Surf terms: 145 surfing slang words explained
Whether you're reading a surf report, talking to your instructor, or just trying to understand what surfers are saying in the parking lot, this glossary has you covered.
By SurfSpotGuide EditorialPublished January 1, 2025
Surfing glossary
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145 terms, A to Z
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Some words are easier to see than to read. Pick a diagram, then tap any part.
Anatomy of a breaking wave
A wave seen from the side, travelling left to right toward the beach. Pick a part.
Lip
The top edge of a breaking wave as it pitches forward.
It is the part that pitches forward and over.
Read the full entry →A
- A-frame
- A wave that peaks in the center and breaks evenly in both directions (left and right). The ideal wave shape.
- Waves & conditions
- Aerial
- A move where the surfer launches off the wave and rides the board through the air.
- Riding & moves
- AmpedSlang
- Very excited and ready to surf.
- Lineup & etiquette
B
- Backwash
- The water that rushes back down the beach after a wave breaks and meets the next wave coming in.
- Waves & conditions
- BailSlang
- To intentionally jump off your board before a wipeout or when caught inside.
- Wipeouts & hazards
- BarneySlang
- Another word for a kook: a clumsy or inexperienced surfer.
- Lineup & etiquette
- Barrel / Tube
- The hollow space inside a curling wave. Riding inside the barrel is one of surfing's greatest experiences.
- Waves & conditions
- Barreled
- Riding inside the barrel. "Getting barreled" is the goal for a lot of surfers.
- Riding & moves
- Beach break
- A surf spot where waves break over a sandy bottom. More forgiving than reef breaks for beginners.
- Waves & conditions
- Blank
- The foam core a surfboard is shaped from.
- Boards & gear
- Blown out
- When strong onshore winds make the ocean surface choppy and messy, ruining wave quality.
- Waves & conditions
- Board bag
- A padded cover that protects a surfboard in transport.
- Boards & gear
- BombSlang
- A wave much bigger than the ones around it.
- Waves & conditions
- Booties
- Neoprene boots worn in cold water to keep your feet warm.
- Boards & gear
- Bottom turn
- A turn made at the bottom of the wave face to generate speed back up toward the lip.
- Riding & moves
- Break
- The place where waves break (a surf break), or a wave breaking. Beach break, reef break, and point break describe what it breaks over.
- Waves & conditions
- Buoy
- A floating instrument offshore that records wave height and wave period. Some buoys also report wave direction.
- Waves & conditions
- BurnSlang
- To take a wave from a surfer who has priority. "Burning" someone is dropping in on them.
- Lineup & etiquette
C
- Carve
- A smooth, long, arcing turn on the wave face.
- Riding & moves
- Caught inside
- Being stuck between the breaking waves and the shore, unable to paddle out past the break zone.
- Wipeouts & hazards
- Channel
- A deeper section of water alongside the break zone where waves don't break. Used for easy paddling out.
- Waves & conditions
- Choppy
- Rough, textured ocean surface caused by wind. Makes waves harder to read and ride.
- Waves & conditions
- Clean-up set
- An unexpectedly large set of waves that breaks further out than normal, catching surfers off guard.
- Waves & conditions
- Close-out
- A wave that breaks all at once across its entire length, leaving no open face to ride.
- Waves & conditions
- Corduroy
- Lines of swell marching in toward shore one after another, like the ridges in corduroy fabric.
- Waves & conditions
- Crest
- The very top of a wave.
- Waves & conditions
- Cross-shore
- Wind blowing across the beach, parallel to the shore. Neither offshore nor onshore, it can chop up the water and push you down the beach.
- Waves & conditions
- Cross-step
- Walking along the board by crossing one foot over the other.
- Riding & moves
- Cutback
- A turn back toward the breaking part of the wave, where the power is, after riding out along the face.
- Riding & moves
D
- Dawn patrolSlang
- An early-morning surf session at first light, often when fewer surfers are out.
- Lineup & etiquette
- Deck
- The top surface of a surfboard, where you lie and stand.
- Boards & gear
- Ding
- A crack, dent, or hole in a surfboard's shell. Needs repair to prevent water damage.
- Boards & gear
- Double-up
- When two waves merge into one bigger wave.
- Waves & conditions
- Drop
- The first part of a ride: sliding down the wave face after you stand up.
- Riding & moves
- Drop in
- To catch a wave that another surfer already has priority on. The cardinal sin of surfing.
