Key terms in surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, foiling, and sailing — explained by riders, for riders.
The wind you actually feel while moving — a combination of the true wind and the headwind generated by your own speed.
A scale from 0 to 12 that classifies wind speed based on observed sea conditions, originally developed for sailing in 1805.
Wind blowing parallel to the shoreline. Considered ideal for kitesurfing and windsurfing because it balances safety with clean conditions.
A unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour (1.852 km/h or 1.151 mph). The standard speed measurement in watersports and marine navigation.
Wind blowing from the land out to sea. It creates clean, groomed wave faces for surfing but can be dangerous for kite and windsurf riders.
Wind blowing from the sea toward the land. It's safer for wind sports (pushes you to shore) but creates choppy, messy wave conditions.
A local wind created by temperature differences between land and sea. Land heats faster than water, causing air to rise over land and drawing cooler sea air in to replace it.
Persistent wind patterns that blow from the subtropical high-pressure zones toward the equator — from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and southeast in the Southern Hemisphere.
A wave that breaks over a sandy bottom. Beach breaks are common, accessible, and generally safer for beginners than reef breaks.
A wave that breaks along a headland or point of land, peeling consistently in one direction. Point breaks produce long, rideable waves.
A wave that breaks over a coral or rock reef. Reef breaks produce consistent, well-shaped waves but carry higher risk of injury from the hard bottom.
An extra-large tidal range occurring around full and new moons, when the sun and moon's gravitational pulls align to create higher highs and lower lows.
Ocean waves generated by distant storms that travel hundreds or thousands of miles before reaching the coast. Swell creates the waves that surfers ride.
The time in seconds between consecutive wave crests passing a fixed point. Longer periods mean more powerful waves.
Turbulent, aerated water that appears white due to air bubbles mixed in. Found where waves break, in rapids, and behind waterfalls.
Short, steep, irregular waves on the water surface caused by local wind, as opposed to clean swell generated by distant storms.
The unobstructed distance over water that wind blows in a consistent direction, which determines the size of waves and chop it can generate.
The ratio or difference between the strongest gusts and the average (or lull) wind speed, indicating how variable and gusty the wind conditions are.
A temporary drop in wind speed between gusts, lasting seconds to minutes, where conditions feel noticeably lighter.
A powerful, often dangerous wave that breaks directly onto the beach in very shallow water, slamming swimmers and riders into the sand.
The three-dimensional, dome-shaped area downwind of a kite rider where the kite can fly, divided into zones of varying power.
Riding above the water surface on a hydrofoil — a wing-shaped fin mounted below the board that generates lift as it moves through the water.
The main, larger wing on a hydrofoil that generates the primary lift to raise the board out of the water.
A wing-shaped underwater fin system that lifts a board out of the water at speed, reducing drag and allowing riding in lighter conditions.
A technique in foiling where you generate speed and lift by rhythmically shifting your weight, allowing you to ride a foil without wind or waves.
A kitesurfing technique where the kite pulls you through the water without a board, used for training, recovering a lost board, and self-rescue.
Making smooth, arcing turns by shifting weight onto the board's rail, tilting it into the water to follow a curved path rather than skidding flat.
A surfing maneuver where the rider turns back toward the breaking part of the wave to stay in the power source, drawing a figure-eight on the wave face.
A classic longboard surfing technique where the rider walks to the front of the board and stands on or near the nose, often hanging five or ten toes over the tip.
An explosive upward takeoff from the water surface to initiate a jump or aerial trick, generated by stamping hard on the board's tail or edge.
A technique for getting up onto a board from the water using the power of a kite or sail, rather than standing up from the beach or climbing on from shallow water.
A session where you ride with the wind from one starting point to a different finishing point, rather than returning to where you started.
Taking off on a wave that another surfer is already riding — a violation of surfing etiquette and the most common cause of conflict in the water.
A technique for pushing your surfboard under an oncoming wave to get through the break zone without being washed back to shore.
Turning a sailing craft so the stern passes through the wind, changing the side the sail is on while continuing downwind. Also spelled gybing.
The area in the ocean where surfers wait for waves, typically just beyond where waves begin to break.
When a board reaches enough speed to skim across the water surface rather than pushing through it, dramatically reducing drag and increasing speed.
Turning a sailing craft through the wind so that the bow passes through the eye of the wind, switching the side the sail or kite is on.
The direction from which the wind is blowing. Sailing upwind means traveling toward the wind source, which requires zigzagging (tacking).
The total volume of a board measured in liters, which determines how much flotation and buoyancy it provides in the water.
The horizontal bar a kitesurfer holds to steer the kite and control its power, connected to the kite by two or four flying lines.
The number, size, and placement of fins on the underside of a board, which controls tracking, stability, and maneuverability in the water.
A waist or seat harness worn by kitesurfers and windsurfers to hook into the control system, transferring the pull of the kite or sail from the arms to the body's core.
A vertical pole or strut used in windsurfing to support the sail, or in foiling as the connection between the board and the underwater wings.
The curve of a board from nose to tail when viewed from the side. More rocker helps in steep waves, while less rocker increases speed on flat water.
A neoprene suit that traps a thin layer of water against your skin, which your body heats to provide thermal insulation in cold water.
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