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SurfSpeak A-Z
Major Breaks/Beaches by Zone
Home

            SurfSpeak - C

Cali    n. California


California  n.  The most southwestern state, the "Golden State".
                     Original "ground zero" for surfing on the mainlnd U.S. 
                     Contains a major population of U.DS. surfers.


camber   n.The rocker, or curve of the bottom, of a board.

cane swell  n.  A big hurricane generated swell. (Florida)

canopy, wave canopy   n.  The overhead, curved crest of a wave,

Cape Hatteras   n.   Well known East Coast surf spot located on the 
                              out islands (outer banks) of North Carolina.


carp  n.   A surfer who is up in years and not as skilled as he once was.

casper   n.   A tourist on the beach whose skin is extremely pale, like 
                  a ghost. From "Casper the Fiendly Ghost" TV cartoon
                  character.


casual, cas'   adj.   Characterizes a surfers laid back, casual lifestyle.
                            "It's  casual bro", "I'm cas'"

catch air, catching air   v.   When surfer and surfboard get airborne and
                                    "fly" off a wave. "Did you see that air I caught?"



catch a rail, catching a rail   v. when the down-wave rail of the 
                        a surfboard catches in the wave and causes a wipe-out.
                        Also to "dig a rail'


catch a tip   v.   When the nose of the board digs, or catches the 
                      water often causing a wipeout. Also to "pearl"


catch a wave, catching a wave   v.  1) to catch and ride a breaking wave.
                     2) To see the world from a different point of view. 
                        As in the Beachboys song "Catch a Wave" and the line
                        "Catch a wave and you're sittin' on top of the world."


cathedral  n.  The inside of a big tube.


cathedrel-like  adj.   A metaphor for the feeling one has when inside 
                              a tube or barrel.


cavitation   n.   When air pockets form and collapse in a flowing liquid
                       in low pressure regions. Cavitation on on side of a fin can
                       cause a loss of contrfol.


channel   n.  1) An area in the ocean where waves generally do not 
                      break. A good  place for an easy paddle out to the 
                      break.
                   2)  A gap in the sandbars or reef. There is usually a runout
                        there. A good place to paddle out.
                   3) channels   Grooves shaped in the bottom of boards
                       directs water flow and creates lift.


channel concave  n.  A concave area on the bottom of some boards 
                                with channels shaped into it.


charge   v.  To be amped up and excitedly go surfing.
                  "The waves are killer. Lets charge it!" 


chaser wave  n.  The first wave of a set. It is usually less developed 
                          and smaller than the later set waves. It tempts one to
                          go after it leaving you in the impact zone fpr the entire
                           rest of the set.


check out the surf  v.   An almost ritualistic activity watching the waves
                                 and determining when and where to paddle out.
                                
cherry  adj.   1) Cool, boss, bitchin' 
                    2) A word used to describe something in great condition.
                       "The board is cherry' Bro".


chest high  adj.   A descriptive term used to describe the height of 
                           waves.


chill out   v.  To get calm or relaxed    "I'm just gonna' chiil out today".


chip, chip board   1) The name for the first balsa wood boards that 
                              were much smaller than the giant boards in the 
                              1940's.
                           2) A term for extremely thin boards


choice  adj.  Great, really nice or good.  "choice waves"


chop   n.  Lightly blown out, bumpy waves.


choppy  adj.    When waves are wind blown and choppy


churned  v.  To be thrown around in a wave. As in "churned up in a 
                  washing machine."


classic  n.   1) a perfect day, wave, session etc.
                 2)  adj.  perfect, the best   "classic waves"


clean   adj.   1) Good, glassy surf conditions


cleanup  n    1) A wave or set that breaks outside of the normal
                       lineup, thrashing and "cleanup" the surfers inside 


                     2) cleanup set   A set of big waves that catch surfers in the 
                          lineup  off guard.


close out, closed out   v  When a wave breaks all at once along the 
                                      length of the wave.


closeout barrel  n   A tubing wave that closes out before the surfer can
                                navigate an exit. 


coffin, coffin ride, the coffin  n   A longboard position popular in the 60's
                                longboard era where the surfer lies on his/her back
                                with arms folded as if in a coffin. 


comber  n  A long curling wave.


"Coming down!" or "Coming through!"    A warning yell to all other surfers
                           down the line from where a is taking off on a wave. Often
                           accompanied by profanity.


compression ding  n   A depression in a board that does not break the 
                                    fiberglass skin.


concave   adj.   A bottom characteristic when the bottom curves in or is
                         "concave". Creates board lift. 


contour n   1) The bottom shape or "contour of a board.
                   2) The bottom configuration of the ocean at a particular surf
                         spot.


coral reef   n   A large living organism made of individual polyps that
                        create shallow areas for incoming waves to break over.
                        Can create clean hollow waves but is also dangerous to
                        a surfer when pounded or dragged over it.


cord  n   (surf cord)   A cord attached to a board and to the ankle of the 
                                surfer to keep from losing the board in the event of a
                                wipeout.


cork  n  A board that floats very high in the water.


covered  adj.  Describes when a surfer is inside the curl of the wave with
                         water pitching over his/her head. "He was completely
                         covered".


cover-up  A tube ride; inside a tube


crank, cranking  v   Describes large, powerful surf.  "The waves are 
                                cranking".


crest  n  The highest point of a wave. 


crew, the crew  n   A group of surfers usually from the same area.


critical  adj.  1) The moment when a wave is about to break. 
                     2. Describes steep, fast-breaking waves


critical section   n  The part of a wave that is difficult to navigate, normally
                               in the tube or a very steep section.


cruise, cruising  v  When a surfer moves across the the face of a wave 
                               smoothly without radical turns.


cruncher   n   A hard-breaking wave that is difficult or impossible to ride.
                      Syn.  boomer, dumper, blaster, crusher


curl   n  The curved, breaking part of a wave.


curtain  n    The pitching lip of a wave that covers  a surfer when they 
                   enter a tube.


curve  n   The bottom characteristic of a board. 


cut  v  To turn sharply 
       n  a sharp turn


cutback/ cut-back   n  1) It is an S-shaped turn where a surfer turns toward
                                 the lip of  the wave and then back to continue on the
                                 wave face.
                                    2) A complete change of direction


cut off  v  To intrude, on the wave of another surfer.
                   To cut off or be cut off.




            






 
                               
                            

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