Surfspeak is best avoided unless you know what you’re talking about. So here’s a helping hand…

Grommet – A new surfer. Most often describes kid surfers, who are still exceptionally keen and unjaded. Can be very annoying and don’t sleep a lot.

In The Pit – when you’re being barrelled or taking one on the head. Heaven or hell, respectively.

Barrel – being in the tube, the hollow part of the wave. A very nice place to be indeed.

Lineup – where all the surfers congregate for the best waves at the break. Can be a place of brotherly love or territorial grunts.

Duckdive – this is what you do to get under the waves as they’re headed at you. It’s kind of self-explanatory.

Delam – left your board in the sun too long? See the glass on your board coming away from the foam? Well, that’s delam. And it’s not a good thing.

Epic Session – basically, you had a great surf. Use it on friends who missed out.

The Green Room – Getting barrelled. So called because in nice warm countries the water tends to be green. Perhaps we should call it The Cold Silty Brown Room in the UK.

Offshore – Favourable winds for surfers. When blowing off from the shore (out to sea), it tends to clean up the waves and make it all rather pretty. Be aware though, if the wind is too strong offshore, then that’s where you’ll be headed too.