Journal Surf Booking · Lire la mer
Left, right, beach break: the dictionary that unlocks the line-up
Cet article n'est pas encore en français. Tu le lis en anglais.
When the instructor shouts 'go left!', which way is that? Surf vocabulary in ten terms, properly explained. 24 août 2026 · 1 min de lecture
Surfing has its own vocabulary and nobody hands you the glossary. Here it is — the ten terms you'll hear in week one.
The sides
Left and right are named from the surfer's point of view, facing the beach. A "right" breaks to YOUR right on the wave — from the sand it runs left. Yes, everyone gets confused at first.
The bottoms
- Beach break — sand. Where you learn: falling is soft
- Point break — breaks at the same spot, runs long
- Reef break — rock or slab. More predictable, more serious. Ericeira is famous for these
Parts of the wave
- Peak — where it starts breaking
- Wall — the open face you ride
- Whitewater — the broken wave, the beginners' gym
- Set — waves arrive in groups; counting sets is your first superpower