Learn to Surf - the pop-up

Learning to surf is much like learning almost any other skill. You will need the right equipment, some experienced instruction and lots of practice.

The first piece of equipment you will need is of course a surfboard. Many make the mistake of trying to learn on a board that is too short. While professional surfers might choose a short board for learning it is recommended that you choose a larger board.

I recommend that you select a board that is at least 9 feet long for learning. Choose a board that is both wide and thick for stability and buoyancy. Try to find a board that has a soft, foam covered deck which are best for learning.

Then you will need some suitable swimwear. Remember that you are going to be spending prolonged periods of time in the sea so, if it's cold where you are, you will want to be wearing a wetsuit. If its warm and sunny then you can get by with a cool pair of board shorts or a bikini will be OK.

Once you have the right gear its now time to get used to your board on dry land. The key move to master is called the 'pop-up'. This is where you quickly lift yourself into an upright position from being face down on the board.

Lay your board on the beach with the deck side upwards and lie down on the board with your head about one third of the board length from the front. This is the position you will adopt when paddling out through the waves. Be sure to apply enough sun protection to your back, or wear a t-shirt to protect your chest from getting a rash.

Grab the board on either side at about shoulder level then lift yourself up to a crouching position with your feet level with your hands. You should now be crouching on the board with your knees bent. You are now ready to stand upright.

Repeat this manouvre over and over again until you are totally confident on dry land. Paddle out to just beyond where the waves are breaking and turn around so that your board is pointing in the direction that the waves are moving. Begin to paddle toward the shore ahead of a wave then you should feel the wave lift and then push your board forward, then try your pop up move.

This will take a lot of practice, but by the end of your first day you should have mastered this crucial first step.

Deltoids – These are basically the shoulder muscles and they will take an absolute pounding during any surf session. As you paddle out to sea and are lying on your front on the board, most of your ofter torso muscles are disengaged and your shoulders do 80% of the workload. If you imagine you are paddling out 20 times or so in a session, those muscles better be ready

Trapezius – These muscles make up those of the upper back and the neck. They are also involved with the surfboards progressive movement when you are paddling out, but are called into action more when you are ‘popping’ up on the board. This requires explosive strength so you need to work with heavy weights and a fast repetitions to get these muscles in shape

Abs and core muscles – Your stabilising muscles need to be in peak condition otherwise you might as well just not get in the water. It is all very well have the skill to surf but without the core muscles in good condition you will fatigue very quickly and will not be able to stay upright. Every part of the surfing action requires engagement of these muscles so they should be top of your list to train. Pilates is great for developing core strength, but you can also use a swiss ball to work all core-muscles.

Cardiovascular fitness should also be included in your surf training and there are plenty of second hand bikes which you can pick up and use to ride to the beach to help with this

The majority of surfboards you find now are formed from a core of polyurethane foam. A couple of layers of fibre glass then cover this and finally a polyester resin is added as a protector. A substance widely considered as carcinogenic can be found in the foam, named toluene diisocyanate. Its production can also create styrene fumes, exposure to which can leas to to problems with the nervous system, on top of headaches, dizziness and confusion. Additionally, carbon dioxide and VOCs (volatile organic components) are released into the atmosphere during production. Most of the elements that go into modern surfboards are also non-biodegradable.

There has been so much attention on the harmful nature of surfboard production that a Californian company, run by Gordon Clark, who make blank boards recently shut down. At one time Clark's business made over 80% of all blank surfboards on the market, but his final decision to stop production came after strong words from the State of California. This has unsurprisingly left a massive shortage of surfboard blanks in the US, and left an number of big organisations searching for alternatives.

One such alternative has been developed in Cornwall, England. The new substance Biofoam was developed with help from the Surfers Against Sewage charity. The material is around 65 percent more renewable and emits 35 percent less harmful toxins due to the fact it is 45 percent plant based. On top of this, a new 95 percent natural resin coating is now being used on their 'Ecoboards'.

Inquires have come from all across the globe, asking for samples from the company who manufacture the new Biofoam and Ecoboards. It is still early days but they soon hope to start applying their eco-technology to the creation of snowboards also.