- Lineup & etiquette
- Duck dive
- A technique to push your board underwater to get under an approaching wave. Used with shortboards.
- Riding & moves
- Dumping
- Waves that break abruptly and heavily, usually poor conditions for surfing.
- Waves & conditions
E
- Epoxy
- A way of building boards with epoxy resin, usually over an EPS foam core. Often described as lighter and more buoyant than a traditional polyurethane board, though shapers disagree about how it feels.
- Boards & gear
F
- Face
- The unbroken, rideable wall of the wave in front of the breaking section.
- Waves & conditions
- Fetch
- The distance wind blows over open water in one direction. A longer fetch can build bigger swell.
- Waves & conditions
- Fiberglass
- A board with a hard shell of fiberglass cloth and resin over a foam core.
- Boards & gear
- Fin
- The fin(s) attached to the bottom of a surfboard that provide direction and stability.
- Boards & gear
- FiringSlang
- Surf that is really good: absolutely pumping.
- Lineup & etiquette
- Fish
- A short, stubby board, most often ridden as a twin fin and sometimes as a quad. Popular for small to medium waves.
- Boards & gear
- Flat
- No waves. A day with no swell.
- Waves & conditions
- Floater
- Riding up and across the top of the breaking part of the wave, then coming down with it.
- Riding & moves
- FoamieSlang
- Another word for a soft-top board.
- Boards & gear
- FrothingSlang
- Extremely keen to surf.
- Lineup & etiquette
- Fullsuit / Steamer
- A wetsuit with long arms and long legs.
- Boards & gear
- Funboard / Mini-mal
- A mid-sized board that combines elements of shortboards and longboards. A mini-mal is a shortened Malibu-style board. Easy to paddle and a good step up from a soft-top.
- Boards & gear
G
- Glass-off
- When the wind drops and the water surface turns smooth, often early in the morning or around sunset.
- Waves & conditions
- Glassy
- Smooth, wind-free ocean surface. Ideal surfing conditions.
- Waves & conditions
- GnarlySlang
- Intense, dangerous, or impressive. "That wave was gnarly."
- Lineup & etiquette
- Goofy
- Standing with your right foot forward on the board.
- Riding & moves
- Green wave
- An unbroken wave — as opposed to whitewash. Catching green waves is an intermediate milestone.
- Waves & conditions
- Grom / GrommetSlang
- A young surfer, typically under 16.
- Lineup & etiquette
- Groundswell
- Swell made by distant storms and travelled a long way. Usually long, evenly spaced, well-shaped waves.
- Waves & conditions
- Gun
- A long, narrow surfboard designed for riding big waves.
- Boards & gear
H
- Hang ten
- A longboard move with both feet at the nose and all ten toes hanging over its tip.
- Riding & moves
- HodadSlang
- Someone who hangs around the beach and acts like a surfer but doesn't surf.
- Lineup & etiquette
- Hold-down
- Being forced and held underwater by a wave, sometimes for several seconds or through more than one wave.
- Wipeouts & hazards
- Hollow
- A steep wave that breaks with a tube-like shape.
- Waves & conditions
I
- Impact zone
- The area where waves break with maximum force. Not where you want to sit.
- Waves & conditions
- Inside
- The area between the shoreline and where waves are breaking. Where whitewash runs.
- Waves & conditions
K
- KookSlang
- A beginner or inexperienced surfer who doesn't know the rules. Don't be offended — everyone starts here.
- Lineup & etiquette
L
- Leash
- The urethane cord connecting your ankle to your surfboard.
- Boards & gear
- Leash plug
- The small fitting near the tail where the leash string attaches to the board.
- Boards & gear
- Left
- A wave that breaks to the left from the surfer's perspective (riding toward shore).
- Waves & conditions
- Lineup
- The area in the water where surfers sit and wait for waves, just beyond where they break.
- Lineup & etiquette
- Lip
- The top edge of a breaking wave as it pitches forward.
- Waves & conditions
- Local
- A surfer who lives near, and regularly surfs, a particular break.
- Lineup & etiquette
- Localism
- Territorial behavior by surfers who live near a break toward visitors, ranging from mild to heavy.
- Lineup & etiquette
- Longboard
- A long, stable board that catches waves easily and is built for smooth, classic style such as noseriding.
- Boards & gear
- Lull
- A calm period between sets of waves.
- Waves & conditions
M
- Mid-length
- A versatile board longer than a shortboard and shorter than a longboard. Paddles well and turns smoothly in a wide range of conditions.
