Surfboard Buy Guide Surfing Glossary
ACETONE - A flammable solvent that is sometimes used during the manufacturing of surfboards for the process of cleaning polyester resin from the various tools used to make the surfboards. Acetone is a very toxic chemical - don’t breathe this stuff!
BLANK - A roughly molded (pre-shaped) piece of foam that forms the core of the surfboard and which is used as the basis from which to shape the surfboard into its final design.
Surfboard blanks come in various lengths and widths, and also may have varying rockers and different styles to their overall design.
Typically a surfboard blank is constructed of polyurethane foam and is purchased from a manufacturer of foam. If you want to try making shaping your own surfboard, just get a hold of a blank and give it a go - it is a true art.
BOTTOM CONTOUR - The surfboard’s lateral curve along its lower surface (the bottom of the surfboard) as that curve goes from one rail of the surfboard to the other surfboard rail. The bottom contour of a surfboard may be either convex or concave, or it could be almost flat.
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CARBON FIBER - A variety of specialized fiber that is extremely strong and durable, and which may be soaked in resin and used in conjunction with resin to provide additional tensile and compressive strength to a surfboard.
Strips of carbon fiber may be laid along the length of the surfboard during the glassing process Using strips rather than larger pieces helps to prevent any creasing of the carbon fiber material.
CUTBACK - A sudden and powerful carving turn off the top of the wave face so that you completely reverse your direction and continue on with a smooth fluidity.
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A great cutback transfer the wave’s steepness and momentum into surfboard speed. A great cutback also sends up an arc of spray that reflects the strength of the move.
Cutbacks are often used to position the surfer in the main power zone of the wave face and are performed just in front of the breaking lip of the wave. A cutback involves turning quickly when you are riding along on a wave so that you are suddenly heading right back into the breaking froth before turning again to avoid obliteration.
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DRAG - A physical effect that slows the flow of water or disrupts the water’s flow as it moves along the various surfaces of a surfboard. Surfboard designers generally strive to achieve a controlled drag in the design of the surfboard.
The leading edges of the surfboard usually create drag including the forward rocker and rail line. Also causing drag are the fins’ leading edges and any design features on the bottom of the surfboard that might create resistance, such as a tail V.
DOWN RAIL - This type of surfboard rail curves, or rolls down from the deck (top) of the surfboard to a sharp edge on the bottom of the surfboard, and thus the lower (bottom) part of the rail has a tighter radius. Also called down turned rail.
EGG RAIL - A surfboard rail shape that is somewhat rounded though a bit more drawn out, making the rail closer to an egg shape than a semi-circle shape.
EPOXY - A variety of plastic resin some surfboard manufacturers and stand up paddleboard manufacturers use rather than the previous standard of polyester resin.
Typically a surfboard builder who is using epoxy will also use (in conjunction with the epoxy resin) a polystyrene blank which is not tolerant of polyester resins.
Epoxy in general is known for its overall strength and durability. In recent years there has been a huge increase in the popularity of epoxy surfboards and stand up paddle boards.
While they may take a bit of getting used to for someone who has always used a foam board, many people eventually prefer the epoxy board in the water for its superior floating ability as well as its durability.
EPS - See Expanded Polystyrene.
EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE (EPS) - A widely used plastic (polymer) which is comprised of a type of foam that is also called bead foam or styrofoam.
EPS is produced by the chemical industry using petroleum products. During the surfboard manufacturing process, steam is used to expand beads of polystyrene within a mold, controlling the density of the finished product by varying the number of beads in the mold.
FACE - The front of the breaking wave, which becomes steeper as the wave approaches shore, and eventually breaks. Virtually all surfing takes place on the face of the wave, but when the wave begins to break the surfer must either ride to a place in front of the breaking zone if possible, get off the wave, or straighten out ahead of the breaking wave.
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FACE HEIGHT - The distance from a wave’s lowest point (the very bottom of the wave) the the wave’s very highest point (the top of the wave).
The measurement of a wave’s face height spans from the lowest portion of the trough of the wave (in front of the wave) to the upper tip of the wave’s crest.
