Dealing with a drop of any size is a skill

There’s a moment in surfing that every beginner—and sometimes even experienced surfer—dreads: when the wave lifts, your board tilts down, and for half a second, you question every decision that brought you here.

That’s the drop. And that’s dealing with a drop is what we’re going to be talking about today.

My pop-up confession

As everyone in the universe probably already knows by now, my pop-up sucks. Like, big time.

Without a fast pop-up, there’s no surfing at my local break. Waves break fast. Okay, maybe on a small day, they check their nails first and then they break. But even on a small day, the waves aren’t flat, are they? There’s the dreaded drop.

Why so scary?

For the longest time, I have questioned what makes me so terrified of the drop.

I can snowboard okay at a beginner level. I can wakeboard okay. I have no major problem jumping off a cliff. But when I see that lip rising, the decision to go for it—it’s usually a “no.”

Which is why my favorite break is Canoes in Waikiki. It’s as flat as it gets.

Apparently, it didn’t used to be like this. I’ve been surfing for quite a few years now. And my experienced surfer friends with whom I surfed in NorCal tell me that I was quite a fearless charger.

Shame I don’t remember it. Something, somewhere must’ve got broken, I guess. Enough about me.

All the fears

There are so many potential reasons why you may be scared of the drop.

It could be a physical fear of falling, getting hurt, wiping out, struggling to come up to the surface, being out of breath, getting run over by someone else. That’s a lot to load onto one wave.

I heard this quote:

“I hate the drop. I’ll be paddling for a wave and everything is perfect, but as soon as I feel the board tilt—panic. I pull back, or I stand up too late and eat it.”

Relatable? Extremely.

Another surfer shared:

“I don’t even think it’s fear of falling. It’s fear of looking dumb. Fear of being in someone’s way. Fear of being judged.”

Naturally, if you’re just starting out, you may be afraid of looking incompetent or messing up the lineup for other people—you know, “being that person.”

Not to mention this ridiculous existential terror of being seen, being visible. You’re no longer just sitting in the lineup. You’re taking a stand. Everyone’s watching.

✅ Tick all that apply.

What to do about it

What to do, what to do? Here are a few tips:

• Practice catching waves on your stomach — get used to the feel of the drop without popping up.
• Pick the right wave — smaller, slower waves are ideal for drop practice. Some beach breaks are just too steep or fast for confidence building. Probably why I love Waikiki so much.
• Pick the right wave, part 2 — pick a non-crowded break. You don’t need other people cramping your style.
• Visualize it — every time you close your eyes, imagine yourself making the drop, landing it, trimming down the face. Yes, it sounds silly. But if it works for Arnold Schwarzenegger (obviously not for surfing), it will work for you.
• Surf with friends — it really helps.
• Reframe it — it’s not “the drop.” There’s no drop. It’s just the thing you do once you catch the wave and before you pop up.

Finally, repeat after me:

It’s just water, it’s just water, it’s just so much water.