This year, we’ve been trying to think like surfers. Good weather or bad, surfers are in the sea. Maybe on the shoulder. Enjoying sick rides and barrels when they can get them. Maybe waiting for a set, patiently looking for the right waves. But also accepting that wipeouts — even getting ragdolled — are part of it all. Because sometimes you just biff it. But then you get back in the lineup and you stay stoked as you wait for the next chance.
We’re grateful to have you riding along.
Peace and love from everyone at A Way with Words:
Martha, Grant, Stefanie, and Tim.
A Way with Words is listener-supported. https://waywordradio.org/donate.
Wayword, Inc.,
P.O. Box 632721,
San Diego, CA 92165.
This surfing glossary is compiled in part from bits of:
- The Encyclopedia of Surfing by Matt Warshaw (2003)
- The Surfin’ary by Trevor Cralle (2e, 2001)
- Surfing Lingo by David Tuffley (2015)
- Surfing South Africa by Steve Spike (2007)
- Indo Surf & Lingo 20th Anniversary Edition by Peter Neely (2002)
- “English Tsotsitaals? — An Analysis of Two Written Texts in Surfspeak and South African Indian English Slang” in Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 2014, 32(2): 173–183 by Rajend Mesthrie
- Illustrated Swimming, Diving and Surfing Dictionary for Young People by Diana C. Gleasner (1980)
Of course, surfiing lingo is always changing, and varies from place to place. We’d love to hear how it’s different on your shores! Contact us. It’s free and easy.
Aerial / Air: A maneuver where the surfer and board launch off the wave lip into the air and land back on the wave.
Aggro: Aggressive attitude or surfing style.
Amped: Feeling excited, pumped up, or full of energy.
Ankle busters / Snappers: Small waves, usually too small to ride effectively.
Backdoor: To enter a tube or barrel from behind the peak of the breaking wave.
Bail / Bail out: To jump off or abandon the surfboard to avoid a wipeout or dangerous situation.
Barney: An inexperienced, untalented, or uncool surfer.
Barrel: The hollow, tube-like space formed by a curling wave; also called the tube or green room.
Beach break: Waves that break over a sandy bottom.
Biff it: Crash or wipe out, often suddenly and awkwardly, either on takeoff, during a maneuver, or on the face.
Bitchin’: Awesome, great, or amazing.
Blown out: Surf conditions ruined by strong onshore wind, making the waves choppy and unridable.
Bomb / Bomber: An exceptionally large or massive wave.
Bottom turn: A turn made at the bottom of the wave face to generate speed or change direction toward the lip.
Bowl: A shallow area that causes the wave to break harder and curve, often creating a hollow section.
Bro / Brah / Bru: A friend, mate, or fellow surfer.
Carve: To perform a sharp, powerful turn on the face of the wave.
Caught inside: Being trapped between the shoreline and the breaking waves, making it difficult to paddle out.
Choppy: Rough wave surface caused by wind.
Clean: Smooth wave conditions with little to no wind.
Close-out: A wave that breaks all at once along its length, offering no open face to ride.
Coffin: A novelty move where the surfer lies on their back on the board with arms crossed over the chest.
Crest: The very top of a wave before it breaks.
Curl: The curved, breaking part of the wave.
Cutback: A turn performed on the shoulder of the wave to bring the surfer back toward the breaking part (the power source).
Dawn patrol: Going surfing very early in the morning.
Deck: The top surface of the surfboard.
Ding: Damage (dent, hole, or crack) on a surfboard.
Drop in: To take off on a wave in front of another surfer who has the right of way (a major breach of etiquette).
Drop: The initial descent down the face of a wave after takeoff.
Duck dive: Pushing the surfboard underwater nose-first to pass beneath an oncoming breaking wave.
Dude: A surfer or friend; a general term of address.
Face: The unbroken front surface of a wave where the surfer rides.
Fade: Turning toward the breaking part of the wave initially, then turning back into the direction of the ride.
Flat: No surf or waves.
Floater: Riding over the top of a crumbling white water section to reach the open face again.
Foam / Soup / White water: The white, bubbly water formed after a wave breaks.
Glassy: Smooth water surface conditions caused by a lack of wind.
Gnarly: Intense, dangerous, difficult, or nasty (can be used positively or negatively).
Goofy foot: A surfer who rides with their right foot forward.
