For Surfers by Surfers
A Surfers Portal to the Web since 2000
A Surfers Portal to the Web since 2000
Saturday May 18 2013
Surf lingo, the unique jargon of surfers, is the unusual vocabulary associated with the world of surfing. This language could also referred to as surfers slang, slang and lingo being very close in definition acccording to my Webster's dictionary and is far from being considered surfing terminology. Here is the list of Surf Lingo I have compiled from memory, conversations, and what visitors have sent in. If you know of anything I missed or if you have a different definition for a term, please let me know. There is a form at the bottom of the page to use for this.
Just updated the page with new stuff 03/06/11. BTW have you checked out the new site? If not, please do and let me know what you think.
Thanks to the input from our visitors this list continues to grow, 740 at the last count. Also some new additions to existing terms, keep then coming. I do screen entries before adding them to our list, the criteria is A: Try and keep it clean for our younger viewers (I have changed the rating to PG), and B: It must be Surf Related. If it is a regional term please include the region it is common to. That's about all it takes to make the list.
Some of the terms are crossover from slang used by today's younger generation of surfers, thereby qualifying it for the list. Also some of the terms will be regional, although not universal Surf Lingo, still qualifies for the list. Some just flat out cracked me up and I put them in. They may not be real now but may become real. Use your own judgement. You may see some off color language, and some content may be offensive. If you are easily offended, you should leave this area. No one said we were all angels!
Da' List
| 360 | A surfing move where the surfer and board spin 360 degrees on the face of the wave. |
| A | |
| ACCELERATE | To achieve max speed from a hard bottom turn so that you can climb the face of the wave in order to set up a meneuver. |
| ACCESSORY MAN | Person who gets every piece of surf gear imaginable - rash guard, booties, helmet, gloves ect. |
| ACE | To be alone or in a solitary state of mind. |
| ACETONE | A cleaning solvent and/or cutting agent used in surfboard manufacturing. Nasty stuff...highly flammable and toxic. |
| ACHE; ACHING | Description for how you feel after being rag dolled, worked by a bomb or after a physically intense session. |
| ACID DROP | When you take off on a wave and suddenly have the bottom fall out as you free fall down the face. |
| ACTION | Something that is either dumb or a mean act. If you pull an action, you do something dumb or just plain mean. Also a term used to modify another term, as in :"check out the action of that rip." |
| AERIAL | When the wave your riding sends your board above it into the air. An advanced maneuver that involves taking off from the lip of the wave, travelling some distance in the air, then (in theory) landing back on the face of the wave and continuing the ride. |
| A FAT SHACK | To get so pitted and spit out and punch threw the back brah. |
| A - FRAME | Large wave that forms with distinct shoulders on either side (left and right) of the peak. Can result in two surfers surfin the same wave . . . one going frontside and the other going backside. |
| AGG | To go crazy. |
| AGGRO | Always aggressive. |
| AHHHHHH YAH | Said only by the man himself John Wyatt visit jacksonville Florida and u`ll hear all about this ahhh yah!! |
| AIR | Anytime a surfer and their board leave the face of the wave to become air borne. |
| AIRDROP | A very late takeoff when the surfer drops through the air to the bottom of the wave. |
| AKAW!! | Something surfers shout when they spot a huge perfect wave, or when they are shocked or surprised. |
| ALIHAM | Totally hot surfer chicks. |
| ALLRIGHT DUDE | Radical wave man....lingo for doped up water head logged surfer. |
| ALL SKATE | When more than one person shares a wave on a slow day. The only rideable bump comes through in the past hour and someone shouts, "All Skate". |
| ALOHA | (uh-LOW-hah)A Hawaiian word used in place of hello and goodbye. |
| ALOHA SPIRIT | 1. The spirit of a true hawaiin surfer. 2. Traditionally from the Hawaiian way of life preaching peace and fellowship to all..currently used by surf weasels to mask their kookdom. |
| AMPED | 1. Stoked - charged up - fired. 2. Excited; stoked; cant wait.(see STOKED) |
| AN EMMA | Term for an ultimate hot surfer chick. |
| ANKLE SNAPPER | Tiny waves...not worth riding. Also known as Ankle Breaker(East Coast). |
| AS IF! | Yeah right! - Whatever. |
| ASP | Association of Surfing Professionals, resposible for organising the annual world professional surfing circuit leading to the crowning of the world champion. |
| ATE IT | Biffed it - Bit the dust- Crashed. |
| AWESOME | Great - Gnarly - Cool. |
| AXED | Hit by the lip of the wave leading to a wipeout. |
| B Top | |
| BABE | A girl who surfs. |
| BABANEES | Sexy |
| BABELINI | Girl. |
| BACKSIDE | Turns or rotations in the direction your toes point towards, so that your back is facing the outside of the waves arc. |
| BACKSIDE AIR | Getting up in the air with your back to the wave. |
| BACKWASH | The rush of water coming off the shore against incoming waves. |
| BACKDOOR | Pulling into a tube from behind the peak. |
| BACKHAND | Surfing with your back to the wave. |
| BAD ASS | Really good. |
| BAIL | To escape immediately- to abandon your board with out regards to its future. |
| BAKE | A closeout wave. |
| BALLER | Someone who cries on the beach when they break their board. |
| BALSA | A light, porous wood used throught the 1940's and 50's as a standard material for surfboard manufacture. Balsa grows only in Ecuador and must be imported to the USA; it became popular when laminating techniques allowed surfboard cores to be sealed from contact with water. By the early 1960's it was replaced with polyurethane foam. |
| BAMBOO | A natural substance that can be used as a replacement for fibreglass in the surfboard manufacturing process; eg., Bamboo Surfboards Oz. |
| BAMMERWEE | When something is just okay, not all that good. |
| BANANA HAMMOCK | Another name for sausage sling, nannobenders and nannohammies. Mostly worn by muscle beach kooks, non-surfers, and is taboo in the surfing world to be worn while surfing. |
| BANGIN | Hot |
| BANGBROEK | South African term for being wigged-out or generally scared over surf conditions. |
| BANK | Sandbank on which waves break. |
| BARBIE | Airheaded female, well endowed,usually blond, prissy. |
| BARNIE | To engage a fight with someone. |
| BARNEY | A person who doesn't know what their doing or a beginner. (see KOOK) |
| BARN-SCHWAG | Another name for a Barney but one that is even a bigger kook |
| BARNWALLER | Another name for a kook or Barney with a poor style - "that guy is barnwalling down the line." |
| BA ROOS | Another term for awesome or sick. "That move was ba roos!" |
| BARREL | When the waves comes over your head and covers you, inside the wave and surfing. The inside of a hollow wave (same as tube). |
| BAZZA | Another term for a barrell or tube. |
| BEACH BREAK | 1. Surf breaking on a sandy beach. 2. A type of wave or a place where the wave breaks over a sandbar close to the beach. |
| BEAT | Messed up, wore out or tired. |
| BEAT DOWN | Term used to describe someone who has been worked or rag dolled by a wave or had their butt kicked on the beach for snaking someone once too often. |
| BEATER | Cheap trans found at beaches usualy passed or sold from surfer to surfer sometimes found at surf shops like on Hawaii |
| BEACH BUM | Someone who basicly lives at the beach. |
| BEACH BUNNY | 1. A chick who watches surfers and pretends they can surf. 2. Hot, tan girl on the beach. |
| BEACHOUSE | House where an endless number of surfboards are found,the backyard is the beach (where the real boarders hang). |
| BEEF | A problem with someone or something. |
| BEEN HAD | When someone breaks into your car while you're surfing and steals you wallet. (see BUMMER) |
| BENNY | 1. Someone who comes to your beach that isnt from around there. 2. Any one not from the Jersey Shore B.E.N.N.Y Bayonne Elizabeth Newark New York. |
