Surfer Slang To Learn So You Won't Sound Like A Barney

Natalie Jonah
Updated August 15, 2023 462 votes 63 voters
Over 60 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of Surfer Slang To Learn So You Won't Sound Like A Barney
Voting Rules
Surfers only: vote up the terms and phrases you and your fellow riders actually use and love.

Have you ever found yourself scratching your head when listening to the things surfers say? Surfers are a tight-knit group who use their surfer slang to weed out interlopers in their midst. Not unlike the slang bikers use, surfers have their own language and lingo. And while many of these idioms have made their way into mainstream culture thanks to movies and surfer-oriented clothing companies - looking at you Billabong and Quicksilver - there's still a lot of surfing vocabulary that can sound like gibberish to a landlubber. 

Learn these terms so you can speak like a surfer; even if you're just a kook when you hit the beach, at least you won't sound like one!

  • 1
    19 VOTES

    Hang Ten

    Meaning: The act of surfing with both feet at the very tip of a longboard to the point where all ten toes are hanging over.

    Use It In A Sentence: The hang ten may be an old-school move, but it never goes out of style.

    19 votes
  • 2
    16 VOTES

    Barney

    Meaning: A beginner or novice surfer who lacks proper surfing skill.

    Use It In A Sentence: This beach is for experts only - no barneys allowed!

    16 votes
  • 3
    15 VOTES

    Shredding

    Meaning: To surf impressively, especially on a longboard. You can also use the term in reference to snowboarding, BMX riding, or playing guitar.

    Use It In A Sentence: You know you’re shredding when you break the wave with your own board.

    15 votes
  • 4
    13 VOTES

    Grommet

    Meaning: A young surfer, usually just a kid.

    Use It In A Sentence: Look at that little grommet try to shred.

    13 votes
  • 5
    13 VOTES

    Point Break

    Meaning: In addition to being the title of an action-packed '90s film starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, point break also refers to a uniquely angled wave that’s caused by a protruding rock formation or a sandbank.

    Use It In A Sentence: The rocks on Ollie’s Point make for a mean point break.

    13 votes
  • 6
    17 VOTES

    Quiver

    Meaning: A surfer’s arsenal of boards, stemming from the name for an archer’s container for holding arrows.

    Use It In A Sentence: A solid quiver isn’t complete without a shortboard, longboard, fish board, gun board, and Malibu.

    17 votes