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Have a gander at the dictionary we compiled
for The Raw Pineapple Trilogy -

Hawaiian slang and surfer slang

babe -
1) a pretty girl or woman
2) a girl or woman who surfs

babelicious - to be a very attractive female : That girl's babelicious.

back down -
1) to decide not to take off on a wave
2) to back away from something or refuse to participate (e.g. a fight)

back off -
1) to stop, or leave
2) the result of a wave coming in, hitting deeper water, and then starting to reform or disappear : Don't bother gettin' the boards, there's nothin' but back off.

backdoor -
1) to drop into the tube from behind the peak of a hollow wave
2) to take off from the bottom of the wave, surf in the barrel, and exit out the back of the wave
(see also Backdoor)

Backdoor - nickname for the area where hollow waves break from right to left at Pipeline in Hawaii; the other three areas are called First Reef, Second Reef, and Third Reef (see also backdoor)

backhand (also backside) -
1) surfing with your back (and heels) angled towards the wave as you travel down the line; surfing in this position does not allow you to easily dive straight through the face of the wave as it breaks over you (see forehand)
2) when you are working (i.e. surfing on) the shoulder of a wave and your back and butt are angled towards the wave and other oncoming waves
3) a goofy foot will be traveling to his/her right on the wave if surfing "backhand"; a regular foot will be traveling to his/her left

backside (also backhand) -
1) surfing with your back (and heels) angled towards the wave as you travel down the line; surfing in this position does not allow you to easily dive straight through the face of the wave as it breaks over you (see foreside)
2) when you are working (i.e. surfing on) the shoulder of a wave and your back and butt are angled towards the wave and other oncoming waves
3) a goofy foot will be traveling to his/her right on the wave if surfing "backside"; a regular foot will be traveling to his/her left

backside air - an air initiated when the surfer's back is to the wave

backwash - the result of receding waves colliding with incoming waves; backwash sometimes becomes a very interesting plume of water that shoots up into the air

bag -
1) to leave, to split the scene, to bail out
2) your bag is your trip, your scene, your modus operandi
3) it's whatever turns you on

baggies (also baggys) - oversized, loose fitting boxer-type swim trunks worn for show or comfort by surfers

bail (also bail-out and bail out) -
1) to get away from
2) to jump off, or dive off the surfboard just before a potential wipeout

bake - a close-out : No use gettin' the boards. It's just gonna bake all day.

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balsa (ochroma lagopus) - a very light, porous bombaceous wood native to tropical America; used as a standard material for surfboard manufacturing through the 1950's; by the early 1960's balsa was replaced with polyurethane foam; used today for modern center stringers and parabolic rails

bamboo -
1) a fiberglass cloth made from bamboo fibers
2) bamboo and epoxy composite skins used over hand-shaped foam cores

bammerwee - when something is just okay, not even good : Don't buy it. It's just bammerwee.

bangbroek - South African slang for: being very frightened about surf conditions

bank - a sandbank upon which waves break

banzai - a gung-ho type of yell given by surfers as they shoot the curl (see also cowabunga)

Banzai Pipeline (also Pipeline, Pipe) - a surf spot on the North Shore of the island of Oahu, Hawaii, between Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach; originally named by the surfing filmmaker Bruce Brown

barney -
1) inexperienced surfer
2) someone who acts immature
  The monicker 'barney' is supposedly derived from one of the following:
• the phrase 'out of the barnyard'
• the comic strip character "Barney Google"
• the character "Barney Fife" from The Andy Griffith Show
• the cartoon character "Barney Rubble" from The Flintstones

barnie - a fight; fighting

barnwaller - inexperienced surfer who has poor style

barnwalling - surfing with poor style

barrel -
1) the breaking motion of a perfect wave
2) a hollow channel formed when a tall wave breaks and curls over
3) a hollow-faced wave (see hollow)
4) to ride inside the tube : I'm gonna barrel that wave.