| BETTY | A girl that surfs. |
| BIFFED IT | To fall |
| BIG KAHUNA | The best dude on the beach. |
| BIG MAMMA | A big wave or object. |
| BITCHEN | 1. Cool awsome; that wave's bitchen(that wave's awsome). 2. totally sick and awsome |
| BITER | Someone who copies (bites) off everything you do -aka- annoying ass people. |
| BLACK BALL | A sign that says no surfing, wich sucks because that means it's dangarous meaning aaawsome. |
| BLAH-MALAH | Girl who has taken a board to the face and cant talk right. |
| BLANK | Block of foam from which a custom surfboard is made. |
| BLASTED | Wiping out. |
| BLISS | When you're about to get cranked by a big wave but don't really care 'cause you're watching that blonde girl who just caught the wave instead. |
| BLOWN OUT | Term for when good surf becomes choppy resulting from strong winds. |
| BOARD-DORKING | Ventnor, NJ - The act of placing a dollar bill between the boardwalk and pulling it away when a shoobie reaches down to grab it. |
| BODACIOUS | Very awsome. |
| BOGGED | To have your board stuck on an object. |
| BOGLIUS | (BO-GLEE-US) Another term like cool and awsome. |
| BOGUS | Wrong - Lame. |
| BOMB | Larger than normal set wave. |
| BOMBORA | A deep water, offshore reef break. |
| BONER STYLE | A surfer who has a totally stiff style and doesent move around alot. |
| BONSNAGLE | Ugly dude with a yuckbabe walking with him. |
| BONUS! | Said when someone does something awsome in addition to something normal. |
| BOOGER | Same as a sponger or boogie boarder. |
| BOOGIE BOARD | A soft foam board ridden on the belly by those who can't or won't stand up, generally hated by all surfers as they usually get in the road, also known as bodyboard. |
| BOOTYLICIOUS | A chick who has a very large ass. |
| BORD | Bro, Dude, Man - Commonly used in San Juan, La Union in The Philippines. |
| BOSS | Cool, awesome. |
| BOTSFORD | A short fat zaboob |
| BOTTOM | The lowest point of a wave a surfer can ride on. |
| BOTTOM TURN | A turn at the bottom of the wave face. Taking off on a steep drop (wave) at or near the bottom of the wave it's a must situation to make the bottom turn either right or left to establish speed and direction and...yehaww! |
| BOUY | Someone who acts like they surf but really just sits on the board acting like they're waiting for wave. |
| BOWLED | Being completly covered by the lip of the wave with only one way out. |
| BOX | Abreviated term used to refer to a surfboard fin box. |
| BRA | Bro |
| BRAH | Hawaiian talk for brother or friend. |
| BRAINFREEZE | Describes what you feel in the cranium and sinus cavity immediately after the first duck-dive when paddling out in COLD water. |
| BEACH-BREAK | The act of being dumped straight onto the beach by the sloppy shore break that is the natural habitat of the crap surfer. It was once believed that these kinds of waves only existed in cartoons but I discovered the truth after landing on my head in Polzeath circa 1992. |
| BREAKER | The breaker is not so much a physical thing as in a breaking wave, it's more of an existential thing, it's the last wave that you attempt before you are washed ignominiously back to shore with your dignity in tatters. |
| BREW | Beer. "Yo! Buy me a brew, brah." |
| BRO | A buddy or friend. |
| BRODAD | Someone you dont really care for. |
| BRODY | Another name for bro or dude. |
| BROHAH | Dude or guy |
| BROSEF | Another term for "bro" .. or "brah" in hawaiian slang. |
| BROSIAH | Your hero |
| BROSKIE | Bro or broham, a friend. (see BRAH) |
| BRU | South African variation of bro. |
| BRUDDA | Good Friend, bro. |
| BRUTAL | Hardcore conditions, possibility of being worked. |
| BUBBA | Cool dog, nice dog,buddy dog. |
| BUMMER | Huge let down. Upset about something. |
| BUMP | 1. A small swell. 2. When a light wind adds very small waves to the water surface, but the waves are still good. |
| BUM RAP | Something unreasonable that is uncalled for ex: students talk queitly, and teacher writes them up. thats a bum rap. |
| BUMPS | Wax build-up on the boards deck. |
| BUM TRUCKER | Someone who lands on their bum after a gnarly wipeout. |
| BUNNY | Hot Girl. |
| BURNOUT | One of your bitchy friends who complains too much when you all go surfing. |
| BUST | When you bra totally wipes out |
| BUSTED | Caught red handed. |
| BUTT FLOSS | A small G-string Bathing Suit that cute chicks wear to the beach. It looks as if they are wearing nothing at all. |
| BUTT CRUMB | A looser, a wanabe surfer. People who buy surf gear, fake bake (use tanning beads) basically people who wishing they were locals. |
| C Top | |
| CABLE | 1. To fart. 2. To hang a poo. |
| CACTUS | To hit the reef pretty hard, eating sand or a type of injury that leaves you unworthy to surf that entire day. |
| CANVAS COMMANDO | Person surfing with a canvas raft. |
| CALI | I never used this...but guys from Fla. did ...it was a dead give-a-way they were not from San Diego. Cali for California...always wondered how they came up with that. Karl Eberhardt San Diego. |
| CARVE | Symmetrical, fluid turns. |
| CARVING | Powerful high energy surfing. A move in which a surfer moves up and down the face of a wave. Also known as Rippin. |
| CAUGHT IN A FISH NET | When a surfer is just havin a bad day and can't seem to stay on the surf. |
| CAUGHT INSIDE | When a surfer gets caught on the shore side of a breaking wave making it difficult to get out, results in getting tossed around and lots of paddling. |
| CAVE | Barrel, tube etc |
| CAVEFISH | Pale surfer. |
| CHAAA | Another way of saying ahh.. an expression. |
| CHANNEL | 1. Deep water gap between sandbanks or reefs,normally where you paddle out to catch a wave. 2. A design feature on underside of a surfboard. |
| CHARGING | Aggresively riding a huge wave with confidence. |
| CHEATER FIVE | Five toes on the nose - shifting your weight to the back of the board in order to keep trim and speed, squatting down and extending one foot forward. |
| CHECK IT | 1. When you want someones attention or another word for hey. 2. A way of gettin someones attention. or if you say "Check it, dude" it is like sayin hey. 3. A way to tell someone to come over there and look because you want to show them something that is totally radical. For example: "Dude, check it, that senior just totally dogged!" (also a way to say hey). |
| CHERRY | Used to describe something real nice. |
| CHEWBACCA | A black surfer dude. |
| CHIKI-TI-TAS | Term used in the 60's, surfer girl. |
| CHILL | To calm down when not getting good waves. |
| CHILLAX | To totally lax out. |
| CHINESE WAX JOB | When you get wax on the bottom of your surfboard. Usually occurs from a board being packed or stacked against another waxed board. Makes the board slower and less responsive. |
| CHOCKA | Cool, Awsome, Gnarly, Bitchen. |
| CHODE BURN | When lower region gets rash from chafing. Usually caused by board or clothing |
| CHONNER | Somebody who totally fakes being a surfer and almost can pull it off, but they never go in the water and probably never will.(See Waxboy) |
| CHOPPY | When the wind is pushing the water to be choppy and not smooth. Sometimes can be annoying when trying to look out for a good set. Also see BUMP. |
| CHOW | Bye bye bye dudes |
| CHRUBEE | A wannabe surfer. Someone who wears the surf but doesn't do the surf. |
| CHUBBIE | Big fat roller, not much of a break. |
| CHUBBY CHECKER | Particular breed of poser (usually male, heavyset and middle aged) that spends an excellent surf day checking all the best spots, chatting about conditions, but never paddles out. Usually loiters in the parking lot before declaring the surf is not perfect enough and moves. Roof holds a longboard that looks like it has never been used. |
| CHURLEY | A mixture of sand and small stones wiping around in the water. It stings when they whip you in the face. |
| CHYEAH | Yes. |
| CIARA | Very pretty girl. Most popular. |
| CLEAN | 1. Glassy, peeling waves and/or good surf conditions. 2. Wave conditions in which the wind is affecting the ocean surface only slightly or not at all. Also see GLASSY. |
