Everybody can shout Cowabunga with a pretty authentic ring to it
, but thats mostly because of The Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles (or Ninja Turtles depending on continent!) Here are a couple of lesser known terms to boost the knowledge of the novice surfer (or their parents!)
ASP Association of Professional surfing. These are guys who take care of all the paperwork (not to be confused with Men in Grey Suits!)
Barrel - The hollow part of the wave when its breaking getting into which is the point of surfing for many.
Carving Basic surf move of turning on a wave.
Drop The drop involves a surfers initial move in getting up on a wave and dropping down the face.
FCS Fin Control System. Enables removal or replacement of the fin without a trip to the surf shop for repairs.
Goofy Surfing right foot forward (a trait of left-handed people)
Hang 10 Riding a longboard with feet on the nose of the board. Hard!
Kook Novice surfer.
Layback Seriously difficult move to master (even for a pro!) where the surfer lays back against the wave and recovers (doesnt count if they wipe-out)
Men in Grey Suits Nothing to do with surf clothing, this means sharks!
Nose Tip of the board.
Offshore/Onshore Offshore winds make excellent surfing conditions. Onshore winds are their evil, opposite twin and herald a long break in the surf shop until conditions improve.
Pumping The act of a surfer trying to generate speed.
Raked Over A surfer is pounded by incoming waves.
Shubie A surf culture enthusiast who buys surf clothing but doesnt actually surf for whatever reason (not all shubies are looked-down!)
Tail Opposite end of the board to the nose.
Worked A surfer whos flung around underwater after wiping-out.
XCEL - XCEL wetsuits are incredibly secure and are some of the safest-to-use and reliable wetsuits on the market.
Zipper The bane of most wetsuits is their zippers propensity for letting in water (cold and heavy!) Since 1995 high-end zipperless wetsuits have been around, but budget options are yet to filter down to the bodies of regular surfers.