Error 1: look at your feet
Looking at your feet during take-off is one of the most limiting mistakes you can make. In this class, you will understand how this habit directly affects your balance, your ability to create space between your body and the board, and your entry into the wave's face.
You will learn why the head leads the movement, how it influences body orientation, and how to start automating the correct movement: looking where you want to go from the very first second.
Error 2: Using Your Knees
Kneeling can seem easier, but it actually slows down your take-off and limits your progress.
In this video, you'll see why this technique reduces hip height, makes it difficult to bring your front foot forward, and causes you to lose key seconds on steeper waves. You'll also understand how this habit can persist even in intermediate surfers without them realizing it.
Error 3: Not creating space for the lead foot
If you're struggling to bring your front foot forward smoothly, you're likely not creating enough space between your body and the board.
Here, we'll discuss why the back foot is key to generating that space and how the correct order of movements facilitates a clean and stable pop-up.
Understanding this point completely changes the feel of the pop-up.
Error 4: hands not placed correctly
The position of your hands determines your balance, your speed, and your ability to place your feet correctly.
In this class, you will see why they should be under your pectorals, how they affect the stability of the board, and what happens when you place them too high or grab the rails.
Correct hand usage ensures that your take-off doesn't break your momentum, but rather maintains it.
Error 5: failure to turn the hip
One of the most subtle and least understood mistakes: not rotating your hips enough when bringing your front foot forward.
You'll learn why this small detail makes it much easier to place your foot centered over the stringer, reduces effort, and improves your stability from the very first second.
Correct hip rotation makes the take-off more natural, faster, and more efficient.
Error 6: advancing the rear foot
The position of the back foot not only influences the take-off, but everything that happens afterward on the wave.
In this video, you will understand how to position it correctly to create space during the pop-up and how its position determines your ability to generate speed or execute turns.
Small adjustments here can make a huge difference in your control over the board.
Did you like all this Take-off content? This is a small part of what we offer in our Online Surf Progression Training. Keep betting on your surfing, and become the surfer you've always dreamed of with our help 👇🏻