A-frame

Aaberg, Denny

Aaberg, Kemp

Abberton, Koby

Abbruzzi, Sid

Abellira, Reno

Abubo, Megan

academia and surfing

Adler, Tom

advertising and surfing

Aeder, Erik

aerial

Aguerre, Fernando

Aichner, Scott

Aikau, Clyde

Aikau, Eddie

Aipa, Ben

air-drop

airbrush

Airshow

Ala Moana

Alabama

alaia board

Alaska

alcohol and surfing

Alexander, Kala

Allen, Chuck

Alms, Paige

aloha shirt

Alter, Hobie

Alvarez, Pepe

Ancell, Kevin

Andaman Islands

Andersen, Lisa

Anderson, Craig

Anderson, Simon

Andino, Kolohe

Angel, Jose

angle

Angola

Angourie

Antarctica

Apocalypse Now

Arabian Sea

Aragon, Janice

Arakawa, Eric

Archbold, Matt

Arena, Eduardo

Ashton, Juan

Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP)

Atlantic Ocean

August, Robert

Aurness, Rolf

Auster, Ken

Australia

Avalon, Frankie

Azores

backdoor

backside

backside attack, Pipeline

backwash

bail out

Bain, Rob

Baja California

Baker, Bernie

Baker, Grant “Twiggy”

Baker, Tim

Bali

Ball, John “Doc”

Ballard, Bill

Ballard, Rochelle

balsa

Baltic Sea

Banks, Jim

Barbados

Barilotti, Steve

Barland, Michel

Barreda, Sergio “Gordo”

Barry, Michael

Bartholomew, Wayne

Baxter, Jackie

Bay of Bengal

Beach Boys, The

Beacham, Debbie

beachboys

beachbreak

Beachcomber Bills Grand Prix

Beachley, Layne

beavertail

Becker, Phil

Bedford-Brown, Stuart

Belgium

Bells Beach

Bendall, Ma and Pa

Bennett, Barry

Benson, Becky

Benson, Blanche

Benson, Linda

Bermuda

Bertlemann, Larry

Abandoning a surfboard in one of two ways. 1) Jumping off during a ride; almost always performed as a last-second alternative to wiping out. This type of bail out is in fact a controlled wipeout. 2) Diving off one side of the board after getting caught inside; that is, trapped while paddling out toward a nonnegotiable breaking wave.

The bail out—either kind—is a common occurence for beginning surfers and a fairly regular occurrence for intermediates and even experts. Before the development of the surf leash in the early 70s, a bail out was almost always followed by a board-retrieving swim to the beach. Surfing's stringent code of cool has meanwhile seen to it that the surfer who bails out, rather than iron-grip his board come what may, should be made to feel a sense of shame. In 1995 surf journalist Sam George likened the bail out to masturbation. "The key here—as with that other embarrassing urge we seldom talk about—is to do it seldom, get it over with quick, and don't let anybody catch you doing it."

"Bail out," or "bail," is also surf jargon synonym for "leave" or "go," as in "Happy Hour just ended, let's bail and get some Mexican food."

Subscribe or Login

Encyclopedia of Surfing

Encyclopedia of Surfing