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Updated by Joanna James on Mar 16, 2024
Headline for List of Surf Terms – Learn the Most Popular Surfing Slang!
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Joanna James Joanna James
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List of Surf Terms – Learn the Most Popular Surfing Slang!

By educating yourself on popular surfing terms, you can not only carry yourself as a surfer but also talk like a seasoned surfer. It is after all, an activity that requires a lot of knowledge.

1

180 or 360

This is one of the most used surfer terms anywhere around the world; be it surfing in Sri Lanka at a resort such as the Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort or surfing in Hawaii. It refers to the spin of the board when you are doing a maneuver. The spin is given in degrees.

2

A-Frame

The A Frame is the ideal barrel surf. It is named so because the cross section of an A Frame gives the shape of an "A" when it is breaking.

3

Aggro

When the attitude in the sea and the waves are quite aggressive.

4

Air or Aerial

Another surf maneuver, it refers to a move where the surfer and the surfing board both fly without touching the water. It is difficult to do and is quite an advanced maneuver.

5

Akaw

A term that has held through the ages, it is what surfers use when they are flabbergasted. For an instance, they might use it when they see an idyllic wave to surf on.

6

Amped

It is used to express how hyped the surfer is about surfing or how much they are looking forward to surfing.

7

ASP

The abbreviation stands for the Association of Professional Surfing. They are the organization who handle the professional aspect of the sport such as events.

8

Backside

This refers to the part where a person surfs with his or her back against the wave. A surfer with regular footing moving towards the left side will basically be doing a backside. The opposing term is called frontside.

9

Bail

As you probably might have guessed by the name, bail is the term used when you have to jump out of the surfing board because you are facing a wipeout.

10

Barrel

Also referred to as "tube", this is what you call a wave that is hollow as it is breaking.

11

Beach break

The term used to describe a wave that breaks over a sandy surface.

12

Beach Leech

The term labeled onto people who free ride on others. For an instance, they might not bring their own surfing boards and would rather ask it from someone else. The same situation occurs for other equipment such as wax.

13

Benny

Used to describe someone who is not a local from the surrounding area.

14

Billabong

Known as a watering hole to the Australians, but known to everyone else as the biggest manufacturer of surfing and beachwear products.

15

Blank

Refers to the foam that surfers use to shape a surfing board.

16

Blown out

When the wind turns too strong and makes the waves too rough to ride.

17

Board shorts

Board shorts are a type of shorts that dry quickly, are light in weight and generally worn by those who are dipping into warm waters.

18

Charging

Used to describe someone who is giving it all and surfing the wave in an aggressive manner.