The best surf warm-up is about 10 minutes long and has two parts. First, 3 to 5 minutes of easy cardio to get warm. Then 5 to 10 minutes of dynamic moves that copy paddling and popping up: arm circles, trunk rotations, lunges with a twist, a few cobra-to-squat pop-ups. You can do all of it on the sand, with no equipment. Below is the exact sequence, why it works, and what to change if you are new, older, or have a sore back.

TL;DR

• Spend 10 minutes: a short cardio block, then dynamic drills for shoulders, upper back, hips and legs.
• Save long static holds for after your session. Before surfing, keep moving.
• Shoulders and spine take the most wear in surfing, so give them the most attention.
• Keep it light. You want to feel warm and loose, not tired.
• If you are a first-timer, a lesson with an instructor adds coaching on top of your warm-up. See the offer near the end.

Table of Contents

• Why a surf warm-up is worth 10 minutes
• The two-phase structure
• The routine, step by step
• Dynamic before, static after
• What to prioritize if you only have five minutes
• Common mistakes
• Building a warm-up into a bigger routine
• Warming up in Hawaii: practical notes for visitors
• Perspective: what we tell first-time surfers
• Take it into the water: lessons in Waikiki and on the North Shore
• FAQ
• Sources

Why a surf warm-up is worth 10 minutes

Surfing looks like a lot of standing, but most of a session is paddling. A systematic review of chronic and gradual-onset surfing injuries found surfers spend roughly 45 to 60% of a session paddling. It also found that the spine and back (29.3%) and the shoulder (22.9%) were the most commonly reported injury locations, and that paddling was the most common mechanism of injury (37.1%).

That tells you where to spend your minutes. A warm-up for surfing is not a general gym routine. It should wake up the shoulders, mid-back, hips and core, because those do the repetitive work.

There is a performance case too. In a small study of recreationally active college students, a 10-minute dynamic warm-up improved vertical jump height by about 6.1% compared with sitting still (32.8 cm vs. 30.9 cm on average), and raised how ready people felt. It was not a surfing study, and jump height is not pop-up speed. Still, it supports a simple idea: a short, active warm-up leaves you better prepared than going in cold.

If you want a rough picture of what a good warm-up does, Red Bull’s pre-surf guide frames it around two aims: preventing injury and performing better. It does that by raising heart rate and blood flow to the muscles, then releasing tight areas.

The two-phase structure

The surf instructors’ association NSSIA lays out the template in its conditioning manual: about 5 minutes of general movement, followed by around 10 minutes of dynamic, sport-specific drills such as lunges with twists. The aim is to build muscle memory and switch on the neural pathways you will use in the water.

For most people on a beach, that translates to:

If you are short on time, shorten each block, but keep the order. Warm first, mobilize second, rehearse last.

The routine, step by step

Do each move smoothly. Think “controlled and light”. The NSSIA guidance is clear that a warm-up should mimic the demands of surfing without tiring you out, so skip anything that leaves you breathing hard before you reach the water. The rep counts below are our suggestions for a typical beginner, not figures from a study.

Phase 1: get warm (3 to 5 minutes)

1. Easy jog or brisk walk. Two to five minutes along the beach is plenty. If your break is a walk away, carry your board and let the walk count.
2. Jumping jacks or skipping in place. 30 seconds. Land softly on the sand.
3. Bodyweight squats. 10 slow reps, heels down, chest up.

You should feel warmer and slightly breathless, not winded.

Phase 2: mobilize what paddling uses (5 to 8 minutes)

Arm circles, small to big. Ten forward and ten backward with both arms. Start with small circles and make them larger. This warms the shoulder joint through a full range.

Cross-body swings. Swing arms wide, then hug yourself, 10 times. It opens the upper back and loosens the chest.

Open books (thoracic rotation). Lie on your side with knees bent and stacked, arms straight in front. Lift the top arm and sweep it over your body, following your hand with your eyes. Eight slow reps per side. Your mid-back needs to rotate so your lower back does not have to.

