Surfer Slang

Source.

A Amped  —   Overdoing it; excited; stoked. Anglin'  —   Turning left and/or right on a wave. Ankle Busters  —   Small waves. Avalanche  —   An outer reef surf spot on Oahu, Hawaii; the white water pouring down the face of a wave. Awesome  —   Great; fantastic (also see "Off the Richter," "Off the Wall," "Outrageous"). B Back Down  —   To decide not to take off on a wave. Baggys/Baggies  —   Oversized, loose fitting boxer-type swim trunks worn for show or comfort by surfers. Bail out  —   To get away from, jump off, or dive off the surfboard just before a potential wipe out. Banzai  —   A gung-ho type of yell given by surfers as they shoot the curl (also see "Cowabunga"). Banzai Pipeline  —   A surf spot on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, between Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach; also called Pipeline (also see "Pipeline"). Barrel  —   The breaking motion of a perfect wave; a hollow channel formed inside a good wave when it breaks and curls over. Beach Bunny  —  A girl who goes to the beach to watch surfing. Beached  —  Totally stuffed from eating. Beaver tail  —  A wet suit that features a snap-on crotch, the shape of which resembles a beaver's tail. Big Gun  —  A 9-foot or longer surfboard especially designed for large waves. Big Surf  —  Extremely large waves (also see "Bombora," "Heavies"). Bitchin  —  (also "Bitchen") Very good; tops; excellent (also see "Boss," "Excellent," "Primo," "Rad"). Blown Out  —  Winds blowing so hard as to chop up the surf and render it unridable. Body Surfing  —  Riding the waves without a surfboard. Bogus  —  False; lame; ridiculous; unbelievable. Bombora  —  An Australian word that refers to a big wave that breaks outside the normal surf line. Bone Yard  —  The area where the waves break. Boogie Board  —  A soft, flexible foam bodyboard invented in the 1970s (unlike a surfboard, a boogie board is ridden lying down). Boss  —  Outstanding; the best (also see "Bitchin," "Excellent," "Primo," "Rad"). Breaker  —  Any wave that breaks on the way to the beach. Breakwater  —  A line of large boulders, cement, and/or steel extending out into the water and designed to reduce shoreline erosion. Bro  —  (also "Bra") Short for "brother" (also see "Dude"). Bummer  —  Too bad; a total drag. Bunny  —  (see "Beach Bunny") C Carve  —  To make a radical turn (also see "Hot-Dogging," "Shred"). Catch a Wave  —   To ride a breaking wave. Climbing  —   To carve an S-shaped path on a wave, making a radical Dropping. Cheater Five  —   Five toes on the nose - keep your weight back on the board to maintain trim and speed, squat down and extend one foot forward Coffin  —   Riding a surfboard while lying stiffly on one's back with arms crossed. Cowabunga  —   (also "Kowabunga") A yell of excitement by a surfer (also see "Banzai"). Crest  —   The top portion of a wave. Cruncher  —   A big, hard-breaking wave that folds over and is almost impossible to ride. Curl  —   The portion of the wave that is spilling over and breaking. Cut Back  —   To turn toward the breaking part of the wave. Cut out  —   To pull out of the wave, like kicking out. D Ding  —   A hole, crack, dent, or scratch on the surface of a surfboard. Doggers  —   Multicolored swimming trunks. Dork  —   Someone behaving inappropriately (also see "Geek," "Kook"). Double Spinner  —   Two consecutive 360-degree body spins on a surfboard. Drop Knee  —   One foot on the bodyboard, with the other hanging off the back. Difficult and fun. Dude  —   A male surfing enthusiast (women are referred to as "dudettes"). Dweeb  —   A geek; someone who acts or looks like a simpleton. E Eat It  —   To fall off of a surfboard (also see "Wipe Out"). El Rollo  —   Lying prone on a surfboard and holding on to the sides while rolling 360-degrees during a ride. Excellent  —   Great; fantastic; exceptional (also see "Bitchin," "Boss," "Primo," "Rad"). F Face  —   The unbroken wall, surface, or nearly vertical front of a wave. Fer Sure  —   The surfer