Common Surfing Mistakes and How to Fix Them
The most common surfing mistakes are lying in the wrong place on the board, stopping paddling too early, standing up in stages, looking down, bending at the waist, riding straight to the beach and moving to a smaller board too soon.
Published September 17, 2026
Most surfers who feel stuck are making one or two of the same handful of mistakes, and almost none of them can be felt from inside the wave. Here are the ones that hold beginners and intermediates back most often, how to tell if you are making them, and what to change.
Lying in the wrong place on the board
If the nose digs under as you catch a wave, you are too far forward. If the nose points at the sky, the board feels slow and waves roll under you, you are too far back. Both cost you waves before you have even stood up.
Fix: lie so the nose sits just clear of the water when you paddle on flat water, and note where your chin or chest sits on the deck (a sticker, a logo or the tip of the traction pad) so you can find the same spot every time.
Stopping paddling too early
You paddle hard, feel the wave lift the tail and stop to get ready to stand. The wave rolls through and you are left sitting in the foam. This is the most common reason for missed waves.
Fix: keep paddling for two or three strokes after you feel the wave take you, until the board is clearly sliding on its own. Only then pop up.
Standing up in stages
Going from lying down to one knee and then to your feet is slow, puts your weight in the wrong place and usually leaves the back foot in front of the fins. It works on a big soft-top in whitewater and stops working the moment the waves get steeper.
Fix: practise on the floor at home, hands flat under the chest, pushing up and bringing both feet under you in one movement. If you cannot manage it yet, a smooth back-foot-first pop-up is still far better than kneeling.
See what you actually do out there
Book someone to film your whole session from the beach at one of six spots from Matosinhos to Sagres, then watch your waves back.
Looking down at the board
Your body follows your head. Look at your feet or the nose and your weight tips forward, the board goes straight and you tend to nosedive or fall off the front.
Fix: as soon as your feet land, look along the wave in the direction you want to go. On video this one is obvious: if your chin is tucked towards your chest, you are looking down.
Bending at the waist instead of the knees
Standing with straight legs and folding forward at the hips feels stable but is not. It raises your centre of gravity and stops your legs absorbing bumps, which is why small chop keeps knocking you off.
Fix: bend the knees and keep your back fairly upright, as if you were about to sit on a low stool. Your head should stay roughly above your feet, not out over the nose.
Riding straight to the beach
Once you can stand up, heading straight for the shore gets you a few seconds of ride before the whitewater catches you. Many surfers stay at this stage for months without noticing.
Fix: start angling as you take off. Look along the wave to your left or right, put a little pressure on your toes or heels in that direction, and aim to stay on the unbroken part of the wave, just ahead of the whitewater.
Moving to a smaller board too soon
A shorter, thinner board looks like progress but usually slows it down. It catches fewer waves, feels unstable and punishes every small mistake, so you get less practice for the same time in the water.
Fix: if you are catching noticeably fewer waves than others around you, go back to more volume for a while. Renting a few different boards is a cheap way to find what suits your weight and level before buying.
Sitting in the wrong spot, or in someone's way
Sitting too far inside means getting caught by every set. Sitting too wide means waves that never break where you are. And paddling for a wave that someone closer to the peak is already riding is not only bad etiquette, it is how people get hurt.
Fix: watch the lineup for ten minutes before you paddle out, note where the waves actually break, and position yourself near that spot without sitting in front of the surfers already there. The surfer closest to where the wave is breaking has priority. If someone is up and riding, do not take off in front of them.
Why video catches what you cannot feel
Almost every mistake on this list feels fine from inside the wave. Surfers are regularly surprised to see themselves looking down, kneeling on the pop-up or bending at the waist, because at that speed you only notice the outcome, not the cause. A filmed session, watched in slow motion, is the quickest way to find out which of these are yours.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common mistake beginner surfers make?
Stopping paddling too early is the most common reason beginners miss waves, and looking down at the board is the most common reason they fall once standing. Both are quick to fix once you know you are doing them.
Why do I nosedive when I catch a wave?
Usually because you are lying too far forward on the board, popping up late when the wave is already steep, or taking off straight down a steep face. Move back a little, pop up a fraction earlier and angle your take-off along the wave.
Why do I fall straight after standing up on a surfboard?
The usual causes are feet landing too close together or off the centre of the board, standing up tall with straight legs, and looking down at your feet. Bend your knees, keep your head over your feet and look where you want to go.
How do I stop going straight on a wave?
Look along the wave to the left or right as you pop up, lean slightly onto your toes or heels in that direction, and aim for the unbroken part of the wave just ahead of the whitewater. Starting the angle during the take-off is easier than turning once you are already heading for the beach.
What is dropping in when surfing?
Dropping in is catching a wave that someone closer to the peak is already riding, which puts you in their path. It is the most serious etiquette mistake in surfing and a common cause of collisions. If someone is already up and riding, pull out.