Surf Terms

With the help of this Surfing Terms page you'll be able to not only walk like a surfer, but you'll also be able to talk like one. Chill with the locals, impress the hotties at the local bar, or show up that know-it-all brat who is going out with your younger brother or sister. Read on and increase your knowledge.

(Thanks to everyone who is e-mailing us with new terms to include. Keep them coming!)

One piece of surf talk you will always hear: "You should have been here yesterday!"

Glossary of Surfing Terms

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P
Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

180 / 360

A-Frame
The perfect barreling surf, a cross-section of an A-frame wave reveals an "A" shape where it is breaking soooo nicely

Aggro
Aggressive attitude in the water; having a bad attitude

Amped
Getting excited while surfing or really looking forward to a surf

Ankle Busters / Snappers
Small waves

ASP
ASP stands for Association of Professional Surfing. These guys look after the professional side of surfing. Visit their site at www.aspworldtour.com.

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Barrel
A barrel is where the wave is hollow when it is breaking. For some surfers it's the be all and end all of surfing. Is sometimes called a "tube."

Beach Break
This is a wave that breaks over a sandy sea bed. You've not read up about waves, have you?

Beach Leech
The perfect description of a beach leech: "Some people don't bring their own boards, and prefer to borrow your extra boards (they don't rent). And for wax, some don't really bring it. They just ask for some."

Bells Beach
Bells Beach is one of the great right point breaks. Find it on the south Victorian coastline of Australia. Check out the Bells Beach Pro held in March every year. This was the setting for that tearful end bit in the movie "Point Break" when Patrick (twinkletoes) Swayze AKA Bodie ate it at the end of Point Break. (And no doubt that after reading the waves page and finding out what a point break actually is, you're feeling particularly chuffed with yourself!)
It should also be pointed out that it was not actually Bells Beach where the scene was filmed but India Beach in Oregon. Thanks to Danny from Oregon for this info.

Billabong
What Australians call a watering hole, but to everyone else it is one of the largest surfing equipment and clothing manufacturers out there.

Bitchin'
Old school for really good or enjoyable

Blown Out
Where the onshore wind turns the surf in to unrideable mush

Board
The fibreglass thingy under your feet

Boardshorts / Boardies
These shorts are quick drying, lightweight, and worn by those lucky enough to be surfing in warm water. Check the men's boardshorts here and the women's boardshorts here.

Bottom Turn
This is the turn made at the base of the wave when coming down off the face. It's often the first move made after dropping in. Get it right for great positioning for your next manoeuver.

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Carve / Carving
The classic surfing manoeuver, carving is basically what turning on a wave is called. Carve is also a surfing magazine found in Europe.

Caught Inside
A surfer who is caught inside is too far in, and the waves are breaking further out. It can be dangerous in big surf.

Chinese Wax Job
Getting wax on the bottom of your surfboard

Choka
Bitchin', awesome, great etc.

Chowder
Used to describe the pollution conditions when there's a turd in the lineup — "I caught some sick waves out there but it was hard trying not to swallow the chowder."

Clidro
The process where a surfer turns up and down the face of the wave while surfing down the line

Close Out
Where a wave breaks along its length all at once

Clucked
Being scared of afraid of waves

Corduroy
Swell lines that look like corduroy; see this corduroy swell picture that illustrates it perfectly.

Cowabunga
Slang from 1960's surf culture, cried out enthusiastically when surfing — The surfer's cry "Cowabunga" as they climb a 12 foot wall of water and "take the drop."

Cross Step / Stepping
This is the art of walking up and down a longboard, foot over foot. When you see some guy / gal running up and down their board, you'll now know what to call it.

Cutback
Making a cutback is reversing the direction that you are surfing in one smooth fluid move. (That's the idea anyway.)

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My wave!...My wave!!....MY WAVE!!!!

Deck
The is the bit of the surfboard you stand on. (Hopefully you have your board the right way round in the water.)

Ding
Surfboard damage — "Oh dear me, I've dinged my board!" (Perhaps a little more profanity will be used.)

Drop, The
The drop is where a surfer first gets up on the waves and drops down the face of the wave. It's also referred to as "taking the drop."

Drop In
Dropping in is a crime in the surf world. A drop-in is where a surfer catches a wave without having priority, i.e. there is already a surfer on the wave. Please see diagram above. Remember, it's a CRIME!

Duck dive / Duck Diving
Duck Diving is diving under an oncoming wave when paddling out. See duck diving in full detail in surfing lesson three — duck diving.

Dude
Dude, we almost forgot dude! Dude can mean pretty much anything depending on the tone and inflection. (Thanks go to Corey Ferguson for this one.)

Dumping
Often caused by onshore conditions, where a wave will fold over in big sections, making it un-surfable

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Eat It
Wiping out on a wave.