FOIL - The rate of change of a surfboard’s thickness and curve (e.g., the distribution of the foam) when proceeding from the nose of the surfboard to the tail of the surfboard, or from the front edge of the surfboard (the leading edge) to back edge of the surfboard (the trailing edge).
A surfboard’s foil is a crucial component of its performance because an even balance is essential for proper flow of the surfboard. Foil is also present in the surfboard fin shape, which is typically designed with a similarity to the wing of an airplane for optimal foil efficiency.
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GROUNDSWELL - An ocean swell that has been generated by a distant disturbance or storm and which has travelled a very long way. By definition, a groundswell has a period of more than 12 seconds or more between each successive wave. A groundswell is created by the winds of a storm that has been blowing for a substantial amount of time over a huge area of ocean.
As the ocean swell eventually travels a large distance away from the storm area, the waves of the swell gradually and eventually become much better organized and more clearly formed (e.g., “cleaner”), with even lines of waves and also an increased period.
Longer groundswell periods equate to swell energy that extends significantly deeper beneath the sea’s surface. In contrast, a wind swell is created by local winds over a much more confined area of ocean, and results in much shorter period swells.
Groundswells have an enhanced interaction with the seafloor due to the energy of the waves that extends much deeper beneath the sea surface. For this reason groundswells also have a greater propensity to refract, or wrap around points of land and enter into ocean bays. Thus the waves of a significant groundswell will reach more shore spots along the shoreline (e.g., of an island in the path of the groundswell).
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GUN - A type of surfboard that is designed specifically for riding very big waves; a big wave surfboard. Guns are typically much longer than standard surfboards this extra size helps the surfer to generate enough speed while paddling (as opposed to being towed in), in order to be able to catch huge waves which move significantly faster than smaller waves and thus it is extremely difficult to generate the required amount of paddling speed with a smaller surfboard. The tail of a gun surfboard is typically pulled in very tight so as to perform properly at high speeds while riding the large waves. The nose of a gun typically comes to a point, rather than the more rounded front of a typical longboard.
HIT THE LIP - An expert surfing move that involves turning the surfboard up toward the breaking wave’s lip and then when the board reaches the wave’s lip the surfer smashes the bottom of the surfboard into the lip and uses it as a platform from which to turn very aggressively, and the power generated from this off the lip move is used to generate speed that propels the surfer back down the wave and along the wave’s face.
HOLLOW - Describes a wave that throws out at the top when it breaks, thus forming a barrel or hollow tube surrounded by the water of the breaking wave. When a surfer is able to catch and ride such a hollow wave they may be completely covered over by a roof of water and yet still remain untouched by the wave. This is known as getting barreled, or tubed, and is considered one of the finest experiences of surfing.
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HOLLOWBOARD (Hollow Board) - A variety of surfboard that is typically constructed of very thin sheets of timber making it significantly lighter than a surfboard made from solid timber. The original hollowboard design was an invention of Tom Blake in 1932. Blake used redwood sheets to make surfboards, in contrast to the solid redwood boards that were being fashioned during that time period.
HOOD - Worn by a surfer to protect their body from the cold water in situations where the temperature is very low. Typically hoods are made of a very soft neoprene product that allows the hood to fit fairly tightly over the surfer’s head. Hoods usually also cover the surfer’s face beneath their nose. The hood may be attached to a wetsuit permanently, or may be detachable (e.g., through the use of snaps).
HOT CURL - A variety of surfboard that originated in the 1950s and is credited to renowned surfer and surfboard maker Dale Velzy.
HOTCOAT - During the surfboard manufacturing process, the resin coat is the coat that is applied during the laminating of the surfboard just subsequent to the first layer of resin and glass. The term hotcoat refers to the fact that the catalyst and resin have been combined, and due to a chemical reaction between the two substances there is a very swift gelling process.
Wax products may also blended in with the resin (sanding resin) to hasten the hardening of the hotcoat surface so that the surfboard makers may proceed to sand the surfboard with sandpaper.