Green room: The inside of a barrel or tube.
Grom / Grommet / Gremmie: A young or inexperienced surfer.
Gun: A long, narrow surfboard designed for riding very big waves.
Hang five / Hang ten: Riding a longboard with five or ten toes draped over the nose of the board.
Heavy: Large, powerful, and dangerous waves.
Hodad: A person who hangs around the beach and acts like a surfer but doesn’t surf.
Hollow: A wave that curls over to create a tube or barrel.
Inside: The area closer to the beach where waves have already broken; the opposite of “outside”.
Kick out: Exiting a wave by riding over the back or through it.
Kook: An inexperienced or incompetent surfer.
Leash / Leg rope: The cord attaching the surfer’s ankle to the board.
Lineup: The area where surfers sit and wait for waves.
Lip: The top edge of the breaking wave that pitches forward.
Localism: Hostility by local surfers toward non-locals to protect their surf spot.
Locked in: Being caught inside the curl or tube of a wave.
Longboard: A longer, wider surfboard (usually 8-9+ feet) with a rounded nose.
Lull: A calm period between sets of waves.
Men in grey suits / Noah: Slang for sharks.
Mush / mushburger: Soft, weak, or slow waves without much power.
Nose: The front tip of the surfboard.
Offshore: Wind blowing from the land toward the ocean (creates good, clean waves).
Onshore: Wind blowing from the ocean toward the land (creates messy, choppy waves).
Outside: The area beyond the breaking waves; further out to sea.
Over the falls: Falling from the top of the wave (the lip) and being sucked down with the breaking water.
Peak: The highest point of a breaking wave where the ride usually begins.
Pearl: When the nose of the surfboard digs into the water, usually causing a wipeout.
Peeling: When a wave breaks cleanly and progressively along the line.
Pit: The hollowest part of the wave or barrel.
Pocket: The most powerful part of the wave, just ahead of the breaking curl.
Point break: Waves that wrap around a point of land or headland.
Pumping: Excellent surf conditions with consistent, powerful waves.
Quiver: A surfer’s collection of different surfboards for various conditions.
Rad / Radical: Extreme, impressive, or awesome surfing.
Ragdolled: Violently tossed by a wave after a wipeout so the body is uncontrollable, and pulled in multiple directions, especially underwater.
Rail: The edge or side of a surfboard.
Re-entry: Maneuver where the surfer goes up the wave face, hits the lip, and turns back down.
Reef break: Waves that break over a rock or coral reef.
Regular foot: A surfer who rides with their left foot forward.
Rip / Ripping: Surfing very well or aggressively.
Rocker: The curve of the surfboard from nose to tail.
Section: A part of the wave.
Set: A group of waves coming in a series.
Shacked: Getting a great tube ride or barrel.
Shaka: A hand signal with thumb and pinky extended (meaning “hang loose” or “cool”).
Shore break: Waves breaking directly on the shore.
Shoulder: The unbroken, rideable face of the wave extending from the peak.
Shred: To surf aggressively and skillfully.
Sick: Amazing or impressive.
Sick ride: Exceptionally good or exciting wave — strong, stylish, or memorable.
Skeg / Fin: The rudder-like device on the bottom of the board for stability.
Sketchy: Dangerous or bad form.
Slide: To ride across the face of the wave.
Slot / Slotted: Being well-positioned inside the barrel.
Snaking: Stealing priority on a wave by cutting in front of another surfer.
Soup: White water after a wave breaks.
Spit: The spray of water and air that shoots out of a collapsing barrel.
Stall: Slowing the board down to let the wave catch up or to get into the tube.
Stick: A surfboard.
Stoked: Extremely happy, excited, or pleased.
Swell: Waves generated by distant storms that travel across the ocean.
Switchfoot: A surfer who can ride with either foot forward.
Tail: The back end of the surfboard.
Take off: Catching a wave and beginning the ride.
Trim: Adjusting weight on the board to find the most efficient line and speed.
Tube: The hollow cylinder formed by a breaking wave; same as barrel.
Turtle roll: A technique to get through a breaking wave by flipping the board over and holding on underneath (alternative to duck diving).
Wax: Sticky substance applied to the deck of the board for traction.
Wipeout: Falling off the surfboard.
Worked: Getting tumbled underwater by a wave after a wipeout.