Surfing Glossary

Wave and break terms

Point break — a wave that breaks along a rocky or sandy point jutting into the ocean, typically producing a long, peeling wall rather than a short closeout. Jeffreys Bay is a classic example, covered in our Jeffreys Bay guide.
Right-hander — a wave that breaks from the surfer's right to left when facing the shore. JBay Wave Rider's endless wave is modeled as a right-hander.
Barrel / tube — the hollow, cylindrical section formed when a wave pitches forward over itself, briefly enclosing the surfer.
Set — a group of waves arriving together, usually larger than the waves between sets.
Swell — the underlying wave energy traveling toward shore, which determines wave size and quality once it reaches a break.

Wipeout — falling off the board, ending a ride. It's also literally the term shown on JBay Wave Rider's game-over screen.
Carve — a smooth, curved turn along the wave face, using the rail of the board to change direction.
Trick — in JBay Wave Rider, the pop-up move used to clear low obstacles; in real surfing, any aerial or board maneuver performed on a wave.
Line — the specific path a surfer chooses along the wave face, from crest to trough.

Combo — a running multiplier built by chaining coins and near-misses without wiping out. Full detail in our combo and scoring guide.
Near-miss — clearing an obstacle by a narrow margin, which pays a bonus toward your combo.
Speed tier — the stage of wave speed a run has reached, shown by the wave-meter in the HUD.

For how these terms play out in-game, see our how to play guide; for the real wave that inspired the game, see our Jeffreys Bay surfing guide and history of Jeffreys Bay.