Fin Rake

The amount of curvature in the shape of the leading edge of a fin. This is a factor in determining the turning radius of a board.
More Surf Lingo

FCS

Acronym for Fin Control System, which is a system for removable fins. You'd want to remove a fin in case of damaging one so you can replace it, but also different fins haver different performance characteristics. In addition, if you're traveling, removing the fins makes packing up the board easier.
More Surf Lingo

Fin / Skeg

The sharp things attached to the bottom of a surfboard that keep the board from sliding sideways or spinning out during turns on the wave.
More Surf Lingo

Foil

The thickness of the board from nose to tail, and the rate of change in the thickness. When a board has a foil that goes from very thick in the middle to very thin, it's said to have a lot of lift in the tail.
More Surf Lingo

Right Of Way

One of the most important things to know when surfing – who's got the right of way. The surfer on a wave, who is closest to where the wave is breaking (i.e. the curl, the tube), has the right of way. Any surfer who is closer to the shoulder of the wave (i.e. where it's not breaking) needs to get off the wave and out of the way of the surfer who has the right of way.
More Surf Lingo

Sweeping Cutback

The maneuver of a long drawn out turn, as opposed to a sharp snappy cutback.
More Surf Lingo

Shoot The Curl

Riding through a hollow section of the wave, making it through the curl (where the lip is breaking or falling forward to meet the face of the wave)
More Surf Lingo

Bomb

A large wave that just closes out
More Surf Lingo

Diurnal Tides

Pronounced "di-yur'-nal". Means “daily” tides and refers to having one high tide and one low tide during a 24 hour period.
More Surf Lingo

Bonzer

A short board designed for better performance in big waves through the use of channels, foils, and multiple fins in the design.
More Surf Lingo

Drop In

When a surfer who is out on the shoulder of a wave catches the wave in front of another surfer who is closer to the breaking lip, essentially cutting-off the original surfer.
More Surf Lingo

Rail

The sides of a surfboard. Not the nose, not the tail, not the deck, and not the bottom.
More Surf Lingo

Drop

When a surfer catches a wave at the crest and then "drops" down the face.
More Surf Lingo

Ding

Damage to a board - usually a small indentation that doesn't break the outer skin of the board.
More Surf Lingo

Deck

The top part of a surfboard – i.e. the part you stand on.
More Surf Lingo

Accelerate

Obviously means going faster, but usually refers to coming off a bottom turn in preparation for going up the face to pull off some move.
More Surf Lingo

Zoo

Refers to too many people out in the water at a particular break.
More Surf Lingo

Booger

Refers to a boogie boarder or bodyboarder
More Surf Lingo

Sneaker Set

A set of larger waves that appear out of nowhere and catch folks at the surf break off guard.
More Surf Lingo

Barrel Roll

A maneuver used by bodyboarders where they roll by essentially following the face of the wave as it forms the barrel, thus doing a complete roll over.
More Surf Lingo

Closeout

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

Sponger

Pronounced "spuhn'-jer". Another name for a bodyboarder – because Boogie Boards look like big sponges.
More Surf Lingo

Bodyboarder

Also called a “boogie boarder” – after the well known Boogie Board foam boards. A bodyboarder rides on their stomach on one of these foam boards and rides the waves.
More Surf Lingo

Face (of the wave)

The shore facing part of the wave – the part a surfer rides on.
More Surf Lingo

Cut-Back

A very sharp 180 turn back towards the breaking part of the wave.
More Surf Lingo

180 and 360

Pronounced "one-eighty” and “three-sixty". Refers to the radius or degrees a surfer turns the board. 360 would be a turn completely around back to the starting point, whereas a 180 would be half way around. This can be done by either jumping the board and popping the fins free from the wave to kick the board around, or by steering the board around (also called a "power 360"), which usually requires a larger wave surface to complete.
More Surf Lingo

Tail

The back end of the surfboard – i.e. the end opposite of the nose.
More Surf Lingo

Nose

The front of the surfboard – the pointy end.
More Surf Lingo

Bottom Turn

When a surfer makes a turn at the bottom of the breaking wave.
More Surf Lingo

Breakline, or Main Break

The point where the majority of the waves begin breaking at a given surf spot.
More Surf Lingo