Cat-cow on hands and knees. Eight slow rounds, matching the movement to your breath. This mobilizes the spine in both directions, which matters because surfers spend long periods arched over a board.

Hip circles and leg swings. Stand on one leg, swing the other forward and back 10 times, then side to side 10 times. Add 10 big hip circles each way.

Lunge with a twist. Step into a lunge and rotate your torso toward the front leg. Alternate for 6 to 8 reps per side. It hits hips, trunk and legs together and mirrors the rotation you use to turn.

Ankle circles. Ten each way per foot. Quick and easy, and good insurance for the pop-up and for reef or rocky entries.

Phase 3: rehearse the pop-up (1 to 2 minutes)

Cobra to squat. Lie on your stomach, hands under your chest. Press up into a cobra, then push through and bring your feet underneath you in one fluid motion, landing in a low surf stance. Reset and repeat 5 to 8 times, slowly and cleanly. The point is clean movement, not speed. If you want to see how the paddle and the pop-up connect, our guide to surf paddling technique and its four stroke phases breaks down the paddle that comes before it.

For a core activation option, SURFER’s pre-surf warm-up describes the crunch and roll, which it says wakes up the abs and hip flexors and helps with pop-up speed. You can use it in place of the squats if you like.

Dynamic before, static after

Many people grew up stretching a hamstring for 30 seconds before sport. The NSSIA notes that modern athletic training has moved away from static stretching before exercise, since studies suggest it may reduce muscle performance and power output. Movement-based preparation is preferred instead.

A chiropractor’s write-up on dynamic before, static after gives the same practical rule: move before you exercise, and hold your stretches afterward. That is how we would run it too. Do the circles, swings and twists above before you paddle out. When you are back on the sand and warm, then spend a few minutes on slow holds for chest, shoulders, hip flexors and hamstrings.

One exception: older beginners

The NSSIA does make a case for beginners aged 40 and up: because joints and muscles stiffen with age, it suggests a quick trunk rotation and a light reach toward your toes before the main warm-up. Keep it gentle and brief, a few seconds rather than a long hold, then go straight into the dynamic routine. If you have a joint condition or have had surgery, check with your doctor or physical therapist before choosing your stretches.

What to prioritize if you only have five minutes

Some mornings the surf is up and you are late. Cut it to this:

1. 90 seconds of jogging or jumping jacks.
2. 10 arm circles each way.
3. 6 open books per side.
4. 6 lunges with a twist per side.
5. 4 slow cobra-to-squat reps.

That covers heart rate, shoulders, upper back, hips and the pop-up pattern. It is not as thorough as the full version, but it is far better than nothing.

Common mistakes

• Doing too much. A hard circuit of burpees can leave your arms heavy before the first wave. Stop while you still feel fresh.
• Skipping the shoulders. With paddling the number one mechanism of injury in that review, the shoulder joint is the last place to rush. Our piece on surf shoulder awareness explains a habit that protects them in the water.
• Static holds on cold muscles. Save them for the end of the session.
• Warming up in a hurry in the parking lot. If you are going to jog down to the water anyway, do the jog first and the mobility on the sand.
• Ignoring the lower back. If your back is often sore after sessions, add extra cat-cow and open books and consider how you arch when you paddle. If you have been out with back pain, see our four-stage return plan for lower back pain. Persistent or sharp pain, numbness or pain that travels down a leg is a reason to see a doctor or physical therapist, not to push through.

Building a warm-up into a bigger routine

A warm-up is the smallest piece of staying healthy in the surf. Strength and balance work during the week makes the 10 minutes on the beach more effective. Our 20 to 30 minute surf balance training workout and our overview of cross training for surfers are good places to start.

Breath work is another piece. If you are curious, read what works and what is risky in breath training for surfing before trying anything with breath holds. The pros treat all of this as long-term maintenance. In a SURFER profile of Billy Kemper’s recovery, trainer Laird Hamilton is quoted calling recovery the number one tool for performing at your highest level. Warming up is the front end of the same habit.

