Papa Hee Nalu
A surfboard. Literally, a board for sliding waves. Translation - to give with the understanding the board would be returned. Boards were loaned rather than given.

Parabola
Rudimentary geometric shape, applied to surfboard construction. Shaped as a cone with a plane running parallel to one of its sides.

Panels
Neoprene is cut into sheets that are formed to various parts of the body and then joined together at the seams. Panel development is ongoing and fierce, as rubber gets more and more flexible; fewer panels (and fewer seams, always a good thing) are needed.

Parafin
Petroleum based substance originally rendered to manufacture candles, and particular pharmaceuticals. During the pioneering days of surf riding, it was the original surface adhesion material.

Paralax
Process surfers use to line up the ideal takeoff spot for a break. When at the peak he identifies two stationary objects on the same line of sight, one near and the other farther away. As he moves off the peak, the objects will move out of alignment which allows him to know exactly where he is in relation to the ideal takeoff spot. Process is similar to "Triangulate" where a third reference point is added. Useful at heavy breaks or spots where the takeoff is especially critical.

Park It
When a surfer slows his/ her surfboard by bragging their trailing foot to position himself in pocket of a peeling, throwing bomb in order to catch time in the Green Room, pit, barrel, etc.

Park Off
To chill out. When you park off, you sit down and relax...chill out.

Party Wave
A large enough wave to accommodate several surfers at once.

Peacin' 
To exit, head out, leave or "take off."

Peak
A) A wave with a distinctly higher central point of the wave, tapering down smaller toward the shoulders or sides of the wave. A peak will offer rides to go both left and right with most rides starting from the center of the peak. Similar to an A-Frame. B) When a swell is at its maximum size.

Peak periods
The swell period with the most energy during a wave or swell event. Typically a swell will initially arrive with lower energy in the longer swell periods, peak with maximum energy in the swell period a few seconds less than the initial swell period, and then the energy will slowly drop in the lower swell periods.

Peaky Lines
A combination of Lined Up and Peaky-the wave is a long line connecting across the beach with defined peaks at spread along it. You can take off at any of the peaks and usually get some sort of ride before the smaller sections between the peaks start to close out. Generally, there is one dominant direction with longer rides in one direction, and shorter rides in the other direction.

Pearl
A wipeout where the nose or front of the surfboard goes under the water, usually when dropping into a steep part of a wave. (After "pearl diving".)

Pearllitis
The propensity to drop into a wave and have the nose of the surfboard bury under water thus causing the rider to be pitched out from the face of the breaking wave. Generally resulting in the surfer being worked or rag dolled.

Peeling
A wave condition in which the wave breaks perfectly from takeoff all the way down the line, the lip creating a curve or arc of similar angle from start to finish.

Period
See interval or swell period.

Perro
A surfer who demonstrates he/she's no good at it.

Pet the Cat
The act of surfing down the line of a breaking wave face while dragging ones hand on its face.

Phazer
A type of surfboard design with golfball-like dimples on the bottom. The dimples are intended to create air pockets underneath the board, which would lessen water drag to make the surfboard faster.

Philbin 
Short for Regis Philbin. A person who is the captain of cheese.

Pickle
A rounded fun board type shape. Usually in the seven to eight and a half for range. Works best in surf between two to four feet and can have any tail shape including a swallow, rounded pin, or squash tail. Synonym: Fun Shape, Egg Shape, Fun Board.

Pidgin
Pidgin is the street language of the Hawaiian Islands and other islands in the Pacific, where a variety of European, Asian and native cultures mix. In linguistic terms, pidgin is a simplified version of some language, often augmented by features from other languages. A pidgin typically arises in colonial situations and is used solely as a trade language. Unlike Creoles, pidgins do not have native speakers.