Here are a few surfing terms and sayings so you don't feel out of place in the water.
amped - charged up, stoked.
air -
surfer and board jump out of the the top of the wave with fins out of the water
aerial - an airborne manoeuvre also used in snowboarding
backdoor - entering a tube from behind the peak
bail out - diving off your board to avoid a wipeout
beach break - waves that are breaking over a sandy bottom
[see waves] blown out - when the wind has stirred up the surf to the point that it is unrideable
booger - another word for a bodyboarder
barrel - where the wave is hollow when it is breaking. Also called a Tube
bashing - body surfing
bomb - an unusually large wave
boost - getting airborne off the lip
bump - a swell
bumps - the build-up of wax on a surfboard deck
carve - turning on a wave. A classic surfing move
closeout - a wave that breaks all at once
crew - a group of surfers defined by break or area
cross step - crossing one foot over the other as you move up and down your surf board
cutback - reversing the direction that you are surfing in one smooth move. A 180 degree turn
dawn patrol - surfing at sunrise
deck - the top of your board. Its where you stand
ding - this is a dent or puncture hole in your board. It will need repairing
dropping in - catching someone else's wave. Not a good thing to do
duck dive - diving under an oncoming wave as you paddle out
dune - a big peaky wave
fakie -riding backwards on a surf board with the tail first
fan - a fan of spray off a turn
fin - the curved triangular bit under your surfboard. You know what I mean
fish - A shorter thicker board
fluff - throws a waterfall shoreward
foamies - surfboard made out of foam for beginners
funboard - Designed for small waves and beginners.
gash - sharp turn
glassy - smooth waves caused by little or no wind
going off - huge swell breaking on a reef
goofy foot - a rider who surfs with right foot as the lead foot and the left foot as the back foot
[see goofy] green room - inside a large barrel
grommet - young surfer. Don't you just hate it
gun - a surfboard made for big wave riding. Definitely not a beginners board
hanging five - longboarding term for dangling your five toes over the nose of the board while trimming along the face of the wave
hang ten - when a surfer has all ten toes dangling over the nose of the board. This is hard to do
in the soup - when a surfer is in the white foam of the wave after the wave has broken
kook - first time surfer. We were all there once
layback - a surfing move where the surfer lays backwards on a wave
lip - tip of a breaking wave curling or plunging down
locals - a bit obvious this. People who close by and surf regularly at the same spot
North Swell- Swell from the North, And a pretty cool surf shop.
nose - pointy bit of the surfboard and the bit that points away from you when you are surfing
pack - a group of surfers in a lineup
peak - the part of the wave which is about to break
pipeline - everyone has heard of this one. Classic Hawaiian wave, barrelling and dangerous
planker - surfer to a bodyboarder
pop - kickout
pumping - above average large swell
quiver - a surfer's collection of boards or a board bag that holds several boards
regularfoot - left-foot forward as your stand on your board
rip - to surf really well or a strong under current in the ocean
[see waves] shaper - someone who shapes surfboards in the making process
scab - a reef or rock
schlong - thick, long, old style single-fin surfboard
shubee - a tourist who buys surfing gear, dresses surf, but has never surfed
soup - whitewater
sponger - a bodyboarder, because the bodyboard looks like a big sponge
stoked - ready and psyched up for a surf, full of enthusiasm
stuffed - getting driven under the water by a wave coming down on you
tail - bit of the surfboard at the opposite end to the nose. Obvious really
thrashed - when a wave bashes you
tow-ins - getting towed into waves that are too big to paddle
tube - the cone shaped hole created where the wave is hollow where it is breaking
twinfin - a the name suggests a two fin surfboard
twinzer - a four- fin surfboard
vertical - turn straight up the wave
waffling - rapidly working the board back and forth
wahine - the Hawaiian word for female, used for describing a female surfer
wannabe - wan-na-be, someone who wants to be a surfer, wears the clothes and talks the talk but can't surf
wax - used on deck of boards for traction. It's made from paraffin, colour and other additives
wave height - the distance between the wave bottom or trough and the crest
wavelength - the distance between wave crests
[see waves] zoo - means a crowded surf lineup. Example:
"The lineup's a zoo today."
