Well, it’s probably not quite the same as actually being in the water and having an instructor judge your stand up
technique, but it could be useful nonetheless. You can actually learn to surf online…sort of.
This site explains the basic techniques for
getting up and how to choose the best board for your first ride. It gives a primer on paddling “Body weight needs to be
positioned along the centre of the board. Feet need to be raised slightly off the end of the board.” and what do if
when/if you actually stand up, or Pop Up, as the move is called.
The Pop-Up is like “doing a press-up, in that the first part of the move is to straighten your arms out in front of
you, but instead of keeping your legs and body straight you need to bring your legs up and under your body, planting
your feet in the correct positions for surfing”. Not a bad description. Maybe the key is to print these pages out on
waterproof paper and have them tucked nicely into your suit as you head out to hang ten your first time.