The Ultimate Surf Slang Dictionary

Surfers have their own language… part poetry, part nonsense, all stoke. Here’s the biggest list of surf terms you’ll ever need. Bookmark this, because if you’re new to the lineup, knowing your kooks from your cutbacks will save you from looking like… well, a kook.

Wave & Ocean Terms

• A-Frame – Wave breaking both ways, shaped like an “A.”

• Backdoor – Entering a barrel from behind the peak.

• Barrel / Tube / Pit – The hollow curl of a wave.

• Bomb – Massive wave in a set.

• Closeout – Wave breaking all at once, no ride.

• Crest – The very top of a wave.

• Double Up – Two swells combining into one thick wave.

• Double Overhead – Wave twice the surfer’s height.

• Foam Ball – The turbulence inside a barrel.

• Green Room – Inside the barrel.

• Lip – The top edge of a breaking wave.

• Mushburger / Mushy – Soft, weak wave.

• Over the Falls – Getting sucked over with the lip.

• Overhead – Taller-than-surfer wave.

• Peeling – A wave breaking evenly down the line.

• Pocket – The steep, powerful part near the curl.

• Set – Group of waves rolling in together.

• Shorebreak / Shorey – Dumping right on the sand.

• Shoulder – The mellow side section of a wave.

• Slab – Thick reef wave breaking suddenly and heavily.

• Spit – Spray shooting from a barreling wave.

• Swell – Energy in the ocean that creates surf.

• Whitewater / Whitewash – Broken, foamy part of a wave.

Surf Maneuvers

• Air / Aerial – Launching above the lip.

• Bail – Ditching your board.

• Carve – Smooth, drawn-out turn.

• Cutback – Turning back toward the curl.

• Floater – Skimming over the lip.

• Hang Five – Five toes on the nose.

• Hang Ten – All ten toes on the nose.

• Layback – Turning while leaning way back.

• Nose Ride – Balancing at the nose of the board.

• Pump – Quick shifts to build speed.

• Re-Entry – Smacking the lip and coming down.

• Roundhouse Cutback – A wide, looping cutback.

• Snap – Quick, sharp turn.

• Stall – Slowing down for a barrel.

• Switchfoot – Changing stance mid-ride.

• Tombstoning – Board sticking upright after wipeout.

• Wipeout – Falling spectacularly.

Types of Breaks

• Beach Break – Over sand.

• Point Break – Along a point or headland.

• Reef Break – Over reef.

• Slab – Sudden, heavy reef wave.

• Jetty / Pier Break – Waves breaking off man-made structures.

Lineup & Surf Spot Terms

• Channel – Calm water pathway to paddle out.

• Dawn Patrol – Early morning surf.

• Impact Zone – Where waves smash hardest.

• Inside – Closer to shore.

• Lineup – Where surfers sit waiting for waves.

• Outside – Farther out where sets break.

• Peak – First part of the wave to break.

• Priority – Who has the right to the wave.

• Rip Current / Rips – Strong currents pulling out.

• Takeoff Zone – Where to catch the wave.

People & Surf Culture

• Aggro – Aggressive surfer.

• Barney – Clueless beginner.

• Bro / Brah – Surf slang for mate.

• Charger – Surfer who tackles big waves.

• Dude – Classic term for a surfer (or anyone).

• Frother / Frothing – Overly excited surfer.

• Grom / Grommet – Young surfer.

• Hotdogger – Flashy surfer.

• Kook – Surfer with no clue or etiquette.

• Local – Surfer who lives at that break.

• Localism – Locals defending their break.

• Logger – Longboard surfer.

• Soul Surfer – Surfs purely for love, not comps.

• Sponger – Bodyboarder.

• Waterman / Waterwoman – Skilled in all ocean sports.

Conditions & Weather

• Blown Out – Ruined by wind.

• Bumpy – Uneven conditions.

• Clean – Glassy perfection.

• Flat – No surf.

• Glass Off – Calm, glassy conditions.

• Heavy – Powerful, dangerous waves.

• Offshore – Wind from land to sea, good.

• Onshore – Wind from sea to land, messy.

• Sketchy – Risky conditions.

• Victory at Sea – Wild, stormy surf.

Gear & Boards

• Deck – Top of board.

• FCS – Popular removable fin system.

• Fin / Skeg – Stabilizers under board.

• Fish – Short, wide twin-fin board.

• Foamie – Soft-top beginner board.

• Funboard – Mid-length hybrid board.

• Gun – Big-wave board.

• Hybrid – Blend of shortboard/longboard features.

• Leash / Leggie – Cord to ankle.

• Mini Mal – Mid-sized malibu board.

• Quiver – Collection of surfboards.

• Rails – Edges of board.

• Rocker – Curve of the board’s bottom.

• Shortboard – Small, performance board.

• Single Fin – Classic one-fin board.

• Stick – Surfboard nickname.

• Tail – Back end of board.

• Traction Pad – Grip pad at the tail.

Fun Expressions & Exclamations

• Amped – Super hyped.

• Cowabunga – Old-school stoke cry.

• Gnarly – Crazy or intense.

• Heavy Duty – Big, powerful waves.

• Rad – Epic (retro slang).

• Sick – Awesome.

• Stoked – Happy and frothing.

• Tubular – Retro for “cool.”

• Yewww! – Stoke scream.

Regional / Old-School Slang

• Boogie Boarder – Bodyboard rider.

• Clam Dragger – Beginner (Aussie term).

• Goofy Foot – Right foot forward stance.

• Regular Foot – Left foot forward stance.

• Seppo – Aussie slang for American surfer.

• Womp – Body-surfing a shorebreak.

• Zogged – Waxed up (Aussie surf slang).

 

This is just the start, surf culture is packed with colourful terms, and half the fun is learning them as you go. Stick around, because I’ll be doing deep dives into each one of these in future blogs (so you’ll know the difference between a kook, a Barney, and someone just out there for the stoke).

A Shameless Plug

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