Barrel

A large breaking wave that has a hollow space for a surfer to ride in without getting hit by the breaking water. Also referred to as a tube.
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Green Room

Refers to being inside the tube, that hollow part of a wave.
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Bowled

Similar to getting tubed. Usually refers to a ride where a section of the wave bowls up and the surfer gets a fast hollow ride.
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Thruster

Another name for a tri-fin short board.
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Dry Tube

A tube ride where the tube is large enough to where the surfer isn't getting hit by the wave as it barrels around forming the tube.
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Tail Pad

Also called “traction pads” are rubberized pads made of EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) that are affixed to a surfboard deck at the tail. These are used to provide more traction so a surfer can really dig into a turn or maneuver without their back foot slipping off the board.
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Room Time

Refers to time spent in the tube (also known as “the green room”).
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Soul Arch

A posture of standing very upright with the back arched while riding through a fast part of the wave or in a tube. This was made famous by Gerry Lopez as he glided through some amazing tube rides at Pipeline in Hawaii.
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A-Frame

Big barreling wave that pitches out and offers a hollow tube ride in both directions on the wave.
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Compression Ding or Pressure Ding

Essentially a dent on a surfboard. Hard to see sometimes because they don't damage the fiberglass or cause cracks or snackles that would encircle the dent.
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Full Suit

A wetsuit with long fully covered arms and legs. As compared to a spring suit or shorty, where the arms and legs are very short and expose the surfers arms and legs to the water and air.
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Going Off

When the waves are good and pumping, the surf is said to be “going off” (also said to be “firing off”).
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Corduroy

Refers to the lines of a swell that all line up and resemble corduroy fabric.
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Swell Period

The frequency or time period between each peak or trough of a given swell. Shorter periods means the waves will be breaking closer together (making it more challenging to paddle out at a beach break).
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Tow-in Surfing

Being towed into the wave by a jet ski. Used in very large waves where paddling by hand to catch the wave is either too difficult or too dangerous.
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Outside

Refers to being outside the surf break where most of the waves are breaking. This applies either to a surfer's position relative to the lineup, or to a larger wave breaking out past the lineup.
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Degrees (of a swell)

Refers to the angle a swell is approaching the shore. Directly North starts at 0, then directly from the East would be 90, then directly from the South would be 180, and directly from the West would be 270.
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Bowl

When the left and right shoulders of the wave wrap around slightly forward (closer to shore) than the breaking crest, and make a semi-hollow form (almost like a clamshell stood on end). The ride is very hollow and fast.
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Roller Coaster

Turning up towards the top of a wave followed by turning down towards the bottom and then repeated several times. Used to power across a fast breaking section of a wave.
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Make A Section

To “make a section” of a wave is to ride your board past a part of the wave (usually a steep or fast breaking part).
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TOAD

Stands for “Take Off And Die”. When waves are breaking hard and with no shoulder to ride on, they're referred to as TOADs - you just take off and get munched in the resulting whitewater
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Swallow Tail

A tail design where the tail has a sweeping “V” cutout – designed to provide the benefits of a pintail and a square tail. Good for maneuverability especially in small waves, and/or where the board wants to stick into the face of the wave on sharp turns.
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Blank

The foam and stringer of a surfboard before it's covered with fiberglass and resin (or epoxy) and becomes a surfboard.
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Cleanup Wave

A single wave that breaks out beyond the lineup, usually catching everyone by surprise and "cleaning up" the lineup by washing everyone to the inside.
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Mack

To aggressively scarf down food – like after a heavy surf session when your appetite seems endless.
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Cut-off

When a surfer who is out on the shoulder of a wave drops in on another surfer who is closer to the breaking lip, they have essentially “cut-off” the original surfer. Not a cool thing to do.
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Swell Height

The vertical distance between the peaks and troughs of a swell. Larger swell height means larger waves.
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Diamond Tail

Surfboard design: a tail that comes to a shallow point, as opposed to being rounded or having a cut-away (such as in a swallow tail).
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Diffraction

Relates to a swell coming in contact with another object on the surface (like an island). Such contact will have an impact on the swell.
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