| CLEAN UP | 1. A larger unexpected wave that breaks outside of the normal line of the break. 2. A large set that catches everybody 'inside'. |
| CLICKITY SCHNAR SNAR | A crab that pinches your foot and says "schnar snar!" and then clicks its claws atcha. |
| CLIDRO | Description of process by where a surfer is turning up and down the face of a wave as he/she surfs down the line. Also used to describe the technique for gaining speed as a surfer traverses the wave face. |
| CLOSE-OUT | A wave that breaks along it's entire length simultaneously, often unreadable and no good for surfing. Usually causes a WIPEOUT. |
| CLOUD NINE | Hovering on top of the lip. |
| CLUTCH | See Crucial; "That wave was clutch" Also used to mean cool and/or desired, "Her board is clutch". |
| COCK SHOCK | Another term for peeing in your wetsuit. |
| COMING DOWN | What you shout when you are the first one up on the wave and it is yours just while you're dropping (See right and left). |
| CONCAVE | Bottom design on a surfboard aimed to give extra lift. |
| COOHA | A gnarly girl sufer. |
| COOKING | When the surf is really good |
| COOLAPHONIC | The coolest of the cool. |
| COOLEOLEOL | Cool; Awsome; Rad |
| COWABUNGA | A state of happiness. |
| CRACKIN' | Powerful, clean, perfect surf conditions. |
| CRANKED | To get beat up by a wave or to get stuck on the inside. |
| CRASHED MY DOOOBIE BOARD | To bog or crash ur surfboard/skimboard in an object (seaweed)etc. |
| CREW | Group of area surfers. |
| CRIPPLER CHICK | Pretty girl. |
| CRON | Very good or nice. |
| CROSS STEPPING | To walk the length of a board while maintaining balance, usually a lonboard manuver. |
| CRUCIAL | Important "that wave was crucial" like im glad i got tht wave. |
| CRUSIE IT | Come join the fun and kick it. |
| CRITICAL SECTION | The hardest and most challenging part of the wave to surf. |
| CRUISIN | To like chill and stuff and go out (newport, oregon) |
| CRUMBEATER | A barney wave scavenger, hangs out near the jetty, always in the way. |
| CRUNCHER | Hard breaking wave that folds over, almost impossible to ride. |
| CRUSHER | Someone who surfs hard. |
| CUCCINI | Totally rediculous. |
| CURL | The top part of a breaking wave where it begins to roll over, taking it's name from the shape. |
| CUTBACK | A turn on the face of the wave that takes you back towards white water. |
| CUT SICK | A cross between cutback and sick but with more generalised meaning as in "man she just cut totally sick today... she was goin off" or "yeah no I had a mad one last night... cut sick mate!" (Aussie) |
| CUZ | Same as brah, was up Cuz. |
| D Top | |
| DA BOMB | The greatest. |
| DAHH | Mostly meaning Duh or something on the lines of Yeah. |
| DA KINE | A Hawaiian term used to describe something as the best. |
| DANK | Sweet |
| DANKSTER | Someone usually between the ages of 13-20 who spends majority of their time hanging out at surf shops. |
| DALLY | A cool girl. |
| DA MAMIE | The best. |
| DAWG | Another name for a guy. |
| DAWN PATROL | To surf at dawn. |
| DEAD | No waves no surf |
| DECK | Upper surface of surfboard. |
| DELAMINATION | When the fibreglass skin of a board becomes seperated from the foam. |
| DICK DRAGGER | A boogey boader. |
| DIDDY MOW | Totaly harsh whip out ie eating sand, loosing teeth breaking arm or leg ect... |
| DING | A dent or hole in the surfboard exposing the foam. Easily repaired, there are quick patch kits that can used to make repairs on the beach. |
| DISMOUNT | A radical fall. To totally fall off of board usually the result of a snapped ankle strap. |
| DIVA | Over forty year old surfing woman. |
| DODE | Similar to dude but its really a derogetory name for someone who is weak/a poser. The person you say it to will think you are calling them your brother, but you really think they suck. |
| DOE | Awesome, cool chick, knarly as hell |
| DOGGED | Bailed badly and nearly drown! |
| DOKE | Unbelievable, crazy. |
| DOLE SURFER | Like the better known "Soul surfer" but with a more extensive knowledge of daytime TV. |
| DONK | Somebody who is a stupid dude or dudette. |
| DONKEY | A hawaiian insult, like jerk.. or idiot. |
| DOOGIE MEAT | Pronounced "doe (as is female deer)-gee" Defined as what you will be used for should you wipe out on the jagged rocks/coral below! |
| DOPE | Cool, The shit; "That's dope dude!" |
| DORK | Twerp |
| DOWN THE LINE | AKA On the Line. When riding a wave along the length ahead of the breaking part of a wave. |
| DROP | Dropping from the crest of the wave to the pit, to take off on a breaking wave and ride down the face to the bottom. |
| DROP IN or DROPPING IN | Catching a wave that is already occupied ... taking off on the shoulder while someone is taking off deeper. When one surfer takes off on a wave already being ridden by another surfer nearer the peak, it is considered very bad style (a kook move) and often ends in bloodshed. |
| DUCKNWEAVE | On the bourbons. |
| DUCK DIVE | Method of getting through a breaking or broken wave by pushing the board underwater and following surfacing on the backside of the wave. |
| DUCKETS | Money. |
| DUDE | Another name for a friend, can be one of your boys, or just anyone you are talking to. Totally cool person!! |
| DUDER | A guy that is a friend. |
| DUDETTE | A girl that is a friend. |
| DUMPING | Onshore wave white wash..wave not holding its form..not good surf!! |
| DUNDEE | A girl surfer that just hit a gnarly wave |
| DUNE BOARDING | Riding the dunes like a wave, can be done on a boogie board or skateboard without wheels, but is illegal in some places because it erodes the dunes.(Is best when the ocean is flat) |
| DUNZO | Totally rad, awesome, best thing ever. |
| DURFER | A dumb surfer (Kauai Originated) |
| E Top | |
| EPIC | The conditions are near perfect... |
| ESKIMO LIDDER | An offensive term for bodyboarders. |
| ESKIMO ROLL | Another method of getting through a breaking or broken wave. |
| F Top | |
| FACE | The unbroken surface of the wave (also known as green water, for obvious reasons), a very rideable area. |
| FADE | To carve in the opposite direction of a take off point regardless of the waveshape. |
| FAKEY | A bottom turn or carve back toward the whitewater/curl. "He went fakey." |
| FALLS | When the top of the wave pitches out and hurls a waterfall shoreward. |
| FAMBO | To really like a guy or a girl, in total fambo. |
| FANG | To travel across the wave with great speed. eg mick faning |
| FAR OUT | Something said alot in the 70's for no aparent reason. |
| FAT WAVE | An enormous and sweet ride that comes along maybe once a day. |
| FESTY | Totally wicked, sick, grousome. |
| FETCH | Something new or "hip" like a new type of longboard. |
| FIBRO | Surboard. |
| FIERCE | Fiercly riding a wave hardcore with no fear. |
| FIG | Young surfer (boy or girl used in the late 60's to early 80's). Regional from Ormond Beach to Sebastian Inlet in Florida. |
| FIN | A surfers warning. |
| FISH SURFBOARD | The fish is a later board that was made back in the earlier days to catch waves for mushier days and to still have fun. |
| FLAIL | Loss of all control - Freaking out. |
| FLOATER | 1. A maneuver that involves launching the board off the lip of the wave onto a section of broken or breaking wave in front, unweighting, and free falling dwon the face with the breaking white water. Where you are on your board waiting for a wave. 2. A person (normally a tourist!) who swims or body surfs in the water and gets in your way while surfing. Also see SPEEDBUMP. |
| FLOUNDER | Someone who is splashing around in the lineup and not catching waves |
| FLUSHOPOLIS | When the waves are to close together, and all closeouts...(Verylarge but chopy) |
| FLY-A | When you go flyin over the wave and land on your head. |
| FOAMER | People riding the foam ball of the wave. Ok for kids, first timers, and old people. Not cool to do if your girl friend is on the beach watching. |
| FOAMIES | 1.Foam of the wave. 2. People riding on foamboards. |
| FOOBAR | Bullshit or not cool |
| FOREHAND | Surfing with your face to the wave. |
| FO' SHO | Naturaly! |
| FREAKDUDETTE | A freaky/weird girl! |
| FREAKSHOW | To many people at the beach. |
