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What does Lola mean for surfing?

Author

Emma Payne

Published Jan 23, 2026

LOLA, the Surfline swell model that spurred a forecasting revolution, is retiring after 20 years. The brainchild of Sean Collins and William O'Reilly, LOLA provided timely and accurate forecasts for millions of surfers around the world over the past two decades.

What does Lotus mean for surfing?

LOTUS is our new forecasting model; the successor of LOLA. This new forecast model combines cutting edge prediction technology with NOAA's Wavewatch III source code to give you more accurate wave forecasts.

What are some surfing sayings?

"I surf because..." I believe, "Surfing is life; the rest is details." Surfing has several rules, too. When "Surf's up," you'll simply "Drop in, pull in, kick out." Once you're "Shooting the curl," don't forget: "A bad day surfing is better than a good day working."

How do surfers say cool?

Exclamatory slang

It's an exclamation of zeal, also meaning cool or impressive (i.e. “that bottom turn was sick bro”). Stoked: Pronounced like “soaked” but with a “T.” It means pure excitement (i.e. Surfer 1: “how stoked are you to hit the waves today?” Surfer 2: “beyond stoked”).

What do the PS mean in surfing?

Para Surfing Prone 1 PS-P1 Surfers who ride waves in a prone position. Para Surfing Prone 2. PS-P2. Surfers who ride waves in a prone position and need assistance to paddle into waves and while in the water.

33 related questions found

Why do surfers wake up early?

There's another relevant reason for waking up early for surfing. Only the early morning (6-10 am) sun rays will provide you with health benefits, including Vitamin D, detoxification, mood elevation via serotonin, immunity and digestion improvements, and effective protection against multiple skin problems.

Why do surfers go so early in the morning?

Wind. Wind in the morning is usually lightest, meaning many surfers try to get up early and hit the waves as soon as they can. This is a good idea because wind can destroy waves for surfing, especially small ones. This is because the wrong wind can make waves break less evenly and become more difficult for surfing.

What is a surfer girl called?

Wahine – Female surfer.

What is a male surfer called?

Example of Kook or Barney

Bro – dude, brother, surfer—can be both male or female.

Do surfers say gnarly?

The word "gnarly" is one of the most commonly used expressions in surf slang. Wave riders have been using it for decades. When the swell is pumping, and surfers are shredding out-the-back, then we know something gnarly is taking place.

What do surfers call their boards?

In addition to the basic “longboard” and “shortboard,” surfboard brands and shapers have long been giving fun names to their various board shapes (“egg,” “fish” or “gun”—sound familiar?).

What do surfers call riding a wave?

The classic surfing maneuver, carving is basically what turning on a wave is called. Carve is also an European surf magazine. A surfer who is caught inside is too far in, and the waves are breaking further out.

What do surfers call a good wave?

Set waves are large waves that come in groups of two or more. They are generally the most highly sought after waves in any swell. This is because they offer more power and longer rides. Speaking like a surfer will involve talking about set waves.

What is the swell period?

In simplest terms, swell period refers to the timing of a set waves that are coming in. According to Surfline, “By definition, swell period/interval is the time required for one complete wavelength to pass a fixed point, and it is given in seconds.”

How do you read a surf tide?

Surfline's surf quality scale

- 1 = FLAT: No waves mean no surfing. - 2 = VERY POOR: The forecast may include words like "lack of surf," "bad," or even "very stormy." - 3 = POOR: Due to wind and a poor tide, there are only some fair waves to surf this morning. - 4 = POOR to FAIR: Low to average waves.

What do the seconds mean in surf reports?

Wave period is measured in seconds and is the gap between one wave and the next. Simply said the wave period is the amount in seconds that pass between each wave. The higher the wave period, the more energy in the swell and so the larger the wave and more often than not this results in better quality waves for surfing.

What is a kook in surfing?

Kook, noun. Pronunciation: kük : An individual with no understanding of the social and sartorial norms of surfing. In the water, a kook's cluelessness can aggravate or endanger other surfers; on occasion, kooks can even be recognized solely by the faux pas they commit out of the ocean.

What language do surfers speak?

Surf culture. Surf culture has developed its own form of language. This language is basically slang, which only members of the surf community can understand, thus successfully excluding itself and its members from the wider society.

What does ripping mean in surfing?

ripping (v) – surfing very well. wipeout (n) – the act of falling off one's surfboard. eat it (v) – to fall off one's surfboard. hang ten (v) – to hang all of one's toes off the front of a surfboard while longboarding. closeout (n) – the condition when all parts of a wave break at once, “closing out” the surfer.

Why do surfers say Yew?

This refers to a feeling of enthusiasm or exhilaration towards the waves breaking. Another widely used term for surfers is "YEW!", which is an indicator that a large wave has been spotted, however mostly shouted while a surfer is catching or has recently finished riding a wave.

What is surfing called in Hawaii?

Surfing originated in the region we now call Polynesia but was the most advanced and documented in Hawaii. Originally called wave sliding, this sport was more than just casual fun for both genders. It had a lot of societal and spiritual meaning to the people, making it vastly important to their culture.

What is shredding a wave?

Shred / shredding – This is when a surfer gets a lot of spray with big turns that essentially shred or cut up the clean water on the wave using their surfboard. To shred is therefore the ability to have such control over your board that you master turns over the sections of the wave with great confidence.

Why do surfers drag their hand in the wave?

Hand Dragging

Whenever you're going too fast and heading into the shoulder of the wave, drag your hand - or even both - in the face of the wave to slow down the speed. For example, if you're in the barrel, get your inside hand in the water, and grab your outside rail with the other hand.

What is the swell in surfing?

WHAT IS SWELL? Swell is energy that has been transferred into the sea by wind. The longer and stronger the wind blows (like a hurricane) the more energy that is transferred and so larger the swell. This energy then propagates from where it is created out into the ocean, much like ripples in a pond.

What tide is best for surfing?

The best tide for surfing in most cases is low, to an incoming medium tide. Keep in mind low-tide on shallow surf breaks jack the waves up higher, leaving less room between the water's surface and ocean bottom. Always know the area you're surfing and avoid shallow reef and rock obstacles if possible.