The resin-glass layer is effectively sealed by the hotcoat which serves to fill any imperfections on the surface such as holes and bumps on the surfboard. Once the hotcoat has hardened sufficiently then the surfboard is sanded.
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HULL - A surfboard bottom shape that is similar to the hull of a boat. This hull-shaped surfboard bottom shape design was fairly common among early 1960s surfboards. Today the style is still seen occasionally in some modern longboards.
IMPACT ZONE - The place where the waves are breaking, and in particular the area directly beneath the crashing lip of a breaking wave. If you are a surfer and during a surfing session you somehow end up right in the impact zone when a big set comes, and there is no way you can paddle over the breaking waves and also no way to move closer to ashore to avoid the wave, and you end up squarely beneath the full force of the breaking wave, well then my friend, you are in the impact zone. Often adding to the danger at this particular moment are surfers coming full speed down the line on the wave right toward you. This situation is generally not recommended.
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INCONSISTENT - Refers to surfing conditions in which there may be some good surfing waves but then there is a period of not-so-good waves or no waves. In other words, you may still want to surf if you aren’t too picky, and you might get some good ones, but the conditions aren’t great. That said, the few you get might be great waves, though then the conditions would generally be described as “great, but inconsistent.”
INSIDE - This is t area closer to shore than the main wave breaking zone, and thus within the impact zone area. You don’t want to be “caught inside” when a big set comes or you will be taking waves on the head and dodging surfers who are riding waves from the outside and right toward you (tip: try to stay out of their way). The term is also used to refer to the safer, smaller wave zone as in, “yeah, the waves at the point were a little too big for my tastes so I just surfed on the inside bowl area.”
INTERVAL - The time, or period, from one wave to the next. This is also known as the swell period. For example, the time as measured from the crest of a wave passing a given point until the crest of the next wave passes that same point is known as the interval.
ISOBARS - The lines on a weather chart that signify equal atmospheric pressure. When the lines are relatively close together on the chart then it means that the wind is blowing faster near these isobars.
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JACKING - An informal term referring to a wave “jacking up,” or rising up suddenly (e.g., at the surf spot) in such a way that the wave goes from relatively small to very large in a very short time. Typically the reason that a wave jacks up because it suddenly passes over much shallower water (e.g., due to a reef, sandbar, etc.).
When a wave jacks up suddenly it may be tricky for a surfer to catch that wave, but if the surfer does manage to time it right and catch the wave then it may be particularly exciting to ride the wave because the wave will be very steep and the lip may throw out from the top as the wave breaks, forming a hollow barrel or tube that the surfer might be able to enjoy before the wave comes suddenly breaking down in a cataclysm of crashing water and foam.
KEVLAR - A variety of plastic/glass cloth that is extremely strong and durable. Kevlar is sometimes used in the manufacturing of surfboards though its high cost makes its use somewhat prohibitive for most surfboard making purposes.
KICK - A surfboard term that refers to how much rocker there is in the surfboard’s tail.
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KICK OUT - A move that surfers often do at the end of their wave ride which involves riding the surfboard up the face of the wave and over the top and off the back and away from the breaking zone, so as to be able to begin the paddle back out to the surfing line up to catch another wave.
If a surfer does a kick out on a very steep wave or at a high speed they may fly up into the air, and some surfers are able change from a standing position so that they land on the water on the surfboard on their stomach and can immediately begin paddling out to catch more waves.
KNEEPADS - The part of the wetsuit that covers the surfer’s knees, and which is reinforced with harder rubber so as to be able to handle all of the wear and tear that occurs on the neoprene in the knees of the wetsuit, particularly during the process of duck diving the surfboard when paddling out through breaking waves.
KNOT - A mariner’s term referring to a velocity that is equal to one nautical mile per hour, with a nautical mile being equal to about 1.2 miles per hour on land.
