Learn
Surf Lingo
Talk the Talk. Every Word Explained.
From “glassy” to “goofy,” surfing has a language all its own. Whether you’re paddling out for the first time or just want to follow the conversation at the surf shop, start here.
85 words
A
- AlohaCulture & People
- A Hawaiian word meaning love, compassion, and hello or goodbye. The spirit of welcome at the heart of surf culture.
B
- BacksideRiding & Moves
- Riding with your back to the wave.
- BarrelWaves & Conditions
- The hollow tube formed when a wave pitches over. Also called the tube or the pit.
- Beach breakWaves & Conditions
- Waves breaking over a sandy bottom. Most East Coast spots, including the Delaware beaches, are beach breaks.
- Blown outWaves & Conditions
- When strong onshore wind has wrecked the waves and made them messy and unrideable.
- BootiesBoards & Gear
- Neoprene boots worn in cold water or over sharp reef.
- Bottom turnRiding & Moves
- The turn at the base of the wave after dropping in. It sets up everything you do next.
C
- CarveRiding & Moves
- A smooth, powerful turn on the face of the wave.
- ChoppyWaves & Conditions
- A bumpy, wind-affected surface that makes waves harder to ride.
- CleanWaves & Conditions
- Well-shaped, organized waves with little wind texture.
- CloseoutWaves & Conditions
- A wave that breaks all at once along its length, leaving no open face to ride.
- Cross-shoreWaves & Conditions
- Wind blowing roughly parallel to the beach. Conditions can still be fun, but bumpier.
- Cross-stepRiding & Moves
- Walking up and down a longboard by crossing one foot over the other.
- CutbackRiding & Moves
- A turn that brings you back toward the breaking part of the wave.
D
- Dawn patrolCulture & People
- Surfing at first light, before work or the crowds, when it is often glassy.
- DingBoards & Gear
- A dent, crack, or hole in a board. Fix it before water gets in.
- Drop inRiding & Moves
- 1) Taking off down the face of a wave. 2) Catching a wave someone closer to the peak is already riding, which is a major etiquette foul.“Don't drop in on anyone.”
- Duck diveRiding & Moves
- Pushing a shorter board under an oncoming wave to get past it while paddling out.
E
- EtiquetteCulture & People
- The unwritten rules of the lineup: the surfer closest to the peak has priority, don't drop in, don't snake, and hold onto your board.
F
- FaceWaves & Conditions
- The open, unbroken front of a wave that surfers ride across.
- FinsBoards & Gear
- Fins on the bottom of the board that provide control and help it turn.
- FishBoards & Gear
- A short, wide board with a split “swallow” tail. Fast and fun in smaller waves.
- FlatWaves & Conditions
- No surfable waves. A good day for a beach walk or a swim.
- FoamieBoards & Gear
- A soft-top board made of foam. Forgiving, buoyant, and a common first board.
- FrontsideRiding & Moves
- Riding while facing the wave.
- FunboardBoards & Gear
- A mid-length board (about 7–8 feet) that mixes longboard stability with shortboard turning.
G
- Getting pittedRiding & Moves
- Riding inside the barrel of a wave.
- GlassyWaves & Conditions
- A smooth, mirror-like ocean surface with little or no wind. Often found early in the morning.“It was glassy at dawn.”
- GoofyRiding & Moves
- Riding with your right foot forward.
- GromCulture & People
- A young surfer, short for grommet.
- GroundswellWaves & Conditions
- Long-period swell from storms far away. It carries more energy and produces cleaner, stronger waves.
- GunBoards & Gear
- A long, narrow board built for very big waves.
H
- Hang fiveRiding & Moves
- Standing on the nose with five toes over the edge.
- Hang tenRiding & Moves
- A classic longboard move: standing on the nose with all ten toes over the edge.
I
- Impact zoneWaves & Conditions
- The area where waves break hardest. Best to get through it quickly.
K
- Kick outRiding & Moves
- Ending a ride by steering up and over the back of the wave.
- KookCulture & People
- Slang for someone who ignores etiquette or acts clueless in the water. Everyone starts somewhere. Learn the rules and nobody will call you one.
L
- LeashBoards & Gear
- The cord that attaches the board to your ankle so it stays close when you fall.
- LineupWaves & Conditions
- The area just past where waves break, where surfers sit and wait. It also means the group of surfers there.
- LipWaves & Conditions
- The top edge of a breaking wave that throws forward.
- LocalCulture & People
- Someone who surfs a spot regularly and lives nearby. Respect the locals.
- LocalismCulture & People
- Hostility from locals toward visitors at a break. Showing respect and patience goes a long way.
- LongboardBoards & Gear
- A long board, usually 9 feet or more, with a rounded nose. Stable and great for small waves and learning.