- Boards & gear
- Mushy
- A weak, slow wave with very little push.
- Waves & conditions
N
- Nose
- The front tip of a surfboard.
- Boards & gear
- Nose ride
- Riding near the nose of a longboard.
- Riding & moves
O
- Offshore
- Wind blowing from land toward the sea. Creates clean, well-groomed waves. Best conditions.
- Waves & conditions
- Onshore
- Wind blowing from the sea toward land. Creates choppy, messy conditions.
- Waves & conditions
- Outside
- Beyond where the waves are breaking. The area where surfers paddle to wait for sets.
- Waves & conditions
- Over the falls
- Being sucked up and thrown over with the lip of a breaking wave. A dramatic wipeout.
- Wipeouts & hazards
P
- Paddle battle
- A paddling race between surfers.
- Lineup & etiquette
- Paddle out
- Paddling out through the surf to the lineup.
- Riding & moves
- Peak
- The highest point of a wave, where it begins to break.
- Waves & conditions
- Peak hogSlang
- A surfer who sits right at the peak and takes most of the waves.
- Lineup & etiquette
- Pearl
- When the nose of your board digs underwater, usually causing a wipeout. Often caused by weight too far forward.
- Wipeouts & hazards
- Peeling
- A wave that breaks cleanly and progressively along its length, giving a long ride.
- Waves & conditions
- Point break
- A wave that breaks along a rocky point or headland, creating long, peeling rides.
- Waves & conditions
- Pop-up
- The movement of going from lying to standing on a surfboard.
- Riding & moves
- Priority
- The unwritten rule for who gets a wave: the surfer closest to the peak has the right of way. Everyone else waits their turn.
- Lineup & etiquette
- Pump
- Using your body and board to build speed up and down the wave face.
- Riding & moves
Q
- Quad
- A fin setup with four fins and no center fin. Known for speed down the line and a looser feel.
- Boards & gear
- Quiver
- A surfer's collection of boards for different conditions.
- Boards & gear
R
- Rag dollSlang
- Getting tumbled around underwater like a rag doll in a wipeout.
- Wipeouts & hazards
- Rail
- The edge of a surfboard on each side. Rails affect how a board holds and turns on the wave.
- Boards & gear
- Rash guard / Rashie
- A stretchy shirt that protects your skin from the sun and from board rash.
- Boards & gear
- Reef break
- A wave that breaks over coral or rock reef. Can produce perfect waves but is less forgiving than sand.
- Waves & conditions
- Regular
- Standing with your left foot forward on the board.
- Riding & moves
- Right
- A wave that breaks to the right from the surfer's perspective.
- Waves & conditions
- Rip current
- A strong, narrow channel of water flowing away from shore. Dangerous for swimmers; surfers use them to paddle out.
- Wipeouts & hazards
- Rip tide
- A common but incorrect name for a rip current. Rip currents are driven by breaking waves, not by the tide.
- Wipeouts & hazards
- Rocker
- The curve of a surfboard from nose to tail. More rocker suits steeper waves; less rocker is faster in small surf.
- Boards & gear
S
- Sandbar
- A mound of sand under the water that shapes the waves breaking over it.
- Waves & conditions
- Section
- A rideable part of a breaking wave.
- Waves & conditions
- Set
- A group of waves arriving together, typically 3-7 waves with consistent spacing.
- Waves & conditions
- ShakaSlang
- The classic surf hand signal — thumb and pinky extended, middle three fingers folded. Means "hang loose."
- Lineup & etiquette
- Shaper
- A person who designs and shapes surfboards.
- Boards & gear
- Shore break
- Waves that break right at the shoreline. They can be hard to paddle out through.
- Waves & conditions
- Shortboard
- A small, maneuverable surfboard (5'6-6'6 ft) designed for high-performance surfing.
- Boards & gear
- Shoulder
- The unbroken part of a wave beside the peak.
- Waves & conditions
- ShredSlang
- To surf with skill and energy.
- Lineup & etiquette
- SickSlang
- Exceptionally good or exciting. "That was a sick ride."
- Lineup & etiquette
- Single fin
- A fin setup with one fin. A classic longboard setup that gives smooth, flowing turns.
- Boards & gear
- Slab
- A wave that breaks over a shallow reef or rock ledge, often thick and heavy.
- Waves & conditions
- SnakeSlang
- To paddle around another surfer to steal their position for a wave.
