Common Surfing Terms
Regular/Natural foot - Right foot on back of board
Goofy foot - Left foot on back of board
Take off - the start of a ride
Drop in - dropping into (engaging) the wave, most often as part of standing up
Drop in on, cut off, or "burn" - taking off on a wave in front of someone closer to the peak (considered inappropriate)
Duck dive - pushing the board underwater, nose first, and diving through an oncoming wave instead of riding it
Snaking/Back-Paddling - paddling around someone to get into the best position for a wave (in essence, stealing it)
The Surf Museum, Oceanside, CaliforniaPop-up - Going from lying on the board to standing, all in one jump
Bottom turn - the first turn at the bottom of the wave
Shoulder - the unbroken part of the wave
Cutback - a turn cutting back toward the breaking part of the wave
Fade - on take off, aiming toward the breaking part of the wave, before turning sharply and surfing in the direction the wave is breaking towards
Over the falls - When a surfer falls and the wave carries him in a circular motion with the lip of the wave, also referred to as the "wash cycle", being "pitched over" and being "sucked over" because the wave can suck the surfer off of the bottom and draw him or her "over the falls."
Pump - an up/down carving movement that generates speed along a wave
Stall - slowing down by shifting weight to the tail of the board or putting a hand in the water
Floater - riding up on the top of the breaking part of the wave, and coming down with it
Hang-five/hang-ten - putting five or ten toes respectively over the nose of a longboard
Hang Heels - Facing backwards and putting the surfers' heels over the edge of a longboard.
Re-entry - hitting the lip vertically and re-rentering the wave in quick succession.
Switch-foot - having equal ability to surf regular foot or goofy foot (i.e. left foot forward or right foot forward) -- like being ambidextrous
Tube riding/Getting barreled - riding inside the hollow curl of a wave
Carve - turns (often accentuated)
Pearl - accidentally driving the nose of the board underwater, generally ending the ride
Off the Top - a turn on the top of a wave, either sharp or carving
Snap - a quick, sharp turn off the top of a wave
Fins-free snap (or "fins out") - a sharp turn where the fins slide off the top of the wave
Air/Aerial - riding the board briefly into the air above the wave, landing back upon the wave, and continuing to ride.
Grom/Grommet - young surfer (usually under 15 or so)