Surf Glossary
- A-Frame
- A type of a wave, also known as a peak, shaped like an “A” or pyramid
- Accessory man
- A surfer who has all the high tech gear money can buy and uses it all at the same time
- Aerial
- An old-school term for an air, usually used by the old timers
- Afternoon glass
- A description for smooth or glassy ocean conditions during the afternoon
- Aggro
- A surfer who is particularly aggressive out in the water
- Air out the back
- When a surfer uses the speed of a bottom turn to launch off the back of the wave, also a type of kickout
- Air
- An extremely technical surf move where a surfer disconnects entirely from the lip of the wave
- Amped
- An overwhelming feeling of excitement and anticipation to surf
- Angle in
- Or angling into a wave is an intentional sideways take-off usually done when paddling into a wave
- Ankle high
- A way to describe the size of the waves usually means small unless talking to an actual giant
- Asymmetric
- A board design that is not symmetrical on purpose by design of the shaper
- Axed
- Usually a way to describe getting hit by the lip of the wave, results in a wipeout
- Back off a wave
- A paddle action when a surfer paddles for a wave and then intentionally stops
- Back off
- A way to describe a wave that threatens to break but does not
- Back paddle
- When one surfer paddles past another surfer to get into better position for a wave
- Backdoor
- When a surfer comes from behind the peak across the wave usually in the tube
- Backing off
- Used to describe waves that threaten to break but then they do not
- Backside
- A term used to describe surfing with your back towards the wave
- Backwash
- A wave refraction off the shoreline that travels out to sea
- Bail
- Also bail out or bailing out is when a surfer tries to back out of a take off, air or critical turn
- Barney
- A beginner or unskilled surfer that is just good enough to get in the way constantly
- Barrel
- or tube ride, word that describes getting completely covered by the lip of the wave
- Beach break
- A surf break where the waves come straight onto a sand shoreline
- Beater
- An everyday board that still works and you’d probably lend it to a friend
- Beavertail
- A wetsuit vest from the 70’s – total hipster special
- Belly ride
- When someone rides a wave laying down
- Blank
- A piece of foam used to shape into a custom surfboard
- Blown out the back
- Description of a surfer missing a wave usually because strong offshore winds
- Blown out
- Word used to describe windy unfavorable conditions
- Boardies
- or board shorts, also trunks are shorts you wear to surf, they also help you avoid rashes
- Body board
- Foam board used to lie on and catch waves lying down… but you can try to stand up if you want
- Body surf
- Catching and riding waves with your body only
- Bogging
- It’s when a surfer loses control and sinks a rail, usually results in a wipeout
- Bomb
- Relatively large set wave that breaks outside the break line
- Bombora
- A word used to describe a break that will hold a relatively large wave, usually a deep-water break
- Bone yard
- A slightly dangerous break usually off to the side of a popular main break
- Bonus section
- An end part of a wave you never thought you would make it to making it bonus
- Bonzer
- An old school 3 or 5 fin surfboard that utilizes a strong center fin and channel bottom
- Boost
- Usually used to describe a surfers movement off the lip into the air
- Booties
- Also called boots are neoprene super flexible shoes used to surf in cold water or over razor sharp reef
- Bottom turn
- The very important first turn after a surfer drops into a wave
- Bowl
- A wave that has the semi curved shape of a bowl or an elongated semi-circle
- Bowtie
- A term used to describe being lined up in the middle of two peaks basically in a closeout
- Break line
- Shallow spot in the surf break where the majority of the waves break
- Breaking wave
- A breaking wave has crested and turned into white water
- Bro
- A term for your friend, acquaintance, stranger or enemy all interchangeable
- Broken up
- Description of an incoming swell that isn’t perfectly smooth or clean
- Buckets
- Usually used to describe someone spray or the water that they displace when turning
- Buckled board
- When the stringer of a surfboard breaks but the board remains in one piece
- Bump
- A bump usually describes an incoming wave
- Bumps
- A word that describes how well you wax is going onto your surfboard
- Bumpy
- Usually used to describe windy ocean conditions or an unsmooth ride
- Buoy station
- A floating object used by scientists to record data at sea
- Carbon fiber
- Material used when glassing to help add strength to the lamination
