So you’re pretty sure you’re going to end up buying one of our Billabong Intruder wetsuits since you know your women and men’s wetsuit terminology and can see it’s a great piece of surf clothing – but how are you on your wave terminology?
Fear not! Whether you’ve just forgotten the surfing terms or are new to them, we’ve got all the necessary information for your surf-going needs.
Wave terms
There are three places you are most likely to ride a wave or perform tricks on the water and those are the wave’s face, lip, and barrel (also known as tube).
The face of the wave is the flat front of the water which rises to the curved lip of the wave at the top.
When the lip of the wave curls over to touch the bottom-most part of the face, then you get a barrel (tube) which is basically a tunnel of water which can be surfed through before it closes up.
If you suffer a closeout while in the barrel of the wave, or up on top, then you might find yourself under a lot of water, or unable to surf, because a closeout means that the wave breaks at the same time along its whole length. This is also known as shutting down and it might mean that you have to give up trying to catch a wave that day.
The best waves to catch are offshore waves, which are created when the wind is blowing towards the water from off the beach. The opposite of those are onshore waves, which are created when the wind blows towards the shore from off the water. They result in crumbly waves, which mean that the lip of the wave does not hold its shape long enough, and they’re not good for surfers.
Another thing which could ruin your surf session is wind chop – that’s when lots of little waves are created on the water.
Buying a great wetsuit
We always hope that the waves are offshore, don’t shut down, and don’t get spoilt by wind chop, but one thing we don’t have to hope for is that you’ll enjoy being the proud owner of one of the many Billabong Intruder wetsuits we have in stock.
That’s because it’s a great piece of gear made by a well-known manufacturer from high-quality materials.
So, if your mind is set on a certain wetsuit which we have on our webpages, simply have a look at our size guide so that you’re wetsuit fits you like a glove and add your item to your basket. However, if you have any questions about our wetsuits or other items, you are welcome to fill in a contact form and we will answer your question as soon as possible.
Happy browsing, happy buying and happy surfing everyone!
