These are just a few examples of the many slang terms used in the world of surfing. Many of them have regional variations, and some are used more frequently than others. Learning the lingo of surfing can help you communicate more effectively with other surfers and understand the culture surrounding the sport. Here are 99 of the most common and unusual slang words used in the world of surfing:
- A-frame: a wave that breaks equally in both directions, creating a peak in the middle
- Air: a maneuver in which the surfer jumps off the wave and lands back on the board
- Aloha: a Hawaiian greeting or farewell, often used in surfing culture
- Backdoor: to ride inside the barrel of a wave from behind
- Bail: to jump off the surfboard to avoid getting injured
- Barney: a derogatory term for a beginner surfer who is clueless and has bad etiquette
- Barrel: a hollow part of a wave where the surfer rides inside the tube
- Beach break: a wave that breaks over a sandy bottom close to shore
- Beach bum: a person who spends a lot of time at the beach
- Bells: a famous surf spot in Australia
- Big Kahuna: a respected and experienced surfer
- Bomb: a big wave
- Brahs: a term used for surfing friends
- Carve: to cut back and forth on the face of a wave
- Cheater five: a maneuver in which the surfer hangs five toes off the nose of the board on a shorter board
- Chiller: a laid-back surfer who is not overly competitive
- Chops: rough, choppy water
- Classic: traditional or old-school surf style
- Clean: smooth, glassy water conditions
- Closeout: when a wave breaks all at once and doesn't provide a rideable section
- Core: a surfer who is dedicated to the sport and lifestyle
- Cutback: a maneuver in which the surfer turns back toward the breaking part of the wave
- Dawn patrol: an early morning surf session
- Dawnie: an early morning surf session
- Ding: a small dent or scratch in a surfboard
- Dredging: when a wave sucks up sand from the bottom, creating a barrel
- Drop-in: when a surfer takes off on a wave in front of another surfer, violating the proper wave-riding etiquette
- Duke: a nickname for Duke Kahanamoku, a legendary Hawaiian surfer
- Endless Summer: a classic surf movie from the 1960s
- Epic: great surf conditions
- Eskimo roll: a technique used to roll a kayak back up after capsizing
- Face: the sloping part of a wave that is ridden by the surfer
- Face plant: to fall off the board and land face-first in the water
- Fins: the small blades on the bottom of a surfboard that help with control and maneuvering
- Firewire: a type of surfboard made with innovative materials and construction techniques
- Firing: great surf conditions
- Flat: calm, still water conditions with no waves
- Foam ball: the churning water inside a barrel wave
- Foamies: soft-top beginner surfboards made of foam
- Froth: excitement and enthusiasm for surfing
- Gnarly: extreme, dangerous, or challenging surf conditions
- Goofy-foot: a surfer who rides with their right foot forward
- Green room: another term for the inside of the barrel wave
- Grom: a young surfer who is just starting out
- Grommet: a young or beginner surfer
- Groundswell: a strong, consistent wave pattern caused by distant weather systems
- Half-pipe: a wave that breaks in a U-shape, similar to a half-pipe in skateboarding
- Hang ten: to ride a wave with all ten toes hanging off the nose of the board
- Heavy: dangerous or intense surf conditions
- Huey: a term used to describe a large swell or set of waves
- Inside: the part of the wave that breaks closest to shore
- Kick out: to exit a wave before it closes out
- Kook: a derogatory term for a beginner surfer who doesn't know proper etiquette or technique
- Laid-back: relaxed, casual surf style
- Layback: a maneuver in which the surfer leans back on the wave face
- Leash: a cord that attaches the surfer's ankle to the board
- Lull: a period of calm between sets of waves
- Macking: huge waves, often used to describe big-wave surf spots
- Malibu: a famous surf spot in California
- Mavericks: a famous big-wave surf spot in Northern California
- Menehune: a term for small or young surfers
- Mick's: a famous surf spot in Australia
- Nose ride: a maneuver in which the surfer rides on the nose of the board
- Off the lip: a maneuver in which the surfer hits the top of the wave and redirects their board down the face
- Offshore: a wind blowing from the land to the sea, creating clean, glassy waves
- Onshore: a wind blowing from the sea to the land, creating choppy waves
- Overhead: waves that are taller than the surfer
- Paddle battle: a competition for positioning in the lineup
- Paddle out: the act of paddling through the breaking waves to get to the lineup
- Peak: the highest point of a wave before it breaks
- Pearl: to nose-dive into the water on a wave
- Pipe: a famous surf spot in Hawaii, known for its hollow waves
- Point break: a wave that breaks along a rocky or sandy point of land
- Pop-up: the act of quickly standing up on the board from a lying position
- Quiver: a collection of surfboards owned by a surfer
- Rail: the edge of a surfboard
- Rip: a strong current that pulls water back out to sea
- Ripper: an experienced and skilled surfer.
- Rocker: the curve of a surfboard from nose to tail
- Shaka: a hand gesture used to show appreciation or aloha spirit
- Shaper: a person who designs and shapes surfboards
- Shorey: a wave that breaks close to shore and creates a steep drop
- Sick: a term used to describe great waves or surf conditions
- Soul surfing: surfing for the pure enjoyment of the sport, without competition or commercialism
- Stoke: the feeling of excitement and enjoyment from surfing
- Suction: the force that pulls the water up the face of a breaking wave
- SUP: stand-up paddleboard
- Swell: the size and energy of the waves
- Tandem: two people riding on the same surfboard
- Thruster: a type of surfboard with three fins
- Tide: the rise and fall of the ocean caused by the gravitational pull of the moon
- Tow-in: a method of surfing big waves using a jet ski or boat to tow the surfer into the wave
- Tube: another term for the inside of the barrel wave
- Twin-fin: a type of surfboard with two fins
- Wetsuit: a neoprene suit worn by surfers to stay warm in cold water
- White wash: the foamy water created by a breaking wave
- Woodie: a vintage car with wooden paneling, often associated with surf culture
- Yew: a term used to express excitement or encouragement
- Zog: a derogatory term for a bodyboarder