5 Summer Training Tips to Get Surf Fit Quick

Written by Jon Addison, Performance Coach

Jon Addison is a specialist in surf and snow sports performance. As the founder of Mtnwave Fitness, he provides tailored online fitness coaching for ocean and mountain sports, in addition to organizing adventure coaching tours that integrate his rider-focused training with incredible surf and snow experiences.

Want to get surf-fit fast without spending hours in the gym? These 5 training tips will boost your paddle power, pop-up ability, and surf stamina so you can make the most of every session this summer.

Surf strong all summer long

The summer surf season is in full swing, and there’s no better time to get surf-fit where it counts. Whether you’re spending more time at your local break or heading off on a few surf trips, building a baseline of surf fitness can make the difference between struggling through sessions or rising to the challenge with stamina and prowess.

You don’t need a complicated gym plan to gear up for the summer. What you do need is to train smarter, focusing on the key aspects that matter most in the surf. Forget the pull-ups, squats, and heavy lifts, zero in on the basics: paddle endurance, pop-up ability, cardio fitness, mobility, and recovery. With the right approach, you’ll build fitness and movement skills that directly carry over to your time in the water.

Build your paddle endurance

Paddling makes up the majority of most surf sessions, and if your shoulders, back, or core start to fatigue early, the rest of your surfing suffers. That’s why developing strength and endurance through your lats, upper back, spinal erectors, and core is so important. These muscles support the upright, open posture needed for efficient paddling over longer sessions.

Focus on resistance-based pulling exercises using bands or cables, and prone paddle drills that replicate your surf paddle posture. Isometric back extensions are great for this, just keep the focus on length through the spine, not overextension. Combine those with light Y-T-W scapula exercises, and you’ll quickly notice improvements in both posture and paddle stamina. These simple but targeted techniques will help you get strong enough to get to the lineup with ease, navigate the crowds, and keep catching waves even when conditions get demanding.

Sharpen your pop-up

Your pop-up is one of the most important transitions in surfing; without a quick and clean movement from paddling to standing, you’ll miss the wave entirely. It should feel fluid, fast, and controlled, relying on upper body pushing strength, core stability, and hip mobility to get your front foot into position in one seamless motion.

If you spend long hours sitting, whether driving, working at a desk, or generally living a sedentary lifestyle, your hips and lower back can tighten up, making it harder to pop up cleanly. Start by improving mobility with the couch stretch for your hip flexors and child’s pose for your lower back. Flows like downward dog, runner’s lunge, and cat-cow are also great for opening up the hips and back. Then, build upper body and core control with simple exercises like push-ups, slow mountain climbers, or planks with alternating knees to chest.

Even just practicing your pop-up on land a few times a day can reinforce good mechanics and boost your confidence when you hit the water. The goal isn’t just speed, it’s smooth, catch-free movement that helps you land in the right stance to take off with control.

Boost your cardio fitness

The ocean doesn’t test how strong you are in the gym; it tests how well you perform when you're fatigued, bounce back between efforts, and whether you can repeat. That’s why building both your aerobic base and your surf-specific cardio fitness is essential for lasting stamina in the water. Two effective approaches work well here. First, short, high-output intervals paired with breath-focused recovery, such as paddling sprints, swim intervals, or land-based circuits, are ideal for replicating the start-stop rhythm of surfing. These help improve recovery under pressure and build the kind of repeat-effort stamina surfers need.

Second, include one or two longer, low-intensity cardio sessions each week to build aerobic capacity. This could be 30-45 minutes of steady-paced swimming, jogging, or zone 2 cardio work designed to support overall endurance and help your body recover faster between heavier sessions or back-to-back days in the surf.

The combination of these two methods gives you the best of both worlds: faster recovery between waves and the surf stamina to stay out longer when the surf turns on.

Improve your movement

If your body feels stiff and locked up, your surfing will likely look and feel the same. Tight hips, shoulders, or a restricted spine can slow you down, limit your movement, and increase the risk of strain, especially during longer or more frequent sessions. Mobility and flexibility training should be a non-negotiable part of both your daily routine and recovery strategy. Focusing on key areas, like the shoulders, hips, and thoracic spine, can improve your range of motion, reduce joint stress, and help you move more efficiently in the water.

Some of the most effective drills include side-lying shoulder clocks for shoulder health and thoracic rotation, segmental cat-cow for spinal articulation, and half-kneeling and 90/90 mobility flows that include hip flexor, glute, and adductor stretches to open the lower body. Even just five to ten minutes of focused movement a day can unlock noticeable improvements in how you feel and perform in the surf.

Prioritize recovery

Training and surfing hard only pays off when your body has the chance to bounce back. Without recovery, soreness builds, fatigue lingers, and your performance in the water drops fast. Prioritizing recovery isn’t a now-and-then thing; it’s a core part of surf fitness. Make time for long-hold stretches or restorative yoga to release tension and help regulate your nervous system. Include soft tissue work like foam rolling or massage ball sessions to reduce tightness and improve circulation. Light mobility flows or joint-focused drills like controlled articular rotations can support long-term joint health, especially around the shoulders, spine, neck, and hips.

Together, these simple formats can help reset your body between sessions, reduce wear and tear, and keep you surfing strong. Recovery isn’t about doing less; it’s about making space for your body to do more.

Train smart. Surf hard

Summer brings more motivation, more swell, and more opportunity for fun waves, but it also means more people in the water and tighter swell periods, making each session a fitness challenge. By focusing on these five core pillars: paddle endurance, pop-up ability, cardio fitness, mobility, and recovery, you’ll build the fitness and resilience needed to perform consistently, run rings around the line-up, and enjoy every session to the fullest. Train with intention, recover with purpose, and give your body the tools it needs to surf strong all summer long.

Want to surf stronger this season?

If you want a clear path to follow, why not join our free 30DAYS/30WAYS Surf Fit Series? It’s designed to give you practical tips and proven strategies to build the strength, endurance, and confidence you need in the surf. No guesswork — just methods that help you catch more waves, recover faster, and surf pain-free.

[Click here to join 30DAYS/30WAYS Surf Fit Series]

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info!

Read more from Jon Addison

Jon Addison, Performance Coach

Jon Addison is a Performance Coach, Surf and Snowboard Instructor, and former Snowboard Athlete specializing in fitness, rehab, and readiness for ocean and mountain sports. As the founder of Mtnwave Fitness, he helps athletes and enthusiasts overcome frustrations, plateaus, and pain through personalized coaching programs designed to elevate their performance. Jon’s own journey of injury recovery and sustainable fitness has fueled his commitment to helping others unlock their potential. With a focus on functional movement and sport-oriented fitness, he is dedicated to helping riders reclaim and enhance their abilities in surf and snow sports.