If you have been to Hawaii (probable birthplace of surfing) then you are familiar with the greeting HOWZIT, Hawaiian for "How Is it".

A SPONGER is a term surfers use for those who surf "Boogie Boards" - considered uncool by all, but spongers.

BRO and BRUDDAH are again Hawaiian lingo references for "brother", pal etc.

BREATHING RESIN FUMES - refers to the process of building surfboards. Fiberglass cloth is soaked in an activated resin that emits nasty fumes and requires one to wear a gas mask, one of the main reasons I left that line of work.

DAWN PATROL going to surf at the crack of dawn when offshore winds prevail and the lineup is less crowded with kooks. Most hard core surfers and those of us who also have a job tend to be there early.

GETTING CAUGHT INSIDE being in the break zone of the waves when a monster set comes in. You are not a true surfer unless you have experienced (and survived) this life and death situation or at least mastered the art of telling your surf buddies about it in a convincing manner. OCEAN BEACH, in San Francisco is known as a spot with a nasty beach break that tests a surfer's resolve to paddle past the breakers and get to the lineup.

PURA VIDA is an expression used mostly in Costa Rica. It means "Pure Life" but in surfer lingo embodies the concept of simple, relaxed living in harmony with the Ocean.

A GROM, short for grommet, is someone who is just beginning to learn how to surf, also known as KOOKS. Older surfers like them for their enthusiasm (Although they will NOT admit it) but hate them for their tendency to paddle right into your path just as you are about to get tubed.