| FROGS ON TOAST | Amphibious hybrids of primitive man on foam that haven't evolved to bipedal regular or goofy stances. AKA sponger, booger or speedbump. |
| FRONTSIDE | Turns in the direction your heels point towards, so that your front is facing towards the outside of the waves arc. |
| FROTHING | Excited, stoked, anxious. |
| FRUBE | A surfer who dosnt catch one wave in a whole session. |
| FUBAR | Acronym... "*&^% up beyond all recognition" |
| G Top | |
| GAPER | Someone who watches surfers in awe, but doesnt have the balls to get out there and learn. simular to a Kook, but has never been in the water. |
| GARSHED | Tired after a day of surfing. |
| GARYISM | Ironic wit. |
| GET BENT | To tell off a kook or a stuck up tourist who believes he owns the beach. |
| GETTIN' COVERED | In the Tube or Barrel. See Tube or Barrel. |
| GETTING TUBED | When the waves comes over your head and covers you, inside the wave and surfing. |
| GETTING WET | 1. To paddle out 2. Expression used to state you're going surfing ex. " dude you wanna get wet? " |
| GETTING WORKED | The action a wave plays on you. |
| GFAD | A girl that looks hott from a distance, but once seen up close is really a swamp donkey. |
| GIDGET | Surf Chick who can hang with the crew. |
| GLADIATOR | Male who has more than one strap on his sandles |
| GLASSY | Smooth seas resulting from calm wind conditions giving the surface a sheen - provides excellent surf when combined with a swell. |
| GNARLY | (Also spelled 'KNARLEY') 1. Heavy, intense. Heavy, difficult waves, usually quite big. 2. Rough Going. Danger Ahead. "That knarley wave fully biffed my board on the rocks." I was the creator of the word gnarly. I was taking metal shop in junior highschool at freemont junior high in anaheim about 1975. There is a tool for turning a on the lathe called a gnarl tool, it makes a bumpy surface for grips on handles. I realy liked the pattern it made. I was also surfing with my friends alot from huntington to san diego with my friends. I started calling choppy waves gnarly, then all my friends started saying " that was gnarly" then the word mutated,,, anyway thats where gnarly comes from. roger callen 3. Stuff that proper surfers can do that you can't. |
| GNARLY CHARLIE BROWN | Some kid with blonde hair who talks to himself. |
| GOAT BOATER | A Kayaker riding the surf and getting in the way. |
| GO DEEP | A replacement for the term hang loose. |
| GONEIF | The wave is gone if you dont get your on ass on it. |
| GOIN' DEEP | Going far on the wave. |
| GOING OFF | A break under optimum conditions. Waves really high; a lot of them. |
| GOOFY FOOT | AKA GOOFY A surfer who rides with his or her right foot forward on the board. |
| GNAR GNAR | Way sick or awsome. |
| GRAND | Awesome. Rad. Saweet. |
| GRAZE ZA | To eat pizza. |
| GREEN ROOM | Inside a full cover-up tube. |
| GREMMY | From gremlin, young hanger-on who are troublesome to surfers. |
| GREY | Older surfer. |
| GRINDAGE | To "get some grindage" to get some food. |
| GRIPTION | Having fresh wax on the board. |
| GROM or GROMMET | A name used for younger surfers. |
| GROUND SWELL | A clean swell with evenly-spaced lines, usually from a distant storm. |
| GRUNDLE | A totally ugly dude that thinks he's really hot. |
| GUN | A large surfboard. A big wave board - long and narrow in shape. |
| GUNSMOKE | Take off really quickly on the board |
| GUSTER | Totally ripped. eg. "that was totally guster bro." |
| H Top | |
| HACKED | Cut off by another surfer. |
| HACK SHACK | Hospital. |
| HADJAMA BRAH | When the water is cold on your ass!!! brah!!! |
| HAMMERED | When a big wave breaks right on top of you...you get hammered. |
| HANG FIVE or HANGING FIVE | To ride with five toes curled over the nose of the board, more common on longboards. |
| HANG LOOSE | Being in a relaxed metabolic and clear minded state. Inverse Application of Up Tight, Circa 60s. |
| HANG TEN or HANGING TEN | 1. To ride with ten toes over the nose of the board, a very stylish an very difficult longboard move. 2. Hanging ten feet from the shore because the waves are really scary. |
| HAOLE | (howlie)1. A Hawaiian term meaning white person or non-Hawaiian. 2. Openly used as "White person" but in hawaiian terms breaks down to "The Person of stinky breath", this coming from when the settlers came to the hawaiian islands and spoke with the hawaiians , and thats what they first called them. |
| HAPPY DAYS | Just ridden a slick wave. |
| HARPOONING | Copping wood while surfing. |
| HATER | Someone who does not understand that to be a surfer you must be a surfer. Surfing is a way of the spirit and life. surfers are those who are one with Kai and ther bourd. haters are the ones who are not but pretend to be and get angry when real surfers wont accept them. Surfers arnt makeing fun of these posers cuase we hate them we make fun to force them to stop being posers learn how how to surf force themselves to become one with Kai and their Bourd and become REAL surfers, till then they are nothing but smogbreather posers. |
| HATERS | All I see are definitions against other people who don't know how to surf and are trying to learn or don't surf - waves are not only for surfers! Why are surfers such haters? I thought it was all about zen and love and relaxing? What is this definition all about: "a soft foam board ridden on the belly by those who can't or won't stand up, generally hated by all surfers as they usually get in the road." So now I can't boogy board cause I might be hated by some dude that can hop on a big flat thing - get over yourselves! People who diss others because they are jealous of them. surfers are sometimes haters on all non-surfers. |
| HAYDN | The best surfer ever in South Australia. "oi man you surfed like Haydn today". |
| HEAD DIP | Catching the lip with your head as it pitches over. |
| HEAVING | A thick, heavy lip throwing out also large surf conditions. |
| HEAVY | Big waves, usually intense and difficult to ride. "Those waves are getting heavy brah" |
| HELLA | 1. SoCal term for awesome; totally sweet. 2. This is said up north in california...otherly known as Nor-Cal......it means "really" Like thats really gnarly...they say..."Thats hella cool" Hella, is a term that originated in NorCal. Duh! |
| HELL MUNCHED | To be totally smashed by the wave during a wipe out |
| HELLO | Definately not a SoCal term, only NorCal. |
| HERO | One who thinks they are greater than they are. |
| HIDDIE | Derivative of hideous, used to describe a particularly intense situation, maneuver or wave. |
| HIDO | Some who trys to surf but still can't. |
| HIGHWAY SURFER | Someone that is bad at surfing or a fake surfer. |
| HILLBELLY | Surfer who wipes out on his stomach |
| HODAD or HODADDY | A beginner or non surfer. A kook, a weasel, a person trying to be a surfer just to pick up chicks. Also known as the "greasers." The hodadies were car guys who hung out with the scene but weren't surfers. It is believed to have originated in Hawaii. |
| HOGGER | Someone who takes all the waves. |
| HOLLOW | A cylindrical wave, common with powerful swells and offshore winds. (see TUBE or BARREL) |
| HOTDOGGER | One who rips. A great and showy performer on a surfboard. |
| HOT DOG BUDGET | To safari at the lowest possible cost. |
| HOWZIT | Another way of saying hello, How's it going? |
| HUCKER | Someone who does awkward unstylish airs |
| HUGANGUS | Very very big |
| HYPE OUT | A surfer that eats it due to overenthusiasm. |
| HYPER FIERCE GNAR GNAR | Upbeat, totally awesome, hella rad. |
| I Top | |
| ICED | To execute a wave perfectly. |
| IMPACT ZONE | The point at which the swell is breaking most heavily and frequently. |
| INDICATOR | An offshore deep-water reef or bank. Only a big swell or big set will break on this, so it acts as a good indicator of something big approaching. |
| INFUSIONS | When 2 surfers collide. |
| INSIDE | Shoreward of a breaking wave or set (as in 'caught inside'), or an expression for life in the tube. the inside rail is the one nearest the wave face. |
| INVERTED AERIALS | Airborne and upside down. |
| J Top | |
| JACKED | Having your car trashed or getting jumped by locals in the parking lot. |
