed and your arms next to your board. Beginners often paddle not enough so it can be a trick to do always 2 more paddles than you actually think. As soon as you feel the wave under your board get ready to pop up quickly.

How to pop up

For the pop up place your hands under your shoulders next to your chest. Your hands are flat on the board, don’t grap your board. Keep your under and upper arms close to your body (chicken wing). The next step is to straighten your arms. Important is to not look down to your hands but straight to the beach – always keep looking in the direction you want to go. There are many ways to pop up. For beginners it is often the easiest way to step through with the back leg halfway and then to bring the front foot in between the hands and lift your upper body while your knees are still bit bended. Putting weight in your front foot and your knee over the ankle will help you to stay in the wave and to keep your speed.

Instagram live with Khalid 5th May at 15.00 (MEZ)

Join us on Tuesday 5th of May on www.instagram.com/bluemindmorocco for a practical session about paddling and popping up with Khalid at 15.00 (MEZ). We are looking forward to connect with you! You are welcome to ask us all questions which you might have about the topic.

Popupmatic – win with us

For all landlocked surfers we just discovered the Popupmatic surf training mat which is a great help to train your pop up but also for any surf fitness training or a daily yoga routine. The marks on the mat give you the idea where to place your hands and are also a great control if your feet arrive correctly after you jumped into your pop up.

Check our instagram account on 5th of May, 15.00 (MEZ) to see Khalid practicing with the popupmatic. Join our pop up challenge on instagram and win your own popupmatic. We can’t wait to see your pop ups!