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How to Stand Up on a Surfboard (Malibu Beginner Technique Guide)

How to Stand Up on a Surfboard: The Complete Malibu Beginner Technique Guide

Standing up on a surfboard for the first time is one of the most exciting milestones in surfing — and one of the most intimidating.Whether you're a total beginner heading to Zuma Beach, or you’re visiting Malibu and want to learn to surf the right way, this guide will walk you through EXACTLY how Malibu instructors teach students to stand confidently on their very first wave.

This technique is exactly what we teach every day at Always Summer Surf School, and it’s designed for fast results, maximum stability, and total safety.

Why Zuma Beach Is the Best Place to Learn to Stand Up

Not all beaches make learning easy.

Zuma Beach has:

  • long, forgiving waves

  • soft sand bottom

  • wide open takeoff zones

  • predictable surf for beginners

This makes it one of the top beginner beaches in the entire state of California — and the perfect place to learn your pop-up.

Step 1 — Get Your Stance Right (The Foundation)

Before we even touch the water, Malibu instructors teach students to identify their natural stance:

  • Regular foot: Left foot forward

  • Goofy foot: Right foot forward

If you snowboard, skate, or ride anything sideways, go with the same stance.

If not — here’s the trick:

Have someone give you a gentle push from behind. Whichever foot steps forward first is usually your surf stance.

Once you know your stance, you’re ready for the basic land drill.

Step 2 — The Malibu Pop-Up Technique (Fast, Safe & Simple)

The pop-up technique we teach at Zuma Beach is the 3-point Malibu Pop-Up:

1. Hands under your chest

Not wide, not in front of you — right under your ribcage.

2. Push your upper body up

You’re arching your back, keeping your eyes forward.

3. Bring your feet underneath you in one smooth motion

Your front foot lands between your hands.Your back foot follows naturally.

Bonus Rule:

Do NOT look at your feet.Where your eyes go, your body follows — look forward down the wave.

Step 3 — Foot Position (The Secret to Balance)

To make standing up easy, place your feet:

  • Shoulder-width apart

  • Centered over the stringer

  • Front foot pointing at 1 o’clock (regular) or 11 o’clock (goofy)

  • Back foot perpendicular for stability

Most beginners stand too narrow or too sideways.This causes wobbling, falling, or the “I can’t stand up” feeling.

Wide. Centered. Relaxed.

Step 4 — The Surfboard Sweet Spot

Every surfboard has a balance point — too far back and you stall, too far forward and you pearl.

At Zuma, we teach students to find the sweet spot by lying on the board so:

  • your toes reach the tail

  • your chest is over the midpoint

  • the nose sits about 1–2 inches above the water

This keeps everything stable when you pop up.

Step 5 — Catching the Wave (Timing Makes It Easy)

You don’t stand up too early or too late.

You stand up at the moment the wave picks you up.

The trick:

  • Start paddling early

  • Commit with 3–4 strong strokes

  • Feel the board accelerate

  • THEN pop up

If you pop up early, you sink.If you pop up late, you fall backward.

At Zuma Beach, the waves give you a nice “push” that makes this timing noticeably easier than other Malibu spots.

Step 6 — Riding Your First Wave

Once you're standing:

  • Bend your knees (never your waist)

  • Keep your chest open

  • Keep your arms loose

  • Look at where you're going

  • Smile (seriously — it helps your mind relax)

Most first-timers stand up on their first or second wave at Zuma when using this method.

Common Beginner Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

❌ Looking down

Fix: Keep your eyes forward.

❌ Feet too close together

Fix: Shoulder-width stance.

❌ Popping up too early

Fix: Wait until you feel the wave push the board.

❌ Grabbing the rails

Fix: Keep hands on the deck, next to your ribcage.

Why Professional Malibu Lessons Help You Stand Faster

At Always Summer Surf School, we see beginners stand up 80% of the time on their first lesson, because:

  • the waves at Zuma are ideal

  • instructors help with timing

  • we stabilize the board

  • we choose the perfect equipment

If you want fast results, proper technique matters.

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