| JANITOR | A stand-up paddle boarder who doesn't know how to catch a wave and just wants people to see his six pack abs. |
| JAZZ THE GLASS | Jazz the Glass - means to ride the waves. This is a vintage term from our days in the 60's. |
| JED | Something very smelly and disgusting. |
| JOHN | A name used for calling everyone.."Johns, whats up?" |
| JONESIN | If u really want something or u are ready for something..ex. if u are thirsty...I am jonesin for a drink. |
| JONESING | Paddling for waves with the urgency of a crack fiend |
| JONES SESSION | When you surf crappy waves just because your're jonesing for a sesh. |
| JUICY | A good wave. Wave are said to be "juicy" if they have power, speed and clean faces. "The waves are really juicy today." |
| JUDITH | A newbie surfer chick whos only there to get the boys. |
| K Top | |
| KA-BIFF | Somewhat like "as if" or "you wish". "Ka-Biff" would be used in a situation when someone says something but just was proved wrong. S1:"I could SO carve that smackable." *wipe out* S2:"Ka-Biff!!!" |
| KA-CHING! | Getting shown the money. |
| KAHUNA | (ka-hoo-na) Hawaiian tern for a man that surfs usually with a degree of skill. |
| KAI | Ocean (hawaiian) |
| KAMIKAZE | A cool, totally awesome, rad, huge ex. "That was a kamikaze wave!" |
| KART | A pro, leader, or legend. |
| KEG | The barrel/tube. |
| KHAKI | Faux beach bunny that claims her tan is from being outside all the time. |
| KICK-OUT | To make a controlled exit from a wave by riding up the face and over the top. |
| KIFF | What? |
| KILLABRENDA | To have a misunderstanding. |
| KILLER | "That was a killer wave"; difficult, challenging, intense. |
| KNARLEY | See GNARLY. |
| KNAT BOX | Where you slam you nads onto the water. |
| KOMIZZIE SURFER | A surfer who heads straight for the other surfers paddling outside. |
| KOOK | 1. Dork. 2. Someone who says they surf but they can't.(see WAXBOY) 3. Also used to describe a new or inexperienced surfer. (see BENNEY and WAX BOY) |
| KOOKDOM | The philosophy of the surf weasel that just because they exist, they deserve the right to paddle out into the lineup. |
| KOOKMIESTER-FLEX | African american kook |
| L Top | |
| LACERATE | Demolish or tear up a wave. |
| LAKE | No Waves, Like it has been at Ditch Plains, out here we call it "Lake Atlantic". |
| LALA | Totally awesome, mad, cool, sweet, rad. |
| LAMO | Lame. |
| LAND LORD | Great White shark. |
| LAME | Weak. |
| LATER! | See ya - Adios - Hasta La Vista Baby. |
| LAUNCHED | To be thrown in the air, usually from a wipeout. |
| LEASH | Urethane cord which attaches the board to the surfer by means of a velcro strap. |
| LEFT! | What you shout when you catch a wave and intend to go to the left, leaving the right for someone else to catch. |
| LEFT-HANDER | A wave the breaks from the left to right as viewed from the shore. |
| LEGEND | Surfers over 50, men and women. Amazing, should be remembered. |
| LID OR LIDIOT | Bodyboarder |
| LINES | A set of waves outside and approaching easily spotted from the line up. |
| LINE UP | Just beyond the impact zone where you wait to catch waves. The area of surfers already in the water, or the area of the surf beach that is known best by the local community. Usually this is the most dangerous area to surf. |
| LINED-UP | Term to describe an even, well developed swell or set. |
| LIP | The top edge or crest of the wave ahead of the breaking area, which may 'throw out' to create a tube. |
| LOC | To be crazy or wierd, used in the west coast. |
| LOCALS | A group of surfers that grew up or have lived there long enough to be considered one (can be territorial about their breaks). |
| LOSER-HER | Someone who is double loserish. |
| LULL | 1. Time spent waiting for a rideable wave. 2. Time between sets, when the waves are much smaller as in "Wait for a Lull before you paddle out". |
| M Top | |
| MAD | Same thing as sick, cool, rad. |
| MAHALO | Thank You. |
| MAHINA | Surfer girl/woman who just likes to hang on the low flat waves of waikiki or so cal. |
| MAJA | A tight sufer mom. |
| MAJOR | Really big, huge. |
| MALIBU BOARD | Another term for a long board, usually between 8ft 6in/2.60m and 10ft 6in/3.20m in length. named after the beach in Southern California. |
| MANDO | Awesome, totaly cool. |
| MANKFACE | Someone with very bad acne. |
| MARIANNE | A surfer chic who can't surf and just falls off her board all the time and flaps about in the water and everyone laughs. (regional to Wirral). |
| MARLEY | Contented, laid back surfer, after a long, really good surf session. Usually accompanied by sunburned glazed over eyes that look stoned. Probably derived from Bob Marley. West Oz. |
| MASS | A lot, short for massive, too much |
| MASSIVE | 1 big wave. |
| MATEO | A mad righteous surfer dude. |
| MAUING | Too scarf a lot of food after surfing to replenish yourself. |
| MAVERICKS | Great beach off the coast of cali, death location of Mark Foo, amazingly huge waves. |
| MAYTAGGED | Whiping out and getting worked by the white wash - as in maytag washer. |
| MAXED-OUT | A break is said to be 'maxed-out' when the swell is so big it will no longer break cleanly, but will close out or 'section'. |
| MEGA-RIPPER | Great surfer. |
| MENEHUNES | Teen age surfers, boys and girls. |
| MEN IN GREY SUITS | Sharks. |
| MINT | Very Good indeed. |
| MOOSE | A fat boy/girl that tries to surf. |
| MOOSETTE | A fat girl who cannot surf! |
| MOST EXCELLENT! | A variation of 'awsome!' |
| MUCK FRUCKAGE | The like garbage floating all in the water on east coast beaches during summer. |
| MURFF | Used to describe a husky guy. |
| MURK'D | When someone totally kills you at something. |
| MUSHY | Slow and poorly formed waves having little power and barely or not rideable. |
| MUSSY | 'Keen as mustard' to get out in the surf!! |
| MUSCLE BEATER | Revved up re-built old car to trans tribe and boards to break. |
| MUSHBURGER | Waves that have no juice; it has no power behind the break and is very slow riding. |
| N Top | |
| NACHO | A surfer says this when they mess up |
| NAH BRAH | A way of saying no in a more polite manner. |
| NAKED | Good e.g (those waves were naked). |
| NAKED DEER | A shoobie who wears a speedo while attempting to surf on the most unrightious waves. |
| NARDUDE | Hot guy with sculpted abs. |
| NAR NAR | Northern California term derived from gnarly, meaning super awesome; super rad |
| NATURAL OR NATURAL FOOT | A surfer who surf with his left foot forward, which is the natural stance. |
| NECTER | Totally sweet; awesome waves, really good. |
| NICORICO | A girl who gets a surfboard and says there gonna surf but they never do and pretend there all 'surfer girl' also like poser. |
| NITCHEN | Opposite of bitchen. totally lame. |
| NOAHS | Sharks. Adapted from Cockney rhyming slang: Noah's ark = shark. |
| NOICE | Another word for nice, totally, rad. |
| NOLLIE | Awesome and coolll!! ex: thats nollie brah. |
| NOODLED | Exhausted. |
| NOSE | The front of the board. |
| NOSE DIVE | When the weight of the board is too far forward and the nose starts to go under into the water (see PEARL). |
| NOSE-RIDING | Technique used by longboarders who attempt to ride as close as possible to the nose of the board. |
| NOTORIOUS | Thats crazy, thats awesome, thats BIG. |
| NUBE-DUDE | Freak/uncool. |
| NUGG | A small wave or a hot girl. |
| NUGGET | A huge or buff person. |
| NUTTER | (short for nutcase) Term for disliked people, people acting strangely, also used for a respected surfer who attempts something extreme on a large wave. West Oz |
| O Top | |
| OFF THE LIP or LIP BASH | To ride the wave up to the lip and quickly turn back in to the wave. A maneuver whereby the board hits the breaking lip of the wave before continuing along the wave. |
| OFFSHORE | When the wind is blowing from the land out to sea and holding up the face of the wave , will usually produce ideal surfing conditions, especially when the wind is reasonably light. |
| OFF THE LIP | A manuver to abruptly turn the surfboard on thelipt of the wave and dropping down on to the wave face. |
| ONSHORE | When the wind is blowing from the sea onto the land, this messes up the face of the wave and produces poor surfing conditions. |