KOOK - A derogatory term referring to someone whose surfing abilities are very, shall we say, undeveloped, and who also does not take note of that lack of skill and use that awareness of lack of surfing knowledge to avoid getting in the way of more experienced surfers. Thus a beginning surfer who is respectful and stays out of the way may not be termed a kook, while someone more experienced but still out of place in a serious surfing line up may be called a full on kook (e.g., a little knowledge is a dangerous thing).
LAMINATE - A resin used for laminating during the surfboard manufacturing process in order to apply the surfboard’s first coat of resin and fiber glass. This first coat seals the surfboard and gives it durability. The coat of laminating resin will be sticky, and so a hot coat is then applied to the surfboard so it can then be sanded to create a very smooth surface.
LEASH - A cord, typically made of synthetic urethane, which is attached on one end to the surfer’s leg using a velcro fastener, and on the other end to the surfboard. The origination of the leash is attributed to Pat O’Neill in 1971.
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LEASH PLUG - A plug in the surfboard which includes an attachment for the leash.
LEG ROPE - See Leash.
LONGBOARD (Long board) - A surfboard that is typically at least nine feet in length and which has a broad, full shape and a rounded nose (as opposed to a pointed nose). Longboards are typically used for surfing waves that are not too fast and steep, in which case you would want to use a shortboard or thruster.
MACKING - A term that describes waves that are breaking in such way that is not gentle but instead quite challenging for surfing, very fast-breaking, and when the waves break they don’t just tumble over gently but instead come down hard with a crash, or mack.
MAXING - A term that describes big waves breaking. For example, a surfer might say, “Dude, the waves at Pipe are Maxing!”
M.E.K.P - A toxic chemical - methyethyl ketone peroxide - which is often referred to as catalyst and used during surfboard manufacturing process to harden the resin that is used on the surfboard.
MIDPOINT - The midpoint of the surfboard which is midway between the tail of the surfboard and the nose of the surfboard.
NEOPRENE - A material widely used in the manufacturing of wetsuits, neoprene is a very stretchy type of rubber that is comprised of petroleum chips that have been melted and then blown into a mold and then further cut into the wetsuit shape. The “closed cell” nature of neoprene prevents water from penetrating the wetsuit, thus providing a very good material for keeping a surfer warm during long periods surfing in very cold water.
NOSE - Refers to the front of a surfboard, as in “riding the nose.”
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NOSEGUARD - A protective covering, typically made of silicone, which fits over the front of a surfboard and is usually glued onto the surfboard.
OFFSHORE - Refers to winds that are blowing toward the open ocean in a direction that is away from the shoreline. Offshore winds are generally desirable for surfers as they create very clean surfing conditions and also keep the wave from breaking too quickly which results in a nicer wave face for wave riding.
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OFF-THE-LIP - A surfing maneuver that requires the surfer to steer the surfboard up toward the lip of the breaking wave and then quickly turn the surfboard so that the bottom of the board careens off the lip of the wave and the surfer reverses directions and heads back down the wave face and along the breaking wave.
OLO - A traditional surfboard that was used by Hawaiians in ancient times. An olo is typically about sixteen feet or more in length and is made from native Hawaiian wood such as wiliwili or koa.
ONSHORE - Refers to winds that are blowing from the ocean toward the land. Onshore winds are generally less desirable than offshore winds for surfing because onshore winds will tend to make the water choppy and will cause the breaking waves to break quickly rather than hold up for good wave riding.
OVER THE FALLS - A surfers’ term that describes the situation that occurs when a surfer is pulled up into the top of a breaking wave and then thrown downward along with the water of the breaking lip of the wave. This can be very dangerous for the surfer as he or she may be slammed into a coral reef or into the ocean bottom, so it should be avoided if at all possible. Used in a sentence: “Dude, I totally got sucked over the falls on that one..check my back, is it bleeding?”
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PIGDOG - A surfing move that entails crouching real low on the surfboard while riding backside on a wave and then grabbing onto the rail of the board, pulling up on the outside rail so the surfer can ride high and tight on a steep wave face. This is often done to hold yourself within the tube of the breaking wave.