- LullWaves & Conditions
- The calm stretch between sets. A good time to paddle out or reposition.
N
- Nose and tailBoards & Gear
- The front (nose) and back (tail) of the board.
O
- OffshoreWaves & Conditions
- Wind blowing from the land out to sea. It grooms the wave face and holds it up, often creating the best conditions.
- OnshoreWaves & Conditions
- Wind blowing from the sea toward the land. It makes waves crumbly and messy.
P
- Paddle outRiding & Moves
- Paddling from the beach out past the breaking waves to the lineup.
- Party waveRiding & Moves
- A wave shared by several surfers at once, by mutual agreement. All smiles.
- PeakWaves & Conditions
- The highest point of a wave and usually where it breaks first. Waves can peel left, right, or both from the peak.
- PearlingRiding & Moves
- When the nose of the board digs underwater and sends you over the front.
- Point breakWaves & Conditions
- A wave that breaks along a point of land, often peeling in one direction for a long ride.
- Pop-upRiding & Moves
- The move from lying on the board to standing up in one motion.
- PriorityCulture & People
- The right to a wave, usually belonging to the surfer closest to where it is breaking.
- PumpingWaves & Conditions
- When the surf is big, consistent, and firing.“Indo was pumping all week.”
Q
- QuiverBoards & Gear
- A surfer's collection of boards for different conditions.
R
- RailsBoards & Gear
- The edges of the board.
- Reef breakWaves & Conditions
- Waves breaking over coral or rock. Often consistent and powerful, with a shallow, hard bottom.
- RegularRiding & Moves
- Riding with your left foot forward.
- Rip currentWaves & Conditions
- A narrow channel of water flowing away from shore. If caught in one, stay calm and swim parallel to the beach, then back in. Always swim near a lifeguard.
- RockerBoards & Gear
- The curve of a board from nose to tail. More rocker turns better; less rocker paddles faster.
S
- SandbarWaves & Conditions
- A ridge of sand under the water that makes waves break. Sandbars shift with storms and tides.
- SessionCulture & People
- A single stretch of time in the water surfing.
- SetWaves & Conditions
- A group of larger waves that arrive together, with quieter periods (lulls) in between.“Wait for the set before you paddle out.”
- ShakaCulture & People
- The hand sign with thumb and pinky out. A friendly “hang loose,” with roots in Hawaiian culture.
- ShaperBoards & Gear
- The craftsperson who designs and builds surfboards.
- ShortboardBoards & Gear
- A shorter, lighter, more maneuverable board for steeper and more powerful waves.
- ShoulderWaves & Conditions
- The gentler, unbroken part of the wave away from the peak. A friendlier spot to catch waves.
- SnakeRiding & Moves
- Paddling around someone to steal priority on a wave. Bad etiquette.
- Soul surferCulture & People
- Someone who surfs purely for the love of it, not for competition or attention.
- StokedCulture & People
- Fired up, happy, excited. The universal feeling after a good session.“So stoked on that wave!”
- Surf checkCulture & People
- Looking at the waves (or a surf report) before deciding whether and where to paddle out.
- Surf shopCulture & People
- The heart of a surf community: boards, wax, wetsuits, advice, and stories. The focus of WBS Surf Shop Tours.
- SwellWaves & Conditions
- Waves generated by distant storms that travel across the ocean in organized lines. Swell is what turns into surfable waves when it reaches the coast.“A new swell is filling in this afternoon.”
- Swell periodWaves & Conditions
- The time in seconds between one wave and the next. Longer periods (10+ seconds) usually mean more powerful, better-organized waves.
T
- TideWaves & Conditions
- The daily rise and fall of sea level. Many spots work better at a certain tide.
- TrimRiding & Moves
- Riding straight across the face at speed, positioned in the wave’s sweet spot.
- Turtle rollRiding & Moves
- Flipping a longboard upside down and holding on as a wave passes over. The longboard version of a duck dive.
W
- Waterman / WaterwomanCulture & People
- Someone skilled across ocean sports, from surfing to swimming to paddling.
- WaxBoards & Gear
- Applied to the deck of the board for grip. Different waxes suit different water temperatures.
- WetsuitBoards & Gear
- A neoprene suit that keeps you warm. Thickness is listed in millimeters, like 4/3 for colder water.
- White beltCulture & People
- Borrowed from martial arts: the first belt, a symbol of beginnings and the willingness to learn. The idea behind White Belt Surfer. Every surfer starts somewhere.
- WhitewaterWaves & Conditions
- The foamy, broken part of a wave. Many people catch their first rides here.
- Wind swellWaves & Conditions
- Short-period waves created by local wind close to shore. Usually choppier and weaker than groundswell.
- WipeoutRiding & Moves
- Falling off your board. It happens to everyone, every session.
No words match yet. Know one we’re missing? Tell us.
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