| ORBITSVILLE | To launch off the lip to land on the back of the wave. Replaced with Aerial. |
| OUTSIDE or OUT THE BACK | 1. The area beyond the impact zone. the outside rail is the edge furthest from the face of the wave. 2. When shouted "Outside"! means there is a BIG set coming. |
| OUT THERE | Crazy, whoaa. (see NUTTER) |
| OVER IT | Anything that you don't like/want or don't want to do. Ex. "I'm over this weather." |
| OVER THE FALLS | To fall down the face of the wave inside the falling lip. Getting pitched head-first and slammed by the lip of a crashing wave. See PITCHPOLE |
| OWNED | That wave owned you dude! See wipeout |
| P Top | |
| PADDLEPUSS | Someone who stays in the shallows riding the white water. |
| PANCAKE STYLE | When there is absolutley no waves just sitting water. |
| PARTY WAVE | When more than one person takes a wave. |
| PASTING | When you fall from the lip of a large wave (to get a pasting). |
| PEACHY | When something goes exactly the way you want it to go! |
| PEAK | The point at which a wave breaks first, from which it ideally peels in one or both directions. |
| PEAL | A rubbish surfer. "He's such a peal!" |
| PEALER | A bald surfer who thinks he is good " stupid peal " |
| PEARL | This is when the nose of the board buries itself under water and the surfer usually goes flying over the front, most common on take-offs. |
| PEARL DIVING | We used to say this around 1975...same meaning as "Pearl"...but I think it may have been the original phrase then it was shortened to "pearl". Karl Eberhardt San Diego. |
| PEEL | A wave is said to peel when it breaks away evenly and cleanly from the peak. |
| PERF | Perfect, excellent, awesome, correct. Ex: "Dude, that wave was perf!" |
| PILLAR | To come off the lip to take out an other sufer or remove him from his board. First performed off Redondo in the summer of 1970. |
| PIMPIN | When somthing is totally cool. "Pimpin wave". |
| PIPELINE | Famous surf location in Hawaii that has huge powerful and hollow waves. |
| PIRATES | Surfers that hate Vals and represent locals only. |
| PIT | A breaking waves hollowest part, the bottom point in front of the peak of a wave. |
| PITCHPOLE | When your nose goes under, you go over the nose, the board flips behind you, the wave closes on you and you become a sandwich. Can be a dangerous situation.. |
| The steepest and most powerful part of the wave, just ahead and under the breaking lip. | |
| POINT BREAK | A break where the waves are refracted around a headland or point and then peel along the inside of the point. |
| POO MAN | To stand extremely wide-legged with your arse sticking out.(Any guesses where this one came from? SD) |
| POP-OUT | A machine moulded surfboard, ideal for beginners. |
| POP-UP | Quick jump up on to your board in a standing or crouched position. |
| POSER | Wannabe. Someone who tries to hard to be what they're not. |
| POUNDED | Getting hit hard by some gnarly sets. |
| POWNED | Showed up or out ridden. Normally used as "You Just Got Powned!" |
| POW POW | Term for good snow surfers use if in a snowboarding scenario. Desribes fresh deep powder snow and they're stoked about it. sometimes stated as just "pow", "pow-pow-nar-nar", "freshy-freshy" etc. |
| PRO-BRO | A guy who sucks up to the cool guys, in hopes of being seen as one of them. |
| PRONE-OUT | Dropping from your feet to your belly to ride the board into the beach. |
| PSYCHE | Just kidding, dude. |
| PSYCHED | Thrilled by surfing the wave. Excited-stoked,amped. See STOKED. |
| PULA KAHULA | Hot mama, as in "hey there pula kahula". |
| PULL A KALI | Do something stupid, or dorky. |
| PUMPING | A term used to decribe a good powerful above average large swell. |
| PUMPING THE BOARD | A means of increasing the speed across the face of a wave. |
| PUNK | Young boy who thinks he is all that. |
| PUNKED | To get a prank played on you or to be taken the piss out of. |
| Q Top | |
| QUANTUM | Sweet, awesome |
| QUIVER | A surfer's collection of boards. A selection of surfboards for differing conditions. |
| QUEBEE | A female surfer. |
| QUEER EYE | A surfer who wears hairspray or gel to the beach |
| R Top | |
| RADICAL (RAD) | 1. Something was really awesome or cool. 2. Crazy, insane, wierd, unplanned. 3. Awsome, on the edge. See Sick. |
| RAD MAN | One who totally hangs ten with his toes on the nose or skilled in many manuvers. |
| RAG-DOLLED | To get smashed by a wave. |
| RAIL | The side or edge of a surfboard. |
| RAILER | The "Ultimate" Cool in surfer lingo. |
| RANDOM STANDER | Inexperienced / weekend surfer. |
| RANK | (Go or Went) As "It was goin off he just went totally rank on that wave dude!" or "Just go rank at the dude! what a wanker!" etc (Australian) |
| RAT | Annoying idiot. Kook. |
| RAW | Somthing bad ass or really f*ckin awesome. |
| REEF BREAK | Waves breaking over a projection rising from the sea bed, usually a corel reef or rock shelf. |
| RE-ENTRY | Maneuver which involves surfing up into the lip of a breaking wave, then coming back down with it. |
| REGULAR | A surfer who surfs with thier LEFT foot forward |
| RESIN | Chemical used in a two part mixture with catalyst to convert fibreglass into a hard outer skin. |
| RHINO CHASER | Big wave board (comes from big game hunting and a reference to a Rhino rifle ) |
| RICKED | Awesome. |
| RICT | Off the ricter scale; awesome. |
| RIG | To fix a competition or event to person's advantage. |
| RIGHT! | What you shout when you catch a wave and intend to go to the right leaving the left for someone else to catch. |
| RIGHT-HANDER or RIGHT | A wave that breaks from right to left as viewed from the shore. |
| RIGHTEOUS | Totally awesome or honorable. Another word for Gnarly. |
| RIGHT ON | Good job,nice effort. |
| RIP | To surf your max. |
| RIP or RIPTIDE | A channel of water running out to sea. |
| RIPPIN' or RIPPING | Surf hard and energetically making excellent manuvers and totally controlling the wave. |
| ROAD BLOCK | When u and another surfer are paddleing out then all of a sudden you bail and thow your board in front of the other surfer causeing them to have to bail also. |
| ROCKER | The curve in a surfboard when viewed side on. |
| ROCKET | Hot guy. |
| ROOM | Inside a large barrel. |
| R.T.D. | RTD: referencing a surfer on a long board who cannot turn. As in, Rapid Transit District, similar to a bus. |
| S Top | |
| SACKIN IT | Chicken out on big waves or the bomb |
| SACRED | "That betty is sacred" or "that board is sacred" beyond awesome...if something is sacred. This came from the Sunset Cliffs crew...in san diego. |
| SALTY SISTER | Girl who surfs. |
| SANDBANK | An elevation in the level of the sea floor on a beach, causing waves to break over it. |
| SANDBOX | An old ghetto VW van with a bunch of boards on the roof. |
| SCHLONG | Thick, long, old style single-fin surfboard. |
| SCHWAG | Said When Something Sucks. Ex "That's effin schwag." instead of "That sucks." |
| SCOOP | Totaly awesome; off the chain. |
| SCOOPS | Free stuff, or an exclamation of intense joy. |
| SCORE | To acquire, gain or achieve, i.e.; Scored a some great rides today. |
| SCRATCHING | Late 50's Early 60's Term: To dig in and paddle faster, smarter, quicker, more efficiently than other surfers so to catch and drop into the wave faster than others. |
| SCHWACK | The sound made by a surfboard as it hits the lip from a hard, slash on the wave lip. |
| SCHWINGA SWOOSH | Sound the water makes off the bottom of your board when sound echoes inside a righteous tube! |
| SCREWBY | Cool, sweet, awsome. As in that ride was screwby, it can also be used in a bad way such as that sucks, as in you lost you money? Screwby Brody. Also you can call some one a screwby it's a mix of screw up and noobie. |
| SCUBETUBEULAR | Awesome underwater poundage. |
| SECTION | When a wave is divided by white water into several different areas having a clean face. |
| SENIORS | Old farts that can still paddle out and catch a ride. |
| SET | A group of waves coming in at a regular pace. Usually three waves in the group. |
| SHA | Same as yes or okay. |
