Angling: When the surfer is going with the wave in either direction right or left, at an angle rather then surfing straight.

Avalanche: Any big wave that is breaking; a name for a surf spot located in Hawaii.

Backdoor: Taking off behind the peak on a hollow wave; name for the hollow breaking right at pipeline in Hawaii.

Bail out: Abandoning ones surfboard before getting wiped out by the wave either paddling out, or while riding the wave.

Back off: When a wave coming in hits deeper water and starts to reform or disappear.

Backside: Surfing with your back to the wave, a goofy foot going right, or a regular foot going left.

Baggies: Men’s surf or swim trunks.

Barney: An inexperienced surfer or one who acts immature.

Bluebirds: Huge waves breaking out side of the normal breaking waves.

Board: Short for surfboard.

Beach break: Waves breaking over a sand bottom.

Blank: The foam used to shape a surfboard.

Bodyboard: A small soft foam "board” used primarily with swim fins, and ridden prone.

Bodysurf: Surfing the waves without a board. (Swim fins optional).

Bomb(s): Large and very large waves.

Bombora: Australian term for big waves breaking further out.

Brah: Hawaiian slang for brother, (Brudda).

Choppy: Ocean wave conditions that are rough not smooth.

Cannon ball: Going into the fetal position during a wipeout.

Caught Inside: Surfers that are inside the breaking waves and can't get to the outside smooth water because of the white water

Clean: Good conditions, good waves, and good surfboards.

Clean up: A wave or a set of waves, which break over or on surfers, clearing the line- up.

Close out: A wave that breaks all at once. A wave that peels, and then breaks all at once.

Cord: The urethane leash used to attach the surfboard to a surfer.

Corduroy: When a series of swells are stacking up coming in from the horizon.

Cutback: Switching directions from surfing away from the curl, back towards the curl.

Deck: The top side of the surfboard.

Dipping: A short board maneuver used when paddling out to get under and through on coming waves.

Ding: Damage to a surfboard.

Double up: When two waves combine.

Da kine: Hawaiian slang for good or the best.

Dawn patrol: Early morning surf session

Drop: The water level from crest to trough. (Surfers take the "drop")

Drop in: Catching a wave and going down the face; catching a wave late and then standing up in front of someone already ridding.

Dude: California slang for guy.

Face: The complete front of a wave.

Fade: Dropping in towards the waves curl rather than with or away from the curl.

Fan: A trail of water sent shooting out momentarily suspended in air; the result of a high powered or quick turn.

Feathering: When waves are about to cap or break; the very first sight of white water at the top of a wave, just before it breaks or spills.

Fin(s): The rudder(s) used on the bottom of surfboards for control.

Fins: worn on feet to give more power when swimming, or body boarding.

Floater: When the surfer rides over the top of the wave and then comes back in.

Foam: The material used to shape surfboards out of; the white water of a breaking wave; the bubbles left over from a breaking wave.

Front side: Facing the wave while surfing.

Glass job: The protective fiberglass coating used on a surfboard.

Glassy: Very smooth ocean and wave conditions, also "sheet glass".

Goofy foot: Someone who surfs right foot forward.

Gnarly: Intense waves, individuals, or situations.

Green flash: The green color that sometimes occurs for a moment as the sun disappears over the ocean during sunsets on clear days.

Going-off: Very good waves; very good surfing.

Gun: Surfboard designed to ride big waves.

Hit the lip: When a surfer maneuvers the surfboard up to meet the lip of the wave as it is coming down, and then comes down with it.

Hammered: Taking a pounding from a wave.

Hard core: Extreme.

Hollow: A cylinder shaped wave.

Impact zone: Where waves are breaking.

Inside: Surfing in the tube of a wave; being positioned on the shore side of the breaking waves.

Kai: Hawaiian for ocean or sea.

Kaiko: Hawaiian for strong current.

Kick out: Ending a ride by turning out or off of a wave.

Kook: Someone who pretends to be something they're not.

Leash: The urethane cord used to attach a surfboard to a surfer. (see cord).

Left: 1. A wave breaking to the left from the vantage of a surfer riding in.
2. A wave breaking towards the right from the vantage point of the shore.

Line up: Were the surfers are sitting; where the waves are breaking; a marker on the beach used to position off of.

Lines: The unbroken series of waves coming in.

Lip: 1. The part of a wave that pitches out.
2. The top of a breaking swell.

