Faky or Fakie

Taking off on a wave with the tail forward (i.e. riding the board backwards).
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Crank A Turn

Making a real sharp turn – really leaning into it.
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Clean

Used to describe glassy surf – i.e. no ripples due to wind and good shaped waves.
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Air, or Catching Air

When a surfer and the board launch into the air and are no longer touching the wave.
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Offshore

When the wind is blowing from the shore out to the ocean. Helps make for hollow waves.
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Rashguard

A shirt (long-sleeved or short sleeved) made of spandex material, that helps protect against developing a rash that can occur due to friction with the board (and wax). A rashguard, when worn under a wetsuit, also helps add a layer of warmth.
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Baked

Refers to getting a lot of sun (like baked in a hot oven). Also used to refer to smoking marijuana and getting very high or stoned (like baking your brain).
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Lull

Refers to a period when the waves aren't breaking. A lull can be a short break in the wave activity within a single surf session, or it it can refer to a lull of wave activity in general (like over a couple days).
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Skunked

Common term outside of surfing – basically getting denied what you came for. For example, going to the beach to surf when it turns out there aren't any waves.
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Gold Coast

Refers to a stretch of coast in Australia that has numerous world class surf breaks.
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Caught Inside

When a surfer is stuck between the shore and the breaking waves.
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Gloss Coat

The final (shiny) coat of resin on a surfboard. If you like the shiny look – you get a gloss coat. If you don't care (and want to save some money) you don't need to get your board gloss coated.
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Prone

Riding prone means riding on your stomach.
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Zipperless

Refers to a type of wetsuit that doesn't use zipper.
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Cheater Five

Hanging five toes over the nose during a ride, in a squatting position with the leg outstretched. This is as opposed to walking to the nose of the board and hanging five toes over, which would then be called “hanging 5”.
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Primo

Pronounced "pree'-moh". Means excellent, awesome, the best.
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Flip-flops

Another name (one of many) for rubber sandals. Others include “zories” and “go-aheads”.
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Urine Sauna

Peeing in your wetsuit.
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Bone Yard

An area where the waves break and surfers usually end up on the rocks. You don't want to get stuck in the bone yard.
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Flat

No waves :(
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Upwelling

When water from deeper depths flow upward towards the surface.
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Hectic

Intense, gnarly, hairy.
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Bump

A wave spotted out on the horizon - appears as a bump in the horizon.
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Shaper

A person who shapes surfboards. These individuals are skilled craftsmen who understand how various design changes play in the performance of a board out in the water.
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Nose Guard

A piece that fits on your surfboard nose to help lessen the danger of getting stabbed by the pointy nose tip. Made of plastic, rubber, or silicon – softer materials to help lessen the impact.
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AVP

Average time between waves for a given period of time. When this number is very small, then the waves are breaking one right after the other, which makes for a difficult paddle out without a channel nearby.
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Inconsistent

Refers to when the waves don't break at somewhat regular intervals. If some waves break, followed by a long period before another wave, you'd say the surf was “inconsistent”.
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Duct tape

A “must have” in every surfer's toolbox – can be used to temporarily fix just about ANYthing. The saying goes something like “if it can't be fixed [at least temporarily] with duct tape, it can't be fixed”.
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Fiberglass

A woven fabric that is used, in combination with a resin, to form the outer skin of a surfboard.
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Righteous

Awesome, amazing, cool, also a synonym for “right on”.
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Blown Out

When the winds blowing hard and making the surf all stormy and unrideable.
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Tanker Surfing

Surfing the waves that result from the wake created by a large ship.
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Mellow or Mellow Out

To be calm, relaxed.
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Juice

A wave 'has juice” when it's got a lot of power or energy.
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Point Break

Describes where the waves wrap around, and then along, a point of land.
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Big Wednesday

Comes from the title of several films and historical dates that have produced extra large waves. Now used to refer generically to days of exceptionally larger waves.
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Hang Loose

Hawaiian for "take it easy".
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Booties

Like little wetsuit shoes for your feet. Good for keeping your feet warm in frigid water, or for walking on sharp rocky or reef areas without tearing up your feet.
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Squirrely

Loose, a little out of control. When referring to a board, it means the board that rides real loose – maybe a little too loose, because it's hard to control.
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Bro