pronunciation of "for sure," meaning absolutely, correct, or definitely. G Geek  —   Someone behaving inappropriately (also see "Kook," "Dork"). Glasshouse  —   (see "Green Room") Glassy  —   A smooth water surface condition caused by absence of local winds. Gnarlatious  —   Anything that's really great or awesome. Gnarly  —   Treacherous; large and dangerous. Also bitchin Goofy-Foot  —   Riding a surfboard with the right foot forward (left foot forward is the more common stance). Green Room  —   The space inside of a tube. Gremlin  —   A young hodad; a beginning surfer (also see "Grommet"). Gremmy/Gremmie  —   (See "Hodad") Grommet  —   A young hodad; a beginning surfer (also see "Gremlin"). Ground Swell  —   Large waves generated by distant storms. Gun  —   A large surfboard designed for very big waves (see "Big Gun"). H Hairy  —   (see "Gnarly") Hang Five/Ten  —   To place five (or ten) toes over the nose of the surfboard (also see "Toes on the Nose"). Head Dip  —   Touching the water with your head while surfing. Headstand  —   Standing on one's head while riding a wave. Heavies  —   Very big waves usually higher than 12 feet. Hit the Surf  —   To go surfing. Honker  —   A really big wave (also see "Heavies," "Bombora"). Hot-Dogging  —   Fancy surfing done by a skilled surfer. Hodad  —   A non-surfer, usually someone who just hangs around the beach. Honeys  —   Female surfers or girlfriends of surfers. Huarache Sandals  —   Leather sandals worn by surfers with a sole made from tire treads.

J Jetty  —   (see "Breakwater") K Kahuna  —   The Hawaiian god of sun, sand, and surf. Kamikaze  —   Riding the board at the nose with arms held straight out to each side. Kick Out  —   To push down on the tail of a surfboard to lift and turn the nose over the top of the wave. Knots  —   Callouses, or calcium deposits, just below the knee and on the tops of the foot caused by kneeling on the surfboard. Kook  —   (also "Kuk") A surfing beginner; someone who gets in the way or into trouble because of ignorance or inexperience (also see "Dork," "Geek"). Kowabunga  —   (see "Cowabunga") Kuk  —   (see "Kook") L Leash  —   A cord attaching the surfer's ankle to the surfboard. Locked In  —   Firmly set in the curling portion of the wave with water holding down the tail of the board. Log  —   Slang for pre-foam board made of wood. Longboard  —   A surfboard eight to ten feet long. M Max Out  —   To be over the limit. Meatball  —   The yellow flag with the black circle indicating "No Surfing". Mondo  —   Something huge; of epic proportions. N Nailed  —   To get badly wiped out. Neptune Cocktail  —   The large bellyful of seawater that one ingested during a particularly gnarly wipeout. Usually happened concurrently with the Sand Facial. Nose  —   The bow or front end of a surfboard. O Off the Richter  —   Used to describe something that's very good, excellent, or "off the scale" (also see "Awesome," "Off the Wall," "Outrageous"). Off the Wall  —   Incredible, excellent (also see "Awesome," "Off the Richter," "Outrageous"). Outrageous  —   Incredible, excellent (also see "Awesome," "Off the Richter," "Off the Wall"). Outside Break  —   The area farthest from shore where the waves are breaking. Over the Falls  —   To wipe out, or to get dragged over as the wave breaks. P Pearl  —   Driving the nose of a surfboard under water to stop or slow down the ride. The term is borrowed from "pearl diving." Pendleton  —   A brightly colored plaid wool or flannel shirt worn by some surfers. Pipeline  —   A surf spot on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, between Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach; also called Banzai Pipeline. Originally named by surfing filmmaker Bruce Brown (also see "Banzai Pipeline"). Point Break  —   A type of surf break where waves wrap around a promontory of land and curl as they break. A classic example of a point break is located at Rincon, California, just south of the Santa Barbara/Ventura County line. Poser  —   A surfer "wanna-be"; someone