Endless Summer
"Endless Summer" is the absolute classic surfing movie. Forget all this new school tricky stuff. Watch this movie, and if you are not a surfer before viewing, you'll certainly want to be after. I cannot emphasise how good this is — WATCH IT! (Even the other half will enjoy it!!!) Check out this video and others at the surf video page.

Epic
Top class surf or extremely good waves; description of an awesome wave or surf session

Eskimo Roll
(See Turtle Roll)

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Fakie
This is where someone rides backwards on the surfboard, tail first. It's also what you are if you're only reading this page so you can pretend that you're a surfer.

FCS
FCS stands for fin control system. This is a type of fin that is fully removable from the surfboard. It's ideal if you break a fin (you don't have to get a new on glassed back on), or if you are travelling. (It's best to remove the fins to keep your board from being damaged.)

Fin
The fin is the curved bit hanging down under your surfboard that you keep bashing when you tie your surfboard to the roof of your car. It's sometimes called a skeg.

Firing
Firing is the same as "going off", where the surf is really good and the waves are breaking nicely.

Foamies
These are either whitewater waves or surfboards that are made out of foam. (They're ideal for beginners.)

Foil
The rate of change of thickness of a surfboard from the nose to the tail

Frube
A surfer who does not catch a wave for the whole time they are in the water

Funboard
A mid-length surfboard, often know as a minimal; see funboard examples here

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Goofy / Goofy Foot
Surfing with your right foot forward

Gidget
This is the nickname of the title character created in a novel by Frederick Kohner (and adapted for three further films). Gidget is a contraction of "girl midget," which is why it went on to be used to describe small female surfers.

Glassy
This is ultra-clean surf without a ripple that often looks like glass. Click here to see a glassy wave.

Goat Boater
Derogatory term for kayakers and wave skiers

Green Room
Inside the tube or barrel

Gremmie / Grommet / Grom
Any of the above can be used to describe a young or inexperienced surfer. Grommet is also the cute doggie character in the Nick Park animation creations. (And they are really rather good!)

Grubbing
Falling off your board while surfing

Gul
British surfing equipment manufacturer

Gun
A surfboard designed for big waves

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Hang Eleven
This is when a male surfer rides his board in the nude. (Such as nearby Black's Beach in San Diego: thanks to Gary M. Steinhaus for this one!)

Hang Ten
If you're riding a longboard with both feet directly on the nose of the board, your hanging ten. It's also the name of a longboard magazine.

Heavy
Heavy has a couple of meanings. When used as in "heavy waves," it means big, gnarly, kick ass waves. Teahupoo, Mavericks and Pipeline are three waves that would have to be described as heavy with a capital "H." The same term can be used to describe the locals at a spot. (For the same kick ass reason!)

Ho-dad
Anyone who annoys board riders while they surf (austral Women's Weekly Oct. 24, 1962)

Hodad
A hodad is a non-surfing beach bum. (Pix Sept. 28, 1963) Thanks go to John Gentile for the Hodads.

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Impact Zone
The spot where the waves are breaking

In the Soup
A term used when a surfer is in the white foam of the wave after the wave has broken

Indo
Slang for Indonesia, home of some classic surf spots and a top surf trip destination

Instinct
Popular brand of surf clothing

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Jeffrey's Bay / J Bay
Jeffrey's Bay is a South African surf break of the highest calibre. It's one of the world's most famous, high quality right handers. (Don't know what a right hander is? Then go learn your waves. Go have a look at the section on waves.)

Junkyard Dog
A surfer with poor style or a surfer who only surfs crappy waves

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Keg
Another word for a barrel / tube

Kneeboarding
A surfing spin-off, kneeboarding is riding the waves on your knees using a special knee board.

Kook
A beginner or someone who is not very good at surfing

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Layback
The layback is a surfing manoeuver where the surfer literally lays backwards on a wave. It's one of surfing's more extreme tricks.

Leash
This is the cord that is attached between your leg and your surfboard. Click here for more information about a leash or find out about how to attach your surfboard leash here.

Leg rope
See Leash above.

Line Up
The line up is the place just outside the breaking waves where surfers wait for their waves

Locked In
When a wave crashes and the surfer is inside of it

Lull
This is when the ocean goes flat between sets and everyone sits around waiting for the waves to arrive

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Mavericks
This is a famous big wave spot off the California coast. Not to be confused with the film "Maverick", starring Mel Gibson, although you need to be pretty brave to tackle both.

Men In Grey Suits
SHARKS!!!!!

MR
Multi-world champ and all round surfing legend Mark Richards

Mullering
Wipe-out of the highest order

Mush / Mushburger
Poor quality, slow, or non-powerful waves, often onshore

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