Friendly greeting to a friend.
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Wiggin' Out

Same as 'scared', 'freaking out'.
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Sand Surfing

Riding obstacles down a sanding berm. Small wood boards, waxed on the bottom can really move on the dunes.
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Board Rash

A rash you get from surfing. Usually occurs on the chest and stomach or inner thighs – those places that come in contact with the surfboard and wax.
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Epic

Pronounced "e'-pik". Used to describe a perfect surf session.
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Walled Up

Where a wave basically breaks all the way across at the same time, leaving it unrideable.
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Knots or Surf Knots

Spots where a surfer's body (usually the knees or feet) has built up padding (thick skin and/or calcium deposits) where a surfer frequently rubs against their board. Checkout the feet of a surfer and you'll usually see one or more large “bumps” or knots somewhere on their feet.
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Betty

A good looking female.
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Sex wax

While trying to steer clear of including products in this dictionary, this seemed to be a needed exception. This is simply a brand of surfboard wax that appeared on the market in the 1970's.
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Dawn Patrol

Refers to getting up real early (like at dawn) to hit the surf.
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Beach Bunny

Older term for good looking female on the beach.
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Surf Rat

A young surfer who enthusiastically spends all their time surfing.
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Channel

A section perpendicular to the shore where the waves aren't breaking - usually due to the bottom being deeper. Allows a surfer to paddle out to the break without getting hit by the waves.
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Quiver

A “quiver” is a collection of surfboards, usually of different sizes and styles in order to have the right tool for the right wave conditions.
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Evening Glass-off

The period in the evening after the wind has calmed down, when the water surface gets nice and glassy. This is usually due to the transition period between the wind moving in the opposite direction of its normal daily flow as the land mass begins to change temperature.
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Double Overhead

Used to describe the size of a wave and refers to being double the height of the surfer.
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Schwag

Pronounced "shh-wag". Goods, usually referring to stuff that you received for free.
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Rager

Pronounced "ray'-jur". Something, like a large gathering, that's a bit out of control. Also used to refer to a surf session, that again, is somewhat out of control either due to too many people (or the actions of the people) or due to the waves themselves.
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Backside

Surfing with your back to the wave and facing the shore.
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Head Dip

When a surfer bends their head down to get wet by the breaking wave they're riding.
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River Mouth

Describes a location where water spills out into the ocean. The deposits from the flowing water can sometimes form exceptionally shaped waves.
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Artificial Reef

A man-made attempt at duplicating a natural reef in order to produce surfable waves in an area that otherwise would not have surf.
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Minus Tide

A very low, low tide that is below sea level (sea level is at a tide level of “0 ft.”)
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Locked in

Being in a critical position on a wave with no where to go - the surfer just goes hard and fast to avoid being consumed by the wave.
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Pounded

Same as getting “munched” or “crushed” or “wrecked”, or even “slammed”.
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Hoot

A positive yell of approval or props to another surfer, usually after some well executed maneuver.
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Foamer or Foam Rider

Someone who rides the whitewash (i.e. where the wave has already broken). This is where most newbies begin to learn how to stand up on their board.
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Drift

Moving with the current. Experienced surfers usually pick a spot on the shore and make sure they're not drifting too far from their spot.
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Jack / Jack Up

When a wave hits a shallower spot or a reef and instantly grows in size, usually also causing it to break. An alternate definition is when something (like your car or your board) get “all jacked up” - it means messed up, broken, trashed.
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Cowabunga!

Pronounced "cow-a-buhng'-a". A nonsensical exclamation, similar to saying the expression “hot diggity”. Example: “Cowabunga! That was some great surf”.
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Poser

Someone who doesn't really surf, but dresses and acts as if they do.
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Duck Dive

A technique for getting past an oncoming wave as a surfer is paddling out. The nose of the board is pushed down under the breaking wave and then turned upwards towards the back of the wave, which lets the force of the wave pass over the board and the paddler without knocking them back towards the shore.
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Ebb Flow or Ebb Tide

When the water level is moving from high tide towards low tide.
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Paddling Gloves

Webbed gloves (i.e. gloves with material between the fingers) that are used to increase paddling power.
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Angling

An older term used to describe riding across the face of the wave.
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