Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Angling: When the surfer is going with the wave in either direction right or
left, at an angle rather then surfing straight.
Avalanche: Any big wave that is breaking; a name for a surf spot located in
Hawaii.
Backdoor: Taking off behind the peak on a hollow wave; name for the
hollow breaking right at pipeline in Hawaii.
Bail out: Abandoning ones surfboard before getting wiped out by the wave
either paddling out, or while riding the wave.
Back off: When a wave coming in hits deeper water and starts to reform or
disappear.
Backside: Surfing with your back to the wave, a goofy foot going right, or a
regular foot going left.
Bluebirds: Huge waves breaking out side of the normal breaking waves.
Bodyboard: A small soft foam "board” used primarily with swim fins, and
ridden prone.
Caught Inside: Surfers that are inside the breaking waves and can't get to the
outside smooth water because of the white water
Clean up: A wave or a set of waves, which break over or on surfers, clearing
the line- up.
Close out: A wave that breaks all at once. A wave that peels, and then breaks
all at once.
Cutback: Switching directions from surfing away from the curl, back
towards the curl.
Dipping: A short board maneuver used when paddling out to get under and
through on coming waves.
Drop: The water level from crest to trough. (Surfers take the "drop")
Drop in: Catching a wave and going down the face; catching a wave late and
then standing up in front of someone already ridding.
Fade: Dropping in towards the waves curl rather than with or away from the
curl.
Fan: A trail of water sent shooting out momentarily suspended in air; the
result of a high powered or quick turn.
Feathering: When waves are about to cap or break; the very first sight of
white water at the top of a wave, just before it breaks or spills.
Fins: worn on feet to give more power when swimming, or body boarding.
Floater: When the surfer rides over the top of the wave and then comes back
in.
Foam: The material used to shape surfboards out of; the white water of a
breaking wave; the bubbles left over from a breaking wave.
Glassy: Very smooth ocean and wave conditions, also "sheet glass".
Green flash: The green color that sometimes occurs for a moment as the sun
disappears over the ocean during sunsets on clear days.
Hit the lip: When a surfer maneuvers the surfboard up to meet the lip of the
wave as it is coming down, and then comes down with it.
Inside: Surfing in the tube of a wave; being positioned on the shore side of
the breaking waves.
Leash: The urethane cord used to attach a surfboard to a surfer. (see cord).
Left: 1. A wave breaking to the left from the vantage of a surfer riding in.
2. A wave breaking towards the right from the vantage point of the shore.
Line up: Were the surfers are sitting; where the waves are breaking; a
marker on the beach used to position off of.
Long board: Any board 3 feet longer than your height with a wider rounded
nose, (front).
Onshore winds: The direction of the wind when it is blowing form the ocean
towards the land.
Outside: A wave that breaks further out; the position of surfers on the
backside of the swells.
Overhead waves: Higher than a person’s height over the falls: A wipe out
where a surfer goes over with the breaking lip of the wave.
Peak: The highest part of a wave. The position where a wave first breaks.
Pearl: A wipe out where the nose of the surfboard goes under the water.
Peel off: A wave that breaks perfectly access the shore without spilling in
front of itself.
Point break: Waves breaking off and around an outcrop of land; the name of
a movie involving surfing.
Reef break: Waves that break over a bottom other than sand.
Regular foot: A surfer who surfs left foot forward.
Right: A wave breaking to the right from the vantage point of a surfer riding
in, a wave breaking towards the left from the vantage point of the shore.
Rail grab: Holding the surfboard with one hand usually while going
backside in the tube.
Rocker: The bottom curve of a surfboard from the tip of the nose to the tip
of the tail.
Rubber arms: Faking going for a wave, or when surfers’ arms are exhausted.
Roller coaster: Going from the bottom to the top of a wave and then back
down.
Shooting the curl: Angling or trimming with the breaking part of the wave.
Side shore: Winds coming across from right or left rather than in or out.
Sleeper set: Usually the biggest wave of the day that catches surfers off
guard
Spin out: A wipe out where the fin(s) of a surfboard fail to hold in the face
of the wave, causing the board to slide out from under the surfer.
Spit: The spray of water that shoots out of a collapsing tube or hollow wave.
Spray: Water being blowing off the face of a wave, the "plume". The release
of water from a surfboard as it moves along; especially strong after quick
turns.
Straight off: When a surfer angling can't make a wave, the surfer turns the
surfboard straight toward the beach to ride the white water in prone.
Stringer: The wood centerline in surfboards, used to give the board more
strength.
Surf wax: Wax that is used for traction, and applied to the deck of fiberglass
surfboards.
Tube, barrel: A hollow breaking wave, when a surfer rides inside a hollow
breaking wave (“tub”).
Turn turtle: While paddling out, rolling the surfboard over fin(s) up, and
hanging on when confronted with a wave.
Victory at sea: When the waves are very choppy and windblown.
Wipe out: Falling off while surfing; the disastrous effect after falling off
while surfing a wave.
Zone (“be in the zone”): Where the waves are breaking; when rhythm,
timing and flow come together.