barreled (also covered, toobed, tubed) -
1) to be riding inside the tube
2) to be riding in the green room

bashing - bodysurfing

bat tail - a tail shape consisting of three points – both rail tail ends and the tail center – emphasized by concave shaping; resembles the points on the wingspan of a bat; the emphasized points can be rounded or very angular; used primarily on bodyboards

beach break (also beachbreak, beach-break) -
1) a wave formed over sand and/or sandbars; the appearance of beach breaks can shift both seasonally and from storm to storm
2) waves which break across a sandy beach
3) a beach with a very sandy bottom; the waves at these beaches, on average, approach straight and break closer to the shore
4) ending up on the beach after riding a close-to-shore breaking wave

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beach bum - a person who lives at the beach

beach bunny -
1) a female who goes to the beach to watch surfing
2) a pretty girl at the beach

beachcomber -
1) a person who frequents the beach
2) a person who frequents the beach to collect shells and other items that are washed ashore
3) a long sweeping wave, such as a point break

beached -
1) to be totally stuffed from eating
2) to be stuck on the beach and unable to move

bead board (also EPS, bead foam) - expanded polystyrene; a type of foam used in the making of surfboard blanks; can be initially shaped by being "blown" into a pre-defined mold; lighter than polyurethane (PU) foam (see also epoxy, epoxy construction)

bead foam (also EPS, bead board) - expanded polystyrene; a type of foam used in the making of surfboard blanks; can be initially shaped by being "blown" into a pre-defined mold; lighter than polyurethane (PU) foam (see also epoxy, epoxy construction)

beat - tired, worn out

beat down -
1) to be rag dolled by a wave
2) to suffer immensely
3) a physical beating delivered by another individual or individuals

beater - old or well-used (or both) vehicle that is not that pretty to look at

beavertail (also beaver tail) - a wetsuit design that features a snap-on crotch, the shape of which resembles a beaver's tail

beef - a disagreement

been had - to have been taken advantage of or fooled

bellyboard (also bodyboard) - a small, usually soft foam board used primarily with swim fins, and ridden prone; can be made from polystyrene, foam, wood or fibreglass; can be used for both waves and shallow reefs (see also paipo and Boogie Board)

bellyboarding (also bodyboarding) - to surf prone on a small board (see also Boogie Board)

benny -
1) a tanless tourist on the beach
2) anyone not from the Jersey Shore
3) acronym for tourists from Bayonne, Elizabeth, Newark and New York)

bent -
1) short for 'bent out of shape', i.e. to be enraged or angry
2) to be slightly off, a little crazy, or mental
3) to be really drunk, screwed up and/or wasted on drugs

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betty -
1) a female who surfs
2) a good-looking female; the monicker 'betty' is supposedly derived from the cartoon character Betty Rubble from The Flintstones

big gun - a 9' (or longer) surfboard specially designed for large waves (see gun)

Big Kahuna -
1) the most important person on the beach
2) the best surfer on the beach (see also KAHUNA)

big mamma -
1) an extremely large wave
2) an extremely large object

big surf - extremely large waves (see also bombora, heavies)

bitchin (also bitchen) - to be cool, righteous, out-of-sight, happening; 'bitchin' is a classic beach word that dates all the way back to the 'beach blanket bingo' days; if something is really 'bad', as in 'good', it's 'bitchin' (see also boss, excellent, primo, rad)

blackball - slang for: the international maritime signal flag that shows a black disc on a yellow background and has specific meanings in certain contexts, e.g. "no surfing allowed in this area"

Black Monday - the Monday dated 2005-12-05; this date is mourned by surfers everywhere because it marks the closing of the Clark Foam factory in Laguna Nigel, CA; the Clark Foam factory had been the major provider of foam surfboard blanks and its closing left a shortage of, and higher costs for, available surfboards worldwide

blank (also foam core) - the unshaped foam piece used to make a surfboard, usually made from polyurethane or expanded polystyrene

blind stitch - a stitch that is only visible on one side; in wetsuit construction, a blind stitched seam is created by:
  • first gluing the thick square-edge neoprene panels together edge-to-edge
  • then, this glued seam is stitched over on the inside of the wetsuit – but only halfway through the thickness of the glued panels ( thicker wetsuits can accommodate double blind stitching which means a blind stitch is sewn over each glued seam on both the inside and outside of the wetsuit); glued blind stitching creates watertight, flexible seams; especially good for cold water temperatures (see also flatlock stitch, overlock stitch)

blow in - Australian slang for: an out-of-town surfer

blown out (also blown-out, shredded) - when onshore winds are blowing so hard as to chop up the surf and render it unridable (see also choppy, victory at sea) : No ride today, we're blown out.