| SHAKA or SHOCKA | The universal surfer's hand signal where you stick out the thumb and pinky and fold the other three fingers in and usually rock the hand back and forth. It has several meanings such as cool, hang loose or just hi. |
| SHACKED | Being barrelled or getting drunk. To get caught under a closed out wave. |
| SHADES | Glasses protecting you from the sun; sunglasses. |
| SHAGGY HAIR | The typical surfer hair |
| SHANK | Catching a sweet wave and wiping out right at the peak of the wave. |
| SHARKBAIT | 1. A person that is your friend and that is crazy. 2. The person that is the furthest out from the shore. |
| SHARKY | Strange or like when the waters filled with grey suits. Heard it in New Zealand |
| SHAVE IT | Shave the top off a wave |
| SHAZZAM | Term used after Powning a weasel or barney. |
| SHEA | A term for a crazy girl surfer who is very good. |
| SHIBBY | Oh man! Like "gnarly" |
| SHEILA | Rad girl, What guys call girls to get their attention. |
| SHIFTING | To shift the board from side to side. |
| SHOCKA BRA | To hang loose man!!! hawaiian style-Keith(California). |
| SHOCKA NAR NAR | A mix between Totally awesome, hangten, nice wave. |
| SHOOBIE | 1. Actually, this is a redifinition more so as an arguement against the spelling. Considering Shoebie was a term started on LBI to describe the workers from the mainland who came to the beach to eat with their lunches in "shoe boxes" the alternate spelling shoebie should be included. The nick cartoon "Rocket Power" made this term known nation wide because one of the two writers came from LBI. A lot of the area that cartoon takes place in is based off of LBI. (Two random facts). 2. People or some one who take over someones surf spot and claim it as there own. See SHOOBIES below. |
| SHOOBIES | Tourists and beach newcomers that spoil the waves for the locals. People from the city who wear socks and sandles at the beach, who swim and play with plastic blow up toys in the surf section |
| SHOOK | A crazy guy that talks like he knows everthing about surfing but really doesn't. Makes up board brands and usually looks like he never goes to the beach. |
| SHOOTIN' THE PIPE | Getting into, riding and getting out of a pipe. |
| SHOMMY | Not too good. |
| SHOREBREAK | Waves breaking very close to shore or on the beach. More suited for short rides or working on skills such as getting up on the board. |
| SHOULDER | The steep part of the wave directly in front of the breaking area. |
| SHOULDER HOPPING, HOPPER | Drop'n in on someone else's wave (surfer closest to break owns the wave) |
| SHRED | Ability to execute rapid repeated turns on a shortboard. |
| SHREDDIN THE GNARL | To shred a gnarley wave. (matt-california) |
| SHUBEE | Somebody who wears ando buy surf gear but have never surfed on their entire lifes. |
| SHUT DOWN | To wipeout while inside the barrel,surfing a wave that closes out causing you to wipeout. |
| SHWAY | Awesome-stroke of luck. |
| SHWHAT | Another way to say what |
| SICK | 1. Excellent, the best. Totally cool, something that rocked or just a term in place of "wow" for example.. "oh dude, these waves are sick." Awesome insanely cool. 2. Rad, awsome, good, cool. |
| SICKANT | A person who is sick. |
| SICKO DECE | Sick nasty, decent, combination of both. |
| SIS | A radical girl surfer. |
| SILIVER SURFER | See Seniors. |
| SINISTER | Kick ass..."Thats sinister bro" |
| SKANK | The rich poser who'll by everyone stuff but never paddle out, sells himself out to the pros and the naturals just so he can have some friends. |
| SKEPTIC | What you call a good friend who is fat and they are cool about it. Regional. |
| SKIMBOARD | A small board made of plywood or fiberglass. The rider skims over the wave wash on the shore or shoots out from the shore into an oncoming wave. |
| SKIMBOARDER | A person that rides a skimboard. A surfer with balls |
| S`LATER | Combo of see ya + later..."alright, s'later brah" |
| SLAMMIN | Word used to described as cool or awesome |
| SMACKABLE | Certain type of wave that you can smack your board off the lip |
| SMOGBREATHER | A totally unrighteous non surfer someone who lives on rock and not the hydro. |
| SMOKIN | When the surfer does so well they are on fire. |
| SMUGGLING | To hide a boner.Ususally by holding your board in front of you while walking on the beach. "Brah!! I need to hurry up and get in the water, I've been smuggling since we got out of the car." |
| SNAKE | Paddling around behind someone who is in position and stealing their wave. Taking ownership of a wave. A legend who thinks they are greater than they are, a real weasel. |
| SNAKE OUT | When person backs out of wave..making you miss it. |
| SNAP UP | To stand up fastly on your board. |
| SOCOF | Can't surf as they are ill. |
| SOLID | Decent "thats a solid set". |
| SOUP | The white water of a broken wave (also the stuff you heat up and eat after surfing so you don't get pnuemonia) |
| SOUP BOWL | A wave which has a steep peak with weak shoulders on both sides. |
| SPEEDBUMP | 1. Those irritating people who stand right in the way of a good ride. 2. A kook who is in your way |
| SPIFFY | Refer to awesome or radical. Also used to refer to an awesome or hot chick. |
| SPIKING | To launch your board into another surfer or their board. Considered a misdemeanor assault or felony assault with a deadly weapon (see toenail) |
| SPIN CYCLE | Wiping out and getting thrashed underwater until you don't know which way is up. |
| SPINNER | Turning 360 degrees on your board while still steering the board straight. |
| SPIN-OUT | When the fins of the board break loose from the waters surface. |
| SPIT | The spray of water coming out of the barrel when the barrel is closing. |
| SPONGER | 1. Boogey boarder or body boarder. 2. Boogey boarder who drops-in on the shoulder of an occupied wave. |
| SPRING SUIT | Wetsuit with short arms and short legs. |
| SQUID | A beginner or newcomer. A new kid. |
| SQUISHED RACCOONS | Waves that are practically non-existent, unrideable, "dead". |
| STALL | A maneuver where the board is slowed or 'stalled' to allow the curl to catch up with the surfer. |
| STANDARD | Nothing new. |
| STAVEWAVE | The rainmaker of waves. |
| STEALING THE BEACH | How much sand you take home in the crack of your butt. |
| STEAMER | A full wetsuit with long arms and long legs. |
| STEAMER LANE | A.K.A. "Steamers" or "The Lane". A legendary surfing location in Santa Cruz, Ca. |
| STELLAR | Gnarly, rad. |
| STICK | Another name for your board. |
| STINK BUG | Kook stance wide apart legs butt up in the air...just like a stink bug. |
| STINK EYE | Hard, cold, menacing stare. |
| STRINGER | The thin piece or pieces of wood running down the center of a board adding strength. |
| STOKED | Full of enthusiasm. |
| STUFFED | Being driven under the water by a wave coming down on you. |
| SUCKY | A hollow, often heavy wave. Not Cool. |
| SUNNIES | 1. ( SUNNY) people or a person who stays in the sun all the time and most likely has a great tan! 2. Sunglasses |
| SUP | Another word for alright dude, whats up. |
| SURFARI | Surfing safari, out of town surf trip. See SURFING SAFARI |
| SURFBETTY | A girl that surfs. See The Betty Series |
| SURF BUM/BEACH BUM | Guys and girls who just spend the whole day at the beach surfing or just chilling there. |
| SURFETTE | A girl surfer. |
| SURF GYPSY | A surfer who would rather sleep in their car/a tent/under a trash can, and borrow someone elses clothes the following day, rather than drive home from the coast in the evening. |
| SURF SWAMY | Your surf teacher Im not 100% sure that is a surf word, I think it might be later brah. |
| SURFER TRAMP | An aging person who once lived to surf but cant afford a board and lives on the streets of woolacombe. |
| SURFMOBILE | Any vehicle covered in surf stickers, toting surfboards and/or body-boards driven solely to get to and from the beach. |
| SURF NAZI | Aggressive surfer(s), that think they own the beach and all the waves. |
| SURFRAT | Some little grom who rips every wave |
| SURFING SAFARI | A road trip expressly for surfing. |
| SURF WEASEL | One who purports to have the Aloha Spirit but practices kookdom without respect for the local community. |
| SWAMP DONKEY | A really ugly woman. |
