Popping up is one of the fundamental skills of surfing — one you’ll need whether you’re a complete beginner or a pro on the WSL tour. It’s also one of the most misunderstood. There are several ways to get to your feet on a surfboard, and you’ll find coaches and surfers who swear by different methods. There’s no single “right” way — but at Kalon, we’ve coached thousands of guests from complete beginners to advancing intermediates, and we’ve landed on an approach that we believe sets you up best, not just for your first wave, but for every wave after that.
We call it the one-two-three method. If this is your first time surfing, start from the dry land section. If you already know the basics and want to refine your technique in the water, skip ahead.
The three common pop-up methods
Before diving into what we teach, it’s worth understanding the three main approaches you’ll encounter:
The knee method. You go from lying down to one knee on the board, then bring your front foot forward and stand up. It’s the easiest to learn because it breaks the movement into smaller steps. The downsides: there’s a moment where all your weight is concentrated on one knee, which throws off the board’s balance. It also adds time to your pop-up — a fraction of a second, but that matters on a wave. And over time, your knee pressing into the board in the same spot will create a visible dent in the deck. Most importantly, it’s a habit that becomes hard to break later, and it limits your progression as you move to steeper, faster waves.
The jump method. You push up with your arms and jump both feet into position at once. It looks explosive and athletic. The problem, especially for beginners, is that when you jump, there’s a brief moment where nothing is on the board — no weight, no contact, no control. Then suddenly all your weight lands at once, and if your feet aren’t perfectly placed (they usually aren’t), you’re off-balance immediately. Your feet also won’t land in the same position every time, which means inconsistency. When your foot lands off-center, you tip the board to one rail and fall.
The sliding method (our one-two-three). This is what we teach at Kalon, and what most professional surfers actually use. Watch Rob Machado or most surfers on the WSL tour — their pop-ups look like jumping because they happen so fast, but they’re not. They’re using a version of this sliding movement. When you practice it enough, the one-two-three becomes so quick it’s almost indistinguishable from a jump, but with far more control and consistency.
The one-two-three method
Here’s how it works:
One — Arch and push
Lay flat on the board. Place your hands flat on the deck, next to your chest, elbows in. Now arch your back, pushing your hips down into the board while lifting your head and chest.
This isn’t just a transition step — it has a real function. Pushing your hips down drives the board into the water, which generates speed. In whitewater, it helps the board drop down the wave face. As you get better and start catching green waves, this same movement lets you angle your takeoff by weighting one rail slightly. It’s the foundation for everything that follows.
Two — Back foot into position
While you’re still in the arched position, slide your back foot forward into the position where it needs to be — roughly over the tail of the board, perpendicular to the stringer. Your body is still low. You’re not standing up yet.
Three — Front foot slides through
This is the part most people get wrong. The key is to open your hips sideways — turn your body so your hips face the rail rather than the nose. This creates space. With that gap open, your front foot can slide forward between your arms and land in the center of the board, roughly under your chest.
What you want to avoid is the “triangle” — a lot of beginners lift their butt up into the air to make room for the front foot, creating a triangle shape with their body. When that happens, all your weight shifts to the back of the board. The nose goes up, you lose speed, and with it, you lose the wave. It’s one of the most common and most frustrating problems beginners face.
Instead, by opening the hips and sliding the front foot through while staying low, your weight stays centered. You push down through your front foot to stand up, and you’re already balanced.
Why this method matters
The immediate benefit is consistency. Your feet land in the same position every time because you’re placing them deliberately rather than hoping they land right. Your weight stays centered on the board throughout the movement, which means you keep speed through the pop-up instead of stalling.
But the bigger benefit is what it sets up for later. As you progress from whitewater to green waves, from going straight to angling across the face, the one-two-three gives you options. You can adjust your weight distribution during the pop-up. You can angle your takeoff. You can set your rail. None of that is possible if you’re jumping and hoping, or pausing on a knee.
When you practice this enough — on the beach, in your room, and then in the water — the movement becomes so fast it looks like jumping. But it’s not. It’s controlled, repeatable, and it scales with your ability.
Practice on dry land first
Before you get in the water, practice on dry land — your living room floor, the beach, anywhere flat. This is where you build the muscle memory without having to think about waves, balance, and timing all at once.
Know your stance
Stand with your feet close together and take a step forward. Which foot did you lead with? If it’s the left, you’re ‘regular’ — left foot at the front of the board. If it’s the right, you’re ‘goofy’ — right foot forward. Neither is better or worse.
Foot positioning
Both feet should land in the center of the board so you don’t tip it toward either rail. Set your feet wider than shoulder width, with your front foot at roughly a 45° angle toward the nose and your back foot perpendicular to the stringer. Stay low — bent knees, weight centered.
Run through the one-two-three
Practice the full sequence slowly at first. One: hands by chest, arch up, hips down. Two: back foot slides into position. Three: open hips, front foot slides through between your arms, push up through the front foot to stand. Repeat it until the movement feels natural, then start speeding it up.
You can do a hundred pop-ups in your living room in the time it takes to catch ten waves in the ocean. Use that.
In the water
There’s a big difference between doing this on firm, dry land and on constantly moving water. The balance challenge is real, and there are no shortcuts — you build it through time in the water and by practicing similar sports like skating or snowboarding.
With your one-two-three technique dialed in on land, the key in the ocean is adjusting your pop-up to the wave:
Going straight (beginners)
When you’re learning to balance on a surfboard, the priority is not tipping the board over while getting to your feet. The one-two-three helps here because your weight stays centered throughout. Keep your shoulders aligned with your hips — don’t open them up. Turn only your head in the direction you’re going.
Going sideways (intermediates)
Once you’re catching green waves and moving beyond whitewater, your stance and position need to reflect the direction you want to go. While still lying down, tip some of your body weight toward the rail that’s in the water (while keeping your body centered). Move the hand on the inside rail slightly lower on the board, and slide the opposite hand slightly higher. This lets you weight the inside rail as you pop up and speeds up your body’s sideways rotation — resulting in better positioning once you’re on your feet.
This is where the one-two-three method really starts to pay off. Because you’re placing your feet deliberately and your hips are already opening sideways, you can set your angle during the pop-up rather than adjusting after you’re standing. It’s faster, smoother, and it keeps your speed through the turn.
Work on your pop-up at Kalon Surf
At Kalon, we teach the one-two-three on your first day — in the pool, on the beach, and then in the water with a coach right next to you. Every session is filmed, and during daily video analysis you can see exactly what your pop-up looks like and where to improve. Most guests are surprised how quickly it clicks when they can actually watch themselves.
Our all-inclusive package includes coaching, Firewire and Slater Designs boards, and five days of surf sessions on uncrowded beaches with a 3:1 guest-to-coach ratio.
