Off-the-lip
An advanced move when a surfer turns the surfboard up to meet the lip of the wave as it is coming down. Similar to "hitting the lip".

Oh Shiz
What one might say when he looks past the incoming wave and sees one of the biggest waves of the day.

Old School
Pertaining to something that has been done for some time. The style of legendary surfers is a good reference to old school.

Oliver McCrevice
A kook who spews tales of huge airs and twenty second barrels. Unfortunately, Oliver seems to be the only one around when in the water when these take place.

Ollie
A no handed air move where a surfer leaves the water while maintaining control of his board and ultimately landing and riding out the move.

Olo
A type of surfboard, sixteen to eighteen feet in length and made of Koa or wiliwili wood, used by Hawaiian royalty to surf prior to their overthrow in the late 19th century; the basis for the design of Tom Blake's hollowboard (see hollowboard).

One Handed Grab Air
When a surfer leaves launches vertically off the wave and grabs a rail with only one hand.

One and Done
To catch one last wave before leaving the line up.

One Eighty (180)
To spin a board from surfing nose-first to tail-first or vice versa.

Onions
Round circular dings in a surfboard that are usually caused by an impact from something or someone that's blunt. So named because they resemble the layers of an onion cut on cross section.

Onshore
Winds that blow from the ocean toward the shore. Onshore winds over 8 knots create bumps and chop on the water, making for ugly surfing conditions.

Opening His Account
When a surfer catches his first wave during a heat of a contest, he's said to be "opening his account."

Opuu
An extremely large and powerful swell. Typically spawned by a Tsunami or other very strong low pressure wind system spawning large waves like those that Hawaii experiences in the winter months.

Orbitsville
To launch off the lip and land on the back of breaking wave.

Oscillatory
A wave type where energy propagates with only a small forward movement of the actual water particles taking place. Often consider as wave drift or mass transport.

Out-the-Back
see Outside.

Outline
The defining shape of a surfboard from nose to tail as seen from the deck or bottom. Outline is the first step in a designer's work, and can be gauged accurately by measuring width from rail to rail at various points along the board. Also known as the template, or template curve.

Outside
The area outside of the lineup or break line where surfers in the lineup initially observe sets of waves as they approach. Often a term used to warn other surfers in the lineup that a new set of waves is approaching. "Outside!" Same as "out-the-back" (often used by Australian surfers.)

Over It
To be less enthusiastic about something that was once more important.

Over the falls
The worst kind of wipeout. A surfer is sucked back over the top of the wave as it breaks, and free-falls down with the lip-the most powerful part of the wave. This type of wipeout can cause bad injuries because the surfer will likely hit the reef or ocean floor.

Overall Height and Period
The significant wave height and dominant wave period that is traditionally reported from the offshore buoys. Significant wave height is the average height of the highest one-third of the waves. When both swell and wind wave energies are present, it will equal the square root of the sum of the squares of the swell energy and wind wave energy. Dominant wave period is the period with maximum energy, which may be swell or wind wave energy. Example: A buoy reporting 15 feet at 10 seconds could be monitoring a multitude of different swells to equal 15 feet, but the dominant swell at that location has a swell period of 10 seconds. That does not mean there is a 15-foot swell with a swell period of 10 seconds, although it could. Best bet would be to use Surfline's LOLA buoy information to decipher exactly the size and energy of each swell.

Overamped
An overabundance of misguided or misdirected energy. Similar to "Jones'n."

Overhead
Wave heights that are great than the height of the surfer on the wave. Often used as a measurement scale of waves such as 2 feet overhead, three feet overhead, double

Owned
When the wave overtakes you and you get wiped out bad.

Oxygen Debt
What a surfer experiences after getting badly worked or enduring a really long hold-down.