bluebirds - huge waves that break outside of the normal breaking waves

BO DA DEM (BOH dah dehm) - slang for: both of them

board - short for 'surfboard'

boardies - Australian slang for: baggies

BOCHA (BOH-chah) - slang for: to bathe

BOCHA BOCHA (BOH-chah BOH-chah) - slang for:
“Go take a bath.”

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bodacious - awesome, incredible

BODDA YOU? (BAH-dah YUU?) - slang for:
“Bother you?”
– or –
“Are you bothered by this?”

bodybasher - bodysurfer

bodyboard (also bellyboard) - a small, usually soft foam board used primarily with swim fins, and ridden prone; can be made from polystyrene, foam, wood or fibreglass; can be used for both waves and shallow reefs (see also paipo and Boogie Board)

bodyboarder - someone who rides a bodyboard

bodyboarding (also bellyboarding) - to surf prone on a small board (see also Boogie Board)

bodyrocket - bodysurfer

bodysurf - to surf the waves without a board (swim fins are optional)

bogged - short for 'bogged down'; when a surfboard is stuck on something

boglius (BOH-glee-ahs) - cool, awesome

bogus - false, lame, ridiculous, unbelievable; just wrong

bodacious - extremely good, extremely great

bomb -
1) a very large, unexpected wave
2) a very very large, unexpected wave
3) a close out wave that breaks hard by pitching up sharply and then dramatically cascading over

bommie (also bombora) -
1) Australian slang for: large waves that break outside the normal surf line
2) a reef break – caused by a rock or coral shelf, or sandbank found in deep water – that causes large waves to form and break

bombin' - when waves are at their biggest and most powerful; the size and attitude of bombin' waves are relative to where you live, e.g. a bombin' wave in Hawaii might be 10'-12' and ferocious, while a bombin' wave in Florida might be 3'-4' feet and fun; many local crews have their own variation of this term

bombora (also bommie) -
1) Australian slang for: a large waves that break outside the normal surf line
2) a reef break caused by a rock or coral shelf, or sandbank found in deep water and causes large waves to form and break

bone yard (also boneyard) - the shore area where the waves break (see also inside, impact zone)

boner style - vulgar slang meaning to surf while remaining stiff and not moving around a lot

bonzer - Australian slang for: bitchin, excellent

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Bonzer - a shortboard with 3 or 5 fins and double concave channels on the bottom; designed by the Campbell Brothers in 1970

booga-booga - big dangerous locals

BOOGA BUMBYE (BOO-gah buhm-BY-ee) - slang for:
“Later on.”
– or –
“In awhile.”

Boogie Board - a soft, flexible foam paipo invented in 1971 by Tom Morey; unlike a surfboard, a Boogie Board is always ridden while lying down (see also bodyboard, bellyboard)

boogieboarding (also bodyboarding) - to surf prone on a small board (see Boogie Board)

booneys (also boondocks) - any place that is out in the middle of nowhere

boondocks (also booneys) - any place that is out in the middle of nowhere

BORINKEE' (boh-reen-KEH-EE) - slang for:
1) Puerto Rican
2) a person of Puerto Rican descent

boss - heavy cool, mean cool (see bitchin, excellent, primo, rad)

bottom -
1) the ocean floor
2) the trough of the wave
3) the lowest part of the wave a surfer can ride on

bottom turn - to turn at the bottom of a wave; can be the most crucial turn that a surfer makes on a wave, going either right or left, because it usually determines the speed and the direction for the rest of the ride

bouy - a person who remains on the surfboard, floating like a buoy, and never actually rides the waves

bowl - a shallow spot in the path of the wave which causes the wave to break a little harder

bowled - to be shacked, in the green room, tubed : Bro, I got bowled by that last wave.

box (also fin box) - a slot for a removable fin on the bottom of surfboards

Box - a gnarly surf spot in the boondocks of South Australia (No map. They're not telling.)

