The Ultimate Guide to Surfing Vocabulary in Spanish

If you love surfing, at some point you’ll want to surf in Latin American famous beaches for surfers, and that means you need to learn some surfing vocabulary in Spanish. 

Surfing is much more than a beautiful sport, and for those who practice it, it becomes more of a lifestyle. 

In this lesson, I’ll introduce you to the surfing lifestyle, how to speak like a surfer in Spanish, and guide you through the essential surfing vocabulary in Spanish about equipment, waves, verbs, and more! 

The Surfing Lifestyle

If you have ever surfed, have a surfer friend, or have simply paid attention while walking through a beach frequented by surfers, you already know that “surfing is not a sport, but a lifestyle.” 

There’s something almost mystical about surfing that those who practice it feel a strong attachment to it, something that goes beyond what most people feel for a simple sport. 

Speaking Like a Surfer in Spanish

Besides being a complete lifestyle, surfing also has its own language. A set of very specific surfing terms have to be mastered by those who aspire to join this way of living, and although that language is global, it’s expressed with different words in different countries. 

Some of the best surfing beaches in the world are located in Spanish-speaking countries. So, if you plan to go surfing in Spanish, you need to learn to speak like a surfer in Spanish. For this reason, I’ve prepared this ultimate guide to surfing vocabulary in Spanish for you!

Surfing Vocabulary in Spanish

Although in many cases, the English surfing terms are also spoken in Latin America, if you really want to integrate yourself with the local surfers in Spanish-speaking countries, you need to learn enough surfing words in Spanish. 

I’ve divided this surfing vocabulary in Spanish into 5 categories to make it easier for you to learn it.

Let’s start with how to say surfing board in Spanish, including all its parts, and then explore a few other equipment parts.

Surfing Equipment in Spanish

Those are the parts of the all important surfboard in Spanish. Now, let’s learn some other parts of important surfing equipment in Spanish. 

Additional Surfing Equipment in Spanish

A crucial part of surfing is the wave. Without waves, there’s no surfing. Needless to say, the different types of waves and their parts have specific names in Spanish. 

Waves Vocabulary in Spanish

And now, some additional surfing vocabulary related to the waves. 

Additional Waves Vocabulary in Spanish

This may sound a bit odd, “location surfing terms,” but it is important to understand the context of that phrase. Surfers all over the world refer to the location they visit with different terms that help them to move easily around the beach and in the ocean. 

Let’s learn some of these specific terms usually employed by passionate surfers. 

Location Surfing Terms in Spanish

One of the main things to learn about this lifestyle is how to say surfing in Spanish. You might be surprised to learn that in Spanish we use basically the same word to refer to the action of surfing: surfear. 

Although surfear is the most important surfing verb in Spanish, there are other useful verbs that you need to learn. 

Surfing Verbs in Spanish

Surfing Idioms and Expressions in Spanish

Finally, let me introduce you to some of the most common surfing idioms and expressions in Spanish. 

Hay mucho viento. 
There’s a lot of wind. 

¿Qué tal las olas?
How are the waves?

¿Quieres surfear?
Do you want to surf?

¿Hacia dónde rompen las olas? 
Which way are the waves breaking?

¿Tienes un poco de cera?
Do you have some wax?

Go Surfing and Practice Your Spanish

After learning this surfing vocabulary you’re ready to visit the stunning Latin American beaches that surfers around the world love! Speak Spanish to make your trips to Spanish-speaking countries easier, communicate directly with the locals, and integrate better into their surfing groups. 
Practice your surfing vocabulary in Spanish by signing up for a free class with one of our certified, native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala. They teach over 24,000 actively enrolled students every month, and offer flexible scheduling.

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Luis F. Dominguez

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Luis F. Domínguez is a freelance writer and independent journalist interested in travel, languages, art, books, history, philosophy, politics and sports. He has written for Fodor’s, Yahoo!, Sports Illustrated, Telemundo, and Villa Experience, among other brands of print and digital media in Europe and North America.

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