POLYSTYRENE - A variety of very light plastic foam that is used in the process of manufacturing surfboard blanks. Typically a polystyrene blank is used in conjunction with epoxy resin.
POLYURETHANE - A variety of plastic foam which is the traditional material that is used to make the surfboard foam core, and which is typically used along with polyester resin during the surfboard manufacturing process.
RAIL - The side (edge) of the surfboard from its nose to its tail. The rail is the meeting place between the top (deck) of the surfboard and the bottom of the surfboard, and is located around the outline or perimeter of the surfboard.
The rail shape controls the water flow over the surfboard during turning and planing. Rails are typically thinnest at the nose and tail and thickest in the middle of the surfboard.
Rails are roughly divided into soft rails and hard rails. While a hard rail has a distinct edge and might form a corner with the bottom of the surfboard, soft rails do not have a defined edge and instead the roundness of the rail creates a smooth transition from top to bottom.
While hard rails allow a tighter, quicker turn when surfing a wave, a soft rail provides more stability as well as drive down the line. Most longboards have relatively soft rails. Also see round rail; down rail; rolled rail; egg rail; rail grab.
RAIL GRAB - Grabbing the rail of the surfboard while riding the wave. This is done to help maintain control, particularly on very steep waves, and allows one edge, or rail of the surfboard to stay firmer into the steep wave face. Aerial surfers often employ a rail grab to control the surfboard while in the air. In the water, rail grabs are most common when riding a wave backside, though rail grabs may often be done while frontside. Rail grabs may also help a surfer get into a tubing, or barreling wave.
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RHINO CHASER - A gun, or big wave surfboard that is designed specifically for riding very large ocean waves. The large size helps the surfer generate enough paddle speed to catch very large waves, which typically move very fast, thus requiring more paddle speed from surfers trying to catch the waves. See Gun.
ROCKER - The measure of a surfboard’s curve from its tail to its nose as seen from the side of the surfboard. The rocker can be subdivided into different areas including the tail rocker, center rocker, and nose rocker. While a relatively large amount of curve will provide more surfboard maneuverability, a flatter rocker will tend to produce more overall speed while surfing a wave.
Together the deck rocker and bottom rocker create the surfboard’s foil. An essential component of surfboard design is the proper integration of rocker which is the main controlling factor of how the water flows from the front to the back of the surfboard (e.g., a surfboard with more tail rocker is generally slower but easier to turn; a surfboard with less tail rocker is faster though harder to turn when surfing a wave).
ROLLED RAILS - Down rails (down turned rails) that roll to the underside (bottom) of the surfboard.
ROUND RAIL - A rail that is roundish in shape (e.g., well rounded), nearly forming a complete half-circle or semi-circle when viewed in profile.
SLASH - A swift maneuver while surfing a wave, a slash involves carving the surfboard off the top or highest part of a breaking wave. A good slash sends up a huge curving arch of spray sometimes high into the air above the wave. Meanwhile the surfer is already powering down the line, probably setting up for another slash.
SWELL - Ocean waves that were originally generated by winds (e.g., from a storm) and then were moved beyond the area where the waves were generated.
The transfer of energy from the wind into the sea initially forms the swell waves that continue to grow as the wind persists and the energy transfer continues to go deeper beneath the sea surface. When waves with significant energy move a long distance from the generating area they are considered swell, and may also be referred to as deep water waves.
The term swell is also used to refer to the whole event of a series of waves arriving from a distant storm, and this may take place over a period of several days or longer. Used in a sentence, a surfer might say “There is a swell coming” or “Remember that big swell we got in July?,” “Is there a swell coming?,” or “The swell is on its way out, let’s get out there and get some waves before it’s gone.”
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SWELL DIRECTION - The direction from which a particular ocean swell is arriving. For example a north swell comes from a location to the north of the place where the waves are arriving. If you are in Hawaii a north swell is coming from up near Alaskan waters. The north shores of the Hawaiian Islands often receive big north swells during the winter months and big south swells during the summer months.
SWELL HEIGHT - The height of a swell is typically determined as an average of the heights of the biggest one-third of the swells. Only waves with swell period energy exceeding eleven seconds are counted, while the shorter period wind waves are excluded.
