Surf Terms

180 / 360
The spin of a surfers board during a manouever in degrees. eg 360 degree turn.
A-Frame
Perfect barreling surf. A cross-section of the wave reveales an ‘a’ shape where it is breaking soooo nicely.
ASP
ASP stands for Association of Professional Surfing. These guys look after the professional side of surfing. Visit their site at www.aspworldtour.com
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. Sometimes called a Tube.
Beach Break
A wave that breaks over the sandy sea bed. You’ve not read up about Waves have you.
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. Setting for that tearful end bit in 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 are 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.
Blown Out
Where the onshore wind turns the surf in to unrideable mush.
Board
The fibreglass thingy under your feet.
Boardshorts / Boardies
Board shorts – check the men’s boardshorts here and the women’s boardshorts here. Quick drying, lightweight and worn by those lucky enough to be surfing in warm water.
Bottom Turn
The turn made at the base of the wave when coming down off the face. Often the first move made after dropping in. Get it right for great positioning for your next manovever.
Carve / Carving
The classic surfing manoeuvre. Basically what turning on a wave is called. Carve is also a surfing magazine found in Europe.
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”
Close Out
Where a wave breaks along its length all at once.
Corduroy
Swell lines that look like corduroy. See this corduroy swell picture that illustrates it perfectly.
Cross Step / Stepping
The art of walking up and down a longboard – walking foot over foot. When you see some guy / gal running up and down their board you’ll now know what to call it. Cutback
Reversing the direction that you are surfing in one smooth fluid move. (That’s the idea anyway).
my wave!…my wave!!….MY WAVE!!!! Deck
The bit of the surboard 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 In
Dropping in is a crime in the surf world. A drop-in is where a surfer catches a wave where he / she does not have priority. I.E. there is already a surfer on the wave. Please see diagram above. Remember – it’s a CRIME!
Duck dive / duck diving
Diving under an oncoming wave when paddling out. See duck diving in full detail in Surfing Lesson Three – duck diving.
Dumping
Often caused by onshore conditions, where a wave will fold over in big sections, making it un-surfable
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 will 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.
Fakie
Riding backwards on the surfboard, tail first. Also what you are if you are only reading this page so you can pretend that you are a surfer.
FCS
FCS stands for Fin Control System. This is a type of fin that is fully removable from the surfboard. Ideal if you break a fin (you don’t have to get a new on glassed back on),or if you are travelling (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. Sometimes called a Skeg.
Foamies
Used for both whitewater waves and also surfboards that are made out of foam (ideal for beginners).
Foil
rate of change of thickness of a surfboard from the nose to the tail.
Funboard
A mid length surfboard, often know as a minimal. See funboard examples here.
Goofy / Goofy Foot
Surfing with your right foot forward.
Glassy
Ultra clean surf without a ripple – looks like glass.
Grommet
Cute doggie character in the Nick Park animation creations (and they are really rather good!). Also the term used to describe a young surfer.
Gul
British surfing equipment manufacturer.
Hang Ten
Riding a longboard with both feet right on the nose of the board. 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!).
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.
Jeffrey’s Bay / J Bay
South African surf break of the highest calibre. One of the worlds most famous, high quality right handers. (Don’t know what a right hander is then go learn your waves
Kneeboarding
A Surfing spin-off – riding the waves on your knees on a special knee board.
Layback
A surfing manoeuvre where the surfer literally lays backwards on a wave. One of surfing’s more extreme tricks.
Leash
The cord that is attached between your leg and your surfboard. Legrope
See Leash above.
Line Up
The Line Up is the place just outside the breacking waves where surfers wait for their waves.
Locked In
When a wave crashes and the surfer is inside of it.
Mavericks
Famous big wave spot off the Californian coast. Not to be confused with the film ‘Maverick’, starring Mel Gibson, although you need to be pretty brave to tackle both.MR
Multi world champ and all round surfing legend Mark Richards
Mullering
Wipe-out of the highest order.
Narrabeen
One of a whole host of quality surfspots on Sydney’s north shore. You lucky lucky Aussies!.
New School
The term given to trick surfing – airs, shove-its etc.
Nose
The pointy bit of the surfboard and the bit that points away from you when you are paddling and riding.
Ocean
Same thing as a sea – only bigger.
Offshore
Where the wind at a surf break is blowing off the shore Makes for ideal surfing conditions.
Onshore
Where the wind is blowing towards the land. Spoils the waves. Always remember – Offshore Good – Onshore Bad!.
Perl
A common term describing when a person buries the nose of their surfboard and goes “over the falls”. Often referred to by the actual surfer as @#%%@#@!!
Pipeline
Classic Hawaiian wave, amazing, barrelling and mean. One of the most famous and most photographed waves there is. If you have just read Surfing Lesson One – Catching Waves and are ready to go out and try surfing for the first time then Pipeline is probably the last place on the planet you want to be.
Quiksilver
Pretty much everyone, surfers and non-surfers alike will already know about Quiksliver. One of the largest manufacturers of surfing equipment and surf clothing on the planet. The lads have done well from their boardshort beginning on Torquay – good on ya!.
Rail
The sides of your surfboard, running from nose to tail and back again. More details can be found on the Surfboard Rail page.