- Lineup & etiquette
- Snap
- A sharp, quick turn off the top of the wave.
- Riding & moves
- Soft-top
- A surfboard with a foam deck. Ideal for beginners due to safety and stability.
- Boards & gear
- Speed generation
- The technique of using the wave face to build momentum. See bottom turns and wave reading.
- Riding & moves
- Spit
- When a barrel closes and pushes air and white water out of its mouth. A surfer who rides out of the barrel with it gets "spat out."
- Waves & conditions
- Springsuit / Shorty
- A wetsuit with short arms and short legs, for warm water that still needs a little insulation.
- Boards & gear
- StokedSlang
- Extremely excited or happy. The feeling after a great wave.
- Lineup & etiquette
- Stringer
- A thin strip, usually wood, running down the middle of many boards to add strength.
- Boards & gear
- Surf check
- Looking at the conditions from the beach before deciding whether to paddle out.
- Lineup & etiquette
- Swell
- Energy moving through the ocean that creates waves when it reaches shallow water.
- Waves & conditions
- Swell direction
- The compass direction a swell is travelling from. A northwest swell arrives from the northwest.
- Waves & conditions
- Swell period
- The time in seconds between waves in a swell. Longer periods usually mean more powerful, better-organized waves.
- Waves & conditions
- Switch stance
- Riding with the opposite foot forward from your natural stance. A surfer who is equally good both ways is called switch-foot.
- Riding & moves
T
- Tail
- The back end of a surfboard. Its shape (square, pin, squash, swallow) changes how the board turns and holds.
- Boards & gear
- Take-off
- Catching a wave: paddling into it, popping up, and dropping down the face.
- Riding & moves
- Thruster
- A surfboard with three fins (one center and two side fins). The most versatile fin setup for any condition.
- Boards & gear
- Tide
- The rise and fall of ocean water level. Affects wave quality and break location.
- Waves & conditions
- Traction pad
- A grippy pad on the deck near the tail that helps your back foot stay put.
- Boards & gear
- Trim
- To ride efficiently across the wave face without losing speed or position.
- Riding & moves
- Turtle roll
- Flipping your longboard upside down and holding on underneath to get through a wave. Used when a board is too big to duck dive.
- Riding & moves
- Twin fin
- A fin setup with two fins. Common on fish boards, for speed and a loose feel.
- Boards & gear
V
- Volume
- The amount of buoyancy in a surfboard, measured in liters. Higher volume = easier paddling and wave catching.
- Boards & gear
W
- Wave pool
- A purpose-built pool that makes surfable waves on demand.
- Waves & conditions
- Wax
- A sticky coating rubbed onto the deck for grip. Pick the temperature to match the water.
- Boards & gear
- Wax comb
- A small comb for scraping off old wax.
- Boards & gear
- Wetsuit
- A neoprene suit that traps a thin layer of water against your skin to keep you warm.
- Boards & gear
- Whitewash / Whitewater
- The broken, foamy part of a wave after it breaks. Where beginners learn to surf.
- Waves & conditions
- Wind
- Air movement that affects wave quality. Offshore wind is ideal; onshore wind ruins conditions.
- Waves & conditions
- Wind swell
- Short, choppy waves made by local wind. Usually less organized than groundswell.
- Waves & conditions
- Wipeout
- Falling off your board while riding a wave.
- Wipeouts & hazards
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Frequently asked questions
What does "stoked" mean in surfing?
Stoked means extremely excited, happy, or thrilled. It's the universal surfing word for the feeling you get after riding a great wave. "I'm so stoked" is something you'll hear in every surf parking lot.
What is a kook in surfing?
A kook is a beginner or inexperienced surfer, especially one who doesn't know surf etiquette or overestimates their ability. It's mildly derogatory but every surfer was a kook at some point. Learning the rules and being humble avoids the label.
What does "dropping in" mean?
Dropping in means catching and riding a wave that another surfer already has priority on, cutting across their line. It's the most disrespectful thing you can do in the lineup and can cause dangerous collisions.
What is a barrel in surfing?
A barrel (or tube) is the hollow cylinder of water formed when a wave's lip throws over and creates a tunnel. Riding inside a barrel is considered the ultimate surfing experience.
What does "offshore" mean in surfing?
Offshore refers to wind blowing from the land toward the ocean. Offshore wind holds up wave faces, creating clean, well-shaped conditions. It's the most desirable wind direction for surfing.
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