| SWAMP HOG | A really fat ugly girl tanning while wearing a bikini in the sand. |
| SWAMP MONKEY | A real ugly man. |
| SWELL | 1. Waves generated by the energy from the weather and wind conditions traveling over the oceans surface, often traveling for hundreds or thousands of miles. 2. A measurement of wave height. 3. A day or so of rad conditions. |
| SWEET AS | Really cool. |
| SWEEETTTTTT | Like totally cool dude. |
| SWEETNESS | When something goes totally wrong, a sarcastic term. |
| SWICK | Sweet + sick. |
| SWING BLOUQUE | A blouque (guy, or dude) who is bisexual and surfs (which there is nothing wrong with?). |
| SWITCH-FOOT | A surfer who can surf with either foot forward. |
| T Top | |
| TAIL | The rear end of the board. |
| TAILSLIDE | When the surfer lets the boards fins lose it's grip on the wave and the board slides on the face. |
| TAKE GAS | Get obliterated by a wave. |
| TAKE-OFF | The beginning point of the ride where the board is propelled by the wave. |
| TESANI | A carved out wave. |
| THATS TIGHT | Thats so cool. |
| THE GOLDEN RULE | Don't do something to your brada that you wouldn't want your brada to do to you!!!! |
| THE SPOT | The best spot to surf in an area. |
| THREE-SIXTY(360) | Spinning the board through 360 degrees on the face of the wave. |
| THREE BAGGER | An ugly person who needs three bags over their head to look attractive. |
| THROWING BUCKETS | When a surfer cuts on a wave and has a large spray. |
| THRUSTER | A three finned surfboard. |
| THUMBS UP | A hand gesture meaning Nice. |
| TIGHT | 1. Close to someone; You definitely understand the person. 2. really cool |
| TIKI STYLE | When you surf the white water standing still...like a tiki!! grommets and beginners normally surf tiki syle. |
| TRANSPOSE | Backside defination w/ frontside defination. |
| TRIBE | A group of life long friends who surf together and bring their families together. Stronger group than a normal crew. |
| TRIM | The skill of keeping a surfboard at the correct angle to the face to gain maximum speed. |
| TRIMMING | Adjusting weight and position on the board so that the board retains maximum speed. |
| TRUKIN | A term used when somene is owning a wave seriously fast. |
| TOADS | Take off and Die Syndrome - see pearl |
| TOE NAIL | Resin on the nose of the board formed into a sharp point to spike surfers or their boards with. Considered a deadly weapon and is now a felony assault with a deadly weapon in most states. |
| TOES ON THE NOSE | When you stand with your toes on the front of the board, usually on a long board. (see HANG FIVE or HANG TEN) |
| TOES ON THE NOSE BROS | Guy telling his buddies hit up the waves. (matt-california) |
| TONAR | Something that is totally gnarly; very cool. |
| TOOL | Annoying, stupid surfer. |
| TORI KOOK | 1. A beginner who has a newfound pasion for surfing, but is still considered a kook by other experienced surfers. 2. A beginner who surfs becauase they love it and not just to be cool, but is looked down upon by other surfers. |
| TOTALLY | Absolutley, Sweet, Nice. Agreeing with someone. |
| TOTALLY DUDE! | A saying that surfers use to say yes! |
| TOUCHOLES | People that get in your way and have a crappy attitude about it!!! See SPEEDBUMPS. |
| TOURIES WITH THE MOURIES | Any tourists out in the water sitting on crappy body boards, getting in the way. |
| TOW-AT | A BS manuver used in magazines, inwhich the surfer is towed towards the wave and boosts a large air off the lip. these are often made out to look like there is no ski involved. |
| TOW INS | Being towed into waves that are too large to paddle into. |
| TRIPPY | Totally wierd, cool, gnarly, or it can be used casually for just about anything. "Dude, did you see that wonker over there trippin' out?" "Ya, trippy dude." |
| TRODER | Someone who wipes out often. |
| TROLL | People who go to the beach and stay in the shade under the pier. |
| TRUNKIN | A guy who surfs in really cold water without a wetsuit. |
| TUBE | The hollow part of the wave. Also called barrel. |
| TUBED | Riding a wave inside the hollow pocket so that the wave is breaking around you. Generally ends with being STOKED. |
| TUBEULAR | 1. Expresses the exhilaration of surfing the barrel of a wave. eg. AWSOME! 2. Really cool. |
| TUNNEL LOVE | When staying in the tube for more than ten seconds (thats damn hard!). |
| TURTLE | To roll your board over to go through a wave to get outside, commonly used with longboards. |
| U Top | |
| U-BOATS | Longboards in the hands of those who can't control them |
| UNIT | (short for loose unit) Term for disliked people, people acting strangely. West Oz. |
| V Top | |
| VALID | When the wave is not a big wave. |
| VALLEY SHEEP | Someone that drags out Dude tooo long. |
| VAYCAY | An AWESOME vacation! eg. Dude! This trips been a total vaycay! YEP! |
| VEE | Convex shape on the bottom of the board. |
| W Top | |
| WACK | 1. Example that surfer is "wack" or he isnt very good. 2. Crazy |
| WACKO | Daredevil when surfing. |
| WAHINE | Hawaiian word for girl. Girl surfer, girl that hangs out with surfers. |
| WAKE | The start of the wave; when it's rising up above the water and you're paddling out! |
| WALLED OFF | Entire wave breaks at once, no where to go. |
| WANNABE | Poser. Someone who wants to be something they're not. |
| WAPIN BUAY | Whats happening boy? Regional to American surfers in and from Panama. |
| WASSSSSABI | A so-cal whats up. |
| WATERSPIDER | Someone who surfs the waves and the internet. Check for webbed toes and fingers. |
| WAXBOY | Someone who sits on the beach with their board and never goes out. Just keeps waxing their board. See Wannabe. |
| WAX | Made for different temps and applied to a boards deck for traction. |
| WAX EATER | Someone who nose dives all the time and slides across the nose of their board!! |
| WAXED | Smack/or trash talk. "You couldn't even wax your own board". |
| WEAK SAUCE | NorCal term used to describe someone or something which is particularly lame. "SoCal is hella weak sauce" |
| WEEN | Someone who asks you questions about surfing constantly. |
| WETTIE WARMER | The result of urinating in one's wetsuit. |
| WHITE WALE | To Moon people while out in the surf. |
| WHITE WATER | The white foamy part of a breaking wave. |
| WHOOPSYDANGIT | A big mess up, harsh reality hitting fantasy. |
| WICKED | 1. A one word description of something that was really good. A good go-out would be deemed as wicked fun. 2. totally awesome,rad sweeet |
| WINDSWELL | A weak swell generated by localised winds. |
| WINGMAN | Your bro who has your back. |
| WIPEOUT | Falling off the surfboard. Totally loose it and get pummeled by the wave. Ten times worse than Ate It. When a surfer totaly bails out on their board or gets smashed on a wave. |
| WOAHHHHHH | Totally awesome |
| WHOO! | Something surfers shout when they are up on a wave or when they see someone on a good wave. |
| WONKER | A crazy, psycho, noobish loser who pulls off cool moves only on accident. |
| WOODY | The stationwagon made famous by surfers in the 60's |
| WOODY PARSNIP | Surf board past its prime. |
| WOOKA | Meaning awesome, cool, radical. |
| WOFFIE | A turd. |
| WOOLY WOOFTER | Gay surferdude. |
| WOOT | Means awesome, cool or gnarly. |
| WORKED OR GO WORKED | Crashed; whiped out; eats wave; see wipeout |
| WOWZA | Awesome. |
| WRECKED | Being destroyed by a wave. |
| Y Top | |
| YAMAN | 1. Right on, awsome,(something a bro would say). 2. In the shores of Africa YAMAN is refered as "yes man". |
| YAR | Yes |
| YEAH MAN! | Of course, dude! Right on. |
| YIKES | An understated response to a closeout set at Waimea Bay |
| YO | A way a surfer gains the attention of another person. |
| YO MAMA | The best diss ever. |
| YUCKBABE | A chic who wears a bikini at the beach and really shouldn't due to being fat. |
| YUPPIES | Tourists who burn even though they use too much sunscreen. |
| Z Top | |
| ZABOOB | 1. Totally dumb and wacked out surfer. 2. Newbie surfer who never touches the water. |
| ZEPHERRR | 1. Sweet, Awesome.ex."that wave was so Zepherrr" 2. Some one who loves the water.ex. " Yo brah, your such a zepherrr". |
| ZOO | When the beach is full and there is no place to surf. |