Buoy readings often provide swell heights that surfers may communicate to each other (e.g., “dude, the buoy is at 9 feet, 17 seconds, let’s go!” means that the ocean buoy is providing a reading that a 9-foot swell is arriving with a 17 second period (17 seconds from one wave to the next). This buoy reading would likely be producing a high surf warning and would be suitable only for very experienced surfers.
The size of a swell is dependent upon the winds in the swell’s generating area. More specifically, the swell’s size and period depend upon the wind speed (stronger winds produce bigger waves), wind duration (the longer the duration of the winds, the bigger the waves that are produced), and fetch (the bigger the overall area in which the wind is transferring energy into the water, the bigger the waves will be).
SWELL PERIOD - The time that elapses from one wave crest to the next in a swell as measured from a stationary point. This period may vary considerably, though typically only the peak period is reported, and usually given in seconds.
If there is more than one swell arriving at a particular location, in this case the swell period stated for that location will be the dominant swell’s peak period. From a surfer’s point of view anything more than a twelve second period is favorable and there is potential for some decent waves arriving - wax up the board!
SWELL SHADOW - Locations that are blocked or protected from the waves of an ocean swell are in the swell shadow. This is because those locations are behind points of land, islands, or other formations that serve to block the arriving waves of the ocean swell.
Because ocean swells come from varying directions depending upon the location of the winds and storms that created the swell, the swell shadow also moves depending upon the changes in the swell direction.
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TAILSLIDE - A performance surfing maneuver that involves sliding the tail of the surfboard over the wave’s lip or crest, usually by causing the surfboard’s fins to come out (e.g., break free) from the water. A surfer does a tailslide by removing his or her body weight from the tail area of the surfboard in order to allow the fins to release from the water letting the surfboard slide across the water’s surface, yet all the while the surfer is in control of the surfboard.
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TANDEM SURFING - A variation of the sport of surfing in which two persons both surf on the same surfboard, which is typically an oversized board, also called a tandem surfboard. Tandem surfing competitions typically feature male/female teams with the man lifting the woman up into a variety of airborne positions during the riding (surfing) of the wave.
THRUSTER - A three-finned (tri-fin) shortboard surfboard. The origination of the thruster is credited to Australian Simon Anderson who first implemented this style of surfboard design in 1980.
Today a thruster set up is the most popular set up for surfboard fins as it is thought to provide surfers with the optimal combination of drive and control as well as the ability to maneuver the surfboard on fast and steep waves.
VICTORY AT SEA - Refers to very rough ocean conditions with whitecaps, winds, and sloshing water such that it is very disorganized and extremely hard to surf. The term references the television show called Victory At Sea when Navy ships were confronted with giant stormy waves.
WAVE - A ridge of energy that forms on the water’s surface due to a disturbance such as winds passing over the ocean and creating a friction with the water. This results in a transfer wind energy into wave energy.
This ridge of energy then moves over the water and with continued wind the waves will continue to increase in size, possibly moving out of the generating area with substantial wavelengths and thus characterized as an ocean swell.
WAVE DECAY - The decrease in size of ocean waves as they get farther and farther away from the swell generating area. Waves of a swell typically decrease about sixty percent in size in the first one thousand miles of their journey across the ocean.
WAVE HEIGHT - The distance from the trough of a wave (the lowest point) to the crest of a wave (the highest point).
WAVE LENGTH - The distance from one wave crest to the subsequent wave crest, or the distance from the lowest point of one wave trough, to the lowest point of the next wave trough.
WAVE PERIOD - The time, typically measured in seconds, between the crests of waves passing a given stationary point. When the period is 12 seconds or more it is considered a swell, to the great delight of surfers.
WAX - Used on top of a surfboard to help create traction and prevent the feet from slipping, particularly when trying to steer the surfboard or perform maneuvers such as a cut back or a an off the lip move. Surfers also use deck pads to provide traction and help prevent slipping off of the surfboard.
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