Locals: Long time regulars at a particular surf spot, or area.

Long board: Any board 3 feet longer than your height with a wider rounded nose, (front).

Lull: A momentary gap or break in the waves.

Mushy: Non-powerful waves that crumble.

Nalu: Hawaiian for wave(s)

Nose: The front of the surfboard.

Offshore winds: The direction of the wind when it is blowing from the land towards the ocean.

Ono: Hawaiian for good or great.

Onshore winds: The direction of the wind when it is blowing form the ocean towards the land.

Outside: A wave that breaks further out; the position of surfers on the backside of the swells.

Outline: The circumference of a surfboard.

Overhead waves: Higher than a person’s height over the falls: A wipe out where a surfer goes over with the breaking lip of the wave.

Peak: The highest part of a wave. The position where a wave first breaks.

Pearl: A wipe out where the nose of the surfboard goes under the water.

Peel off: A wave that breaks perfectly access the shore without spilling in front of itself.

Pitching out: When the lip of the wave throws outward.

Phat: Slang for nice, good, or great.

Phazer: A surfboard designed with a dimpled bottom.

Point break: Waves breaking off and around an outcrop of land; the name of a movie involving surfing.

Pop-up: Getting to ones feet, after catching the wave.

Primo: Good, excellent, also the name of a Hawaiian beer.

Pumping: Quick turns to gain speed; non-stop good waves.

Rail: The curve on the sides of a surfboard.

Reef break: Waves that break over a bottom other than sand.

Regular foot: A surfer who surfs left foot forward.

Right: A wave breaking to the right from the vantage point of a surfer riding in, a wave breaking towards the left from the vantage point of the shore.

Ripping: Surfing well.

Rail grab: Holding the surfboard with one hand usually while going backside in the tube.

Rocker: The bottom curve of a surfboard from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail.

Rubber arms: Faking going for a wave, or when surfers’ arms are exhausted.

Roller coaster: Going from the bottom to the top of a wave and then back down.

Section: A segment of a wave that is walled or lined up.

Set: A series of outside breaking waves.

Shape: The form of the waves; the contours of a surfboard.

Shooting the curl: Angling or trimming with the breaking part of the wave.

Shore break: The inside where waves spill, usually shallow.

Short board: A small surfboard.

Shore pound: Shallow hard breaking waves close to the shore.

Shoulder: The unbroken edge of a breaking wave.

Side shore: Winds coming across from right or left rather than in or out.

Single fin: A surfboard with only one fin.

Sleeper set: Usually the biggest wave of the day that catches surfers off guard

Slop: Mushy choppy waves.

Snake: A person who drops in late on another surfer already ridding; dropping in on another surfer.

Snapback: A quick short radius direction change.

Soft board: Surfboards made of soft materials for safety.

Soup: The white water from a broken wave.

Spin out: A wipe out where the fin(s) of a surfboard fail to hold in the face of the wave, causing the board to slide out from under the surfer.

Spit: The spray of water that shoots out of a collapsing tube or hollow wave.

Spray: Water being blowing off the face of a wave, the "plume". The release of water from a surfboard as it moves along; especially strong after quick turns.

Sponge: A body board.

Sponger: Someone who uses soft body boards.

Stall: A maneuver intended to slow the surfboards’ forward momentum in order to let the wave catch up, or to get in the barrel.

Straight off: When a surfer angling can't make a wave, the surfer turns the surfboard straight toward the beach to ride the white water in prone.

Stringer: The wood centerline in surfboards, used to give the board more strength.

Stick: Slang for surfboard.

Stoked: Extremely happy.

Surf spot: A particular location that surfers like to ride.

Surf wax: Wax that is used for traction, and applied to the deck of fiberglass surfboards.

Tail: The back end of a surfboard.

Template(s): Outline or pattern for shaping surfboard(s).

Thruster: A 3-finned surfboard.

Trim: Surfing with the wave in an unbroken line or a perfect angle.

Tube: A hollow breaking wave, when a surfer rides inside a hollow breaking wave.

Turn turtle: While paddling out, rolling the surfboard over fin(s) up, and hanging on when confronted with a wave.

Twin fin: A surfboard with two fins.

Victory at sea: When the waves are very choppy and windblown.

Wipe out: Falling off while surfing; the disastrous effect after falling off while surfing a wave.

Zipper: A fast breaking wave.

Zone: Where the waves are breaking; when rhythm, timing and flow come together.

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