Learning how to stand is the most exciting step - first time you do it will be exhilirating!!!

But forget about the water for a moment...the place to start is the beach.

Lie on the sand (it's effective to lie on your surfboard on the sand but careful with the finonly if you can remove your fins to avoid damage) and do a basic push-up quickly. Once your arms are at full extension, pull both knees toward your stomach and hop to your feet. Whether you stand with your right foot or left foot forward will establish your membership into a long standing rivalry between regular foot and goofy foot surfers. Do this repeatedly to program your subconscious to be ready for what you will do in the water:

Step 1: Paddle for a wave, and just as you feel the momentum of the surfboard flow faster than your paddling speed, you are ready to hop up on your surfboard.

Step 2: With your hands firmly grasping each rail, push up quickly.

Step 3: Simultaneously, extend your arms completely (keeping your arms bent will make the board a bit unstable) and pull your knees quickly up to your chest. Be sure to keep your weight centered with just a little slant forward (leaning back is a natural tendency, but this takes away from your forward momentum).

Step 4: Place your feet firmly on your board, one foot near the tail (back) and one foot just above the midpoint of the board.

Step 5: Don't stand up completely erect. Keep a low center of gravity by crouching down and focusing your weight on the midpoint of the surfboard
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Balancing on a surfboard is no different than balancing on a skateboard/snowboard or even a bicycle. Just keep your arms out and your eyes looking forward (remember: your surfboard will always follow your eyes and head, so focus on forward motion.

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