- Carve
- Or carving is strong confident turns, a powerful surfer carves turns into the face of the wave
- Caught inside
- When a surfer is paddling back out and a big set catches them on the inside
- Cave
- Used to describe a deep dark tube or barrel
- Chandelier
- An imperfect part of the lip that you might have to dodge or power through in the tube
- Channel bottom
- Another board design term that describes groves or channels in the bottom of a surfboard
- Channel
- An area with little wave action where surfers can paddle out to where the waves break
- Charging
- A state of mind and a style of surfing with no hesitation or fear
- Cheater five
- A surfer in full trim can move up, crouch and stretch their front foot to the nose
- Chest high
- A way to describe the size of the waves, meaning most waves are chest high when standing up
- Chinese wax job
- Excess wax on the bottom side of your board, enough wax to notice and possible stand on
- Chop
- A bump made by wind, surfers or a boat that a surfer might have to navigate while surfing
- Choppy
- Used to describe windy unfavorable conditions
- Christmas trees
- Used to describe a few good top turns that all throw a triangle shaped spray above the wave
- Chubasco
- Hurricane that hugs the Mexican coastline often giving California epic waves
- Clean up set
- A set that catches most surfers in the line-up inside and smashes them
- Clean
- Used to describe smooth favorable conditions also called glassy
- Cleaned up
- A term used to describe getting smashed by set waves
- Cleaning up
- Used to describe conditions improving usually due to a wind switch
- Climbing and dropping
- also called pumping, combined bottom and top turns to help a surfer gain speed
- Closeout
- A term that describes a wave that is un-makeable
- Combination swell
- More than one swell at the same time usually results in lots of waves
- Coming out
- A term used to describe exiting a barrel or a surfer coming out into the lineup
- Concave
- Another board design term where the shaper takes volume from the bottom of the board
- Conditions
- Surf conditions are based on wind and swell quality but not always the height of the surf
- Consistent
- Term used to describe many waves, consistently breaking in the same place
- Continental Shelf
- Southern California has one, slows and cleans up incoming swell
- Corduroy
- Term used to describe stacking sets to the horizon
- Corner
- The edge of a wave where a surfer has an entry point to drop in
- Crack
- Term used to describe a sharp top turn or off the lip
- Crank
- Term used to describe a arced top turn, cutback or off the lip
- Crease
- Used to describe a bump in the wave or a separation of sections
- Crest
- The first part of the wave to break, the very top of the peak
- Critical section
- Term used to describe a part of the wave that a surfer must make or wipeout
- Critical takeoff
- Term used to describe takeoff that a surfer must make or wipeout
- Cross stepping
- Act of crossing footsteps to move up and down your board on the wave
- Crumbly
- Used to describe mushy waves and probably onshore wind conditions
- Curl
- Old school term used to describe the hollow part of the wave where it’s breaking or peeling
- Cutback
- Very important move in surfing where you steer back into the power source of the wave
- Cyclone
- A tropical low-pressure system that spins hurricanes and typhoons are both types of cyclones
- Daily driver
- A term used for a surfers typical every-day board
- Dawn patrol
- When a surfer gets into the water before the sun comes up
- Deck grip
- Or deck pad is applied usually to the tail of a surfboard for traction
- Deck
- A term used for the topside of the surfboard where a surfer stands
- Deep water
- Where the waves don’t break unless the swell is huge and big sharks live
- Deep-water break
- A break that can hold very large waves
- Degrees
- Swell direction is also shown in degrees
- Delammed
- Term used for when the glass job of a surfboard get somehow compromised
- Ditch your board
- A description of someone that purposely lets go of their surfboard
- Diamond tail
- Word used to describe the tail of a surfboard shaped like a diamond
- Dick dragger
- Derogatory name for a body boarder, also when a surfer accidently rides belly rides one
- Dig
- Usually means paddle HARD, a surfer can also “dig” a rail, same as bogging a rail
- Ding
- Any kind of damage on a surfboard can simply be referred to as a ding
- Direction
- Can refer to wind or swell, very important factors when determining surf conditions
- Dirty Neptune
- Paddling way out side and doing a doo
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