{"id":6350,"date":"2022-06-19T18:04:22","date_gmt":"2022-06-19T18:04:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kisurfschool.com\/the-5-worst-take-off-techniques\/"},"modified":"2026-05-16T13:18:01","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T13:18:01","slug":"the-5-worst-take-off-techniques","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kisurfschool.com\/en\/the-5-worst-take-off-techniques\/","title":{"rendered":"The 5 worst take-off techniques"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Surfing is a difficult discipline to learn, but also to teach. That’s because it’s practiced in a natural environment that’s constantly changing, and what’s more, it’s aquatic. Not everyone is at ease in the water, or wired to accept a fall, which is an essential part of the learning process. So, beyond the physical challenge of the sport, the teacher has to overcome many mental barriers to progress. <\/p>\n

If you don’t live by the ocean, you’re in a completely mysterious world, and it’s hard for you to judge the relevance of the advice given by self-proclaimed instructors on the Internet via tutorials, articles in well-known magazines or on the beach via a surf school.<\/p>\n

The teaching diploma issued by the French Ministry of Sports (BPJEPS and BEES) is certainly the one in the world that requires the greatest investment of time and has the richest, most relevant content. Then there’s a whole (de)gradation of certifications that put instructors of widely varying qualities on every beach in the world. <\/p>\n

The pop-up, take-off or righting is an essential part of the learning process, and each instructor teaches his or her own technique. Nevertheless, there are a few classics, some of which defy the laws of physics and seem destined to widen the gap between the novice and the excellent surfer. I’m going to take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of these techniques, some of which are downright silly, but still manage to create an illusion. <\/p>\n

But first, visualize the surfer, lying on his board, hands flat on the board.<\/p>\n

1. Knee technique<\/h2>\n

The knee technique assumes that the pupil does not have the physical qualities to perform a lively, dynamic straightening, as performed by a good surfer.
By bringing the knee to the middle of the board (placed or slid in line with the board’s central batten), the pupil relieves his arms, goes through a reassuring intermediate stage before placing his front foot between his hands. At least, that’s the plan. <\/p>\n

A lively, dynamic turnaround, as taught<\/span>taught at the Ki Surf School<\/span><\/a><\/strong>will, of course, lead to a few errors in foot positioning and subsequent falls. But it creates the conditions for smooth, fluid movement. Because waves don’t wait! <\/p>\n

However, straightening with the knee is anything but fluid: first of all, it engages the pelvis from the front, whereas the body needs to position itself quickly to the side. What’s more, by multiplying the intermediate steps (landing the knee, then the front foot, rotating the pelvis to find the side position), it jerks the movement, creating instability where a smooth, dynamic movement would have allowed both feet to land almost simultaneously on the board.
What’s more, unless you want to make the beginner an eternal beginner, this straightening doesn’t allow you to get up quickly in hollow, magnificent waves, which are the off-shore wind waves that every accomplished surfer is looking for. <\/p>\n