BRADDAH (BRAH-dah) - slang for: brother

bra - a bro, a friend, a buddy

BRAH (short for BRADDAH) - slang for: brother (if taken literally); usually used for casually addressing a male in a friendly way : Brah, you wanna grind?

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brainfreeze - an instant and excruciating headache, similar to an ice cream headache, that is felt in the cranium and sinus cavity and usually happens immediately after the first duck-dive in very cold water

BREAK - slang for: wave action

break, the (also break line) - the position in the lineup where the waves begin breaking

break line (also the break) - the position in the lineup where the waves begin breaking

breaker - any wave that breaks on the way to the beach

breaking -
1) when the top of a wave crumbles or pitches forward
2) when a wave originating in deep water moves towards the shoreline and increases in size vertically until the face becomes unstable – this causes the lip of the wave to start "breaking" and fall down the face of the wave (see also shoaling)

breaks - when the lip of the wave finally falls down the face of the wave

breakup (also broken up, scattered peaks) - when waves approaching the beach split, creating different peaks or lines of waves with a clear separation between rideable shoulders

breakwater - a barrier line of large boulders, cement, and/or steel extending out into the water and designed to either reduce shoreline erosion or to protect a harbor, stretch of coast, or riverbank from the force of waves (see also artificial reef, jetty)

brew - beer

bro (also bra) - short for 'brother'; a buddy, a friend, a mate (see dude)

brodad -
1) a person who is not considered to be a buddy or friend
2) a person, usually a hodad, who over uses the words "bro" and "brah"

brohah - a guy, a dude

BROK' (brohk) - slang for: break or broke

BROK' DA MOUT (BROHK dah mowt) - slang for:
“Wow, this really tastes delicious!”
– or –
“So yummy!”
– or –
“There is so much flavor in this dish it broke my mouth.” (literally 'broke the mouth')

broken up (also called breakup, scattered peaks) - when waves approaching the beach split, creating different peaks or lines of waves with a clear separation between rideable shoulders

brosef -
1) another word for "bro" or "brah"
2) a person who is considered to be more important than the average "bro"
3) someone considered to be exceptional and is highly respected

bru - South African slang for: friend, bruddah, brah

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bruddah (also brudda) -
1) a fellow surfer
2) a universal greeting that is not gender specific
(see also bro)

bubbles - to be not so smart, usually used to describe a ditzy beach bunny

bucket - helmet

BUGGAH (BUH-gah) - slang for: a male person, a fellow, a male character

BUK BUK (book-book) - slang for: mismatched, not alike

bum rap - unreasonable punishment for a petty offense

BUMBAI (buhm-BAH-ee) -
1) slang for: by and by
“When we get around to it.”
– or –
“After a while.”
2) slang for: or else : You bettah find it bumbai you pay fo it.

BUMMAHS (BUHM-mahs) - slang for:
“Dang.”
– or –
“That's awful.”

bummed - feeling bad or letdown

bummer - something that's too bad, a total drag, a letdown : My foot got broke and it's a bummer.

bump -
1) a swell in the water
2) a swell in the water that, when close to shore, is small

bumps - waxy build-up on a surfboard deck

bumpy - when the water is choppy : It could be a decent wave but still the face could be bumpy and hurt the ride.

bunny - short for 'beach bunny'

buoyancy - the ability or tendency to float; surfboards are measured for their buoyancy

burnout - a person with diminished capacity; usually referring to someone who has overused or overdone something that most other people use or do in moderation

BUSS YOU UP - slang for:
1) to be or get drunk
2) to fight and win (literally 'bust you up')

busted - to be caught red-handed, usually in the act of doing something devious or subversive

butt crumb - vulgar slang for: a person who is considered to be a loser and/or is a wannabe surfer that commands no respect

butt floss - vulgar slang for: a G-string bathing suit

butt wiggle (also squiggle) - a surf maneuver used in small wave contests; the butt wiggle is done by oscillating your board back and forth while maintaining the same forward track

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