who only dresses the part. Pounder  —   A hard-breaking wave. Prone  —   Ride with your belly on the board. The most common and easiest way to ride a bodyboard. Prone Out  —   Pulling out of a wave by dropping to your belly causing the nose to go under water and the tail to turn around. Primo  —   The best (also see "Bitchin," "Boss," "Excellent," "Rad"). Pull Out  —   To steer a surfboard over or through the back of a wave to end a ride. Q Quasimoto  —   Riding forward in a hunched-over position; riding a wave on the nose of a surfboard in a crouched position with one arm forward and one arm back, named by surfer Mickey Muöoz. R Rad/Radical  —   Very good; tops; excellent (also see "Bitchin," "Boss," "Primo," "Excellent"). Rails  —   The rounded edges of the surfboard. Re-Entry  —   Attacking the lip, usually going vertically and then turning nose down and re-entering the wave. Ripping  —   Executing drastic and radical moves on the wave. Having it your way with a wave. S Sand Facial  —   The result of wiping out and being dragged along the bottom, face first. Sano  —   Abbreviated form of San Onofre; also means a very clean, nicely contoured wave condition. Selling Buicks  —   The process of reversing the ingestion of the dreaded Neptune Cocktail. After selling Buicks, it was generally assumed that ones day at the beach was pretty much over. Set  —   A group of waves. Shape  —   The configuration, or form, of a wave. Shoot the Curl  —   Riding a surfboard through, or in and out of, the hollow part of the wave formed as it crests over. Shoot the Pier  —   Riding a surfboard in between the pilings of a beachside pier. Shoot the Tube  —   (see "Shoot the curl") Shore Break  —   Waves break very close to the beach. Shred  —   To surf aggressively (also see "Hot-Dogging). Sidewalk Surfing  —   Skateboarding. Skeg  —   The fin at the tail end of a surfboard. Soup  —   The foamy part of the broken wave; the white water. Spin Out  —   The result of a surfboard's skeg and tail end losing contact with the wave face and the surfer wipes out. Spinner  —   A surfer making a complete 360-degree turn in an upright position while the surfboard keeps going straight (also called a "360"). Sponger  —   Somebody that bodyboards. Stick  —   Surfboard. Surfs Up  —   Waves are breaking and surfable. Stoked  —   Happy; excited; contented. Stringer  —   The wood strip running down the center of the board; sometimes used for design. Surf Bunny  —   A surfer's girlfriend; a female surfer (also see "Beach Bunny"). Surfari  —   A surfing trip; a hunt for good surf. Swells  —   Unbroken waves moving in groups of similar height and frequency. T Tail  —   The stern or rear end of a surfboard. Tail Slide  —   Part of a larger maneuver in which the surfer purposely makes his/her fins lose their grip and the board slides. Takeoff  —   The start of a ride. Taking Gas  —   To wipe out. Tandem  —   Two people riding on a surfboard at the same time, usually a man and woman. 360  —   (See "Spinner") Toes on the Nose  —   Riding a surfboard with the toes hanging over the front end (also see "Hang Five/Ten") Tube  —   The hollow portion of a wave formed when the crest spills over and makes a tunnel or hollow space in front of the face of the wave. (The Green Room) Tubed  —   Riding inside the "tube". V Val  —   Person from the San Fernando Valley, as referred to by persons living in the L.A.-area beach cities. W Walking the Board  —   Walking back and forth on the surfboard to maintain control. Walking the Nose  —   Moving forward on the board toward the front or nose. Wax  —   Substance applied to the top, or deck, of surfboards for traction. Wedge, The  —  A famous, but dangerous, body surfing spot located at the tip of the Balboa peninsula in Newport Beach, California. Wet Suit  —   A neoprene rubber suit used by surfers to keep warm. Wipe Out  —   To fall off or be knocked off your board (also see "Eat It"). Woodie  —   A station wagon, made in the '40s and '50s, with wood paneling on the sides.