Regular / Regular Footed
Surfing with your left foot forward.
Rip
A strong current heading out to sea. Can be dangerous for surfers and swimmers alike. Check out the Waves section to find out in further detail.
SAS
See Surfers Against Sewage.
Shove-it
Shoving the surfboard round underneath your feet, 180 or 360 degrees. A good trick if you can do it.
Sick
A term used to describe when someone does something impressive. e.g. “that was a sick air” – not just because you have swallowed too much sea water.
Slash
A rapid turn off the top of the wave – hopefully throwing loads of spray off the top.
Slater, Kelly
Famous for being in Baywatch and his alleged dalliance with Pamela Anderson. Oh yes, we’ve heard that he is a pretty tidy surfer as wall.
Snake / Snaking
Waves should be shared, but snakes take it all. To Snake is to drop in out of turn.
Steamer Lane
Famous Northern California surf spot.
Step Into Liquid
What happens when you go walking in puddles. It is also the the name of a surf video by surf vid guru Dana Brown. Check it out at our video store – Step Into Liquid.
Stick
Surfer slang for a surfboard.
Stoked
Very happy.
Stringer
The bit of wood that runs up through the length of your surfboard. (If you have a fibreglass one and not one that you have fashioned out of an old ironing board!). More info on the Surfboard Information page. Surfers Against Sewage
An organisation campaigning for clean water for all. These guys are incredibly high profile and lobby endlessly to ensure all water users are surfing in clean water. Check them out at www.sas.org.uk and become a member – everyone should become a member.
Swallow Tail
You will really have to go and and read up on the Surfboard Tail Shapes section – I can’t be explaining everything over again.
Swell
Waves! Swell, or Groundswell refers to solid, real waves (as apposed to rubbish wind chop). Why not read more on How Waves Are Made.
Switch Stance
Riding the surfboard standing the other way round i.e. If you are regular footed you would be surfing goofy.
Tail
The bit of the surfboard at the opposite end to the nose (the pointy bit at the front!). Read more about Surfboard Tail Shapes. For more info on the other bits of the surfboard have a look at the Surfboard section.
Tailslide
The tailslide is a move where the tail of the board slides across the lip of the wave. Tail Slide – see!.
Thruster
Popular name for a tri-fin shortboard.
Tube
Public transportation in London. Oh, you mean Tube. Tube is the where the wave is hollow where it is breaking. For some surfers it’s the be all of surfing. Sometimes called a barrel, keg or pit.
Ulluwatu
One of a large number of quality Indonesian surf breaks.
Underwater
You are not seriously looking for an
Vanuatu
Smallish island in the Pacific, complete with numerous great waves. If you are planning a tropical surfing trip you could do worse!.
Wax
Smells nice, gets stuck in your chest hair (not you ladies!), used to stop your feet slipping off your board. Also, surf wax can be used as to repair almost anything – leaky roof, rusty zip – you name it.
Wetsuit
Made of neoprene, keeps out the cold, makes you look like a seal. Check out the Wetsuit section for more information.
Wipe-out
Falling of your board is referred to as a wipe-out. Other terms are donut, mullering, eating it and pounding – and pretty much anything else you would like.
Worked
To “get worked” is to wipe out and get thrown about while being held under by the wave
 (e)Xtreme
Yes, you guessed – we couldn’t think of a surfing word truly beginning with X. It’s definition is exactly the same as in the dictionary. Tow in surfing is the latest type of extreme surfing.
Yallingup
Surf spot in Western Australia. (Now we are really struggling!)
Z
Thanks to those who have sent us ‘Z’ letters – we were struggling for a while but now the section is looking pretty rosy.
Zamba, Frieda (Born October 24, 1965)
Florida’s first four-time world champ
Zogs(Mr)Sex wax
A Popular brand of surf wax found wherever there are surfers. Get some Surf Wax here.
Zipperless
Often considered the “holy grail” of wetsuits, as zippers-no matter how tightly made-will always let water through. Invented in ‘89 by Body Glove, the first zipperless wetsuits were actually way too stiff for surfers to use; by ‘93, the Japanese came out with another model that was still too stiff, but by ‘95, most wetsuit companies offered a high end zipperless suit. Advantages include flexibility and warmth; disadvantages include short lifespan (due to super stretchy rubber) and difficult entry/exit.
Zonal
Weather pattern term which means that all of the storm activity in one particular region is moving in a consistent west-to-east pattern along the same latitude. While this can happen anywhere in the world it is usually associated with the Southern Ocean (around Antarctica) and is caused by large ridges of high-pressure in the mid-latitudes ‘pancaking’ the active storm track into the upper lattitudes. Since most of the swell energy in these storms will only travel the direction the fetch is pointed it means that all of the swell is also going west-to-east. For most of the eastern half of the Pacific (California, Baja, Mainland Mex, and Central America) zonal activity in the SPAC is bad for swell production — good for an area in its path like Chile — but bad for the rest of us.
Zulu
Same as GMT or Greenwich Mean Time. Zulu Time is used on weather charts which may display 12Z for 1200 GMT, or 00Z for 0000 GMT. See GMT.