Warming up in Hawaii: practical notes for visitors

If you are visiting Oahu, a few local points make the routine easier:

• Warm water does not mean warm muscles. Even where the water is comfortable, you may be stiff from a long flight or a day of sitting. Jet lag and a long plane ride are a good reason to take the mobility block seriously on your first morning.
• Sun and hydration. Drink water before you start and apply reef-safe sunscreen before you get sweaty, not after.
• Sand is forgiving. Cobra-to-squat reps and lunges are easier on joints on sand than on pavement, but it is uneven, so take your time with lunges.
• Check in with the beach. Look at the break for a few minutes while you warm up. Watching where the waves peak and where other people are is part of preparing.

Perspective: what we tell first-time surfers

We have taught surfing in Waikiki for more than 30 years, and the same thing comes up with almost every beginner: they think surfing is about balance and standing up. It is also about paddling, and about the long, repetitive effort that comes before the wave. So when people ask us how to prepare, we point to the shoulders, the mid-back and the hips, and we tell them to keep it light.

Our approach to beginners is simple. Safety first, clear instruction, and enough individual attention that you actually learn the movement rather than just survive the session. A good warm-up supports that. It wakes up the pop-up pattern so your first few waves are about wave timing, not about fighting stiff joints.

One more thing. Do not make your warm-up a performance. The best one is the one you will do every single time, even on a crowded morning. Ten calm minutes beats a perfect routine that you skip.

— Johann

Take it into the water: lessons in Waikiki and on the North Shore

If you are new to surfing, a warm-up is easier to learn with someone showing you the paddle and the pop-up. At Hans Hedemann Surf School, all equipment is included and lessons are led by experienced local and professional instructors. Prices on our surf lessons page are per person: group lessons are $100, semi-private lessons $150, private lessons $180, and Surf with a Pro is $400. If you want several days to build skills, the 3 and 5 day guided packages in Waikiki are $472 and $744. Prefer the North Shore? See our North Shore surf lessons. Traveling with kids? Our kids surf lessons page has the details.

FAQ

How long should a surf warm-up take?

About 10 minutes is a good target: roughly 5 minutes of general movement and then dynamic, surf-specific drills, as the NSSIA outlines. If you are rushed, a five-minute version covering your shoulders, upper back and hips is better than skipping it.

Should I stretch before surfing?

Move before you surf and hold stretches after. Dynamic movements like arm circles and lunges with a twist prepare you without the performance drop that long static holds may cause. Beginners over 40 can add a quick, gentle trunk rotation and light toe reach first, per the NSSIA.

What should I do after surfing?

Once you are out of the water and warm, spend a few minutes on slow static stretches for the chest, shoulders, hips and hamstrings, and drink some water. If a shoulder or your lower back is sore for more than a few days, or the pain is sharp, see a doctor or physical therapist.

Which areas matter most for surfers?

Shoulders, the spine and the hips. In the systematic review on surfing injuries, the spine and back and the shoulder were the most commonly reported locations, and paddling was the most common cause. That is why most of the routine above targets those areas.

Do I need to warm up if I am taking a lesson?

Yes, a short one helps. A few minutes of arm circles, trunk rotations and squats before you get on the board will leave you looser for the paddle and the pop-up. Your instructor can also show you how to do it properly.

Sources

• Chronic and Gradual-Onset Injuries and Conditions in the Sport of Surfing: A Systematic Review
• Acute Effects of a Short Dynamic Warm-Up on Vertical Jump Performance and Perceived Readiness
• NSSIA: Conditioning and Training for Surf Instructors, Competitors, and Coaches
• Red Bull: Pre-surf warm-up
• SURFER: The Pre-Surf Warm-Up That Works
• SURFER: How Big-Wave Surfer Billy Kemper Recovered From His Injury in Morocco

Recommended

• Surf Paddling Technique: Four Stroke Phases From Pool to Surf
• Cross Training for surfers – Surf Lessons in Waikiki, Oahu
• Surf Balance Training: A 20–30 Minute Workout for Wave Control