I heard somewhere about the names people from hawaii give to different kind of waves. Anyone know where can i found a link about that? Descriptions of those kind of waves and the names hawaiians give them?
Thx

Here ya go.... Not quite what you were after, but its a start.

The following list is a sampling of some ancient Hawaiian surf speak:


`ahua - A place close to shore where a broken wave rises and breaks again, known also as kipapa or puao.

alaia - A thin surfboard, wide in front and tapering toward the back, made of koa or breadfruit; also called omo.

halau - Surfboard shaping area; hula instructional center; canoe shed.

he`e - To slide, to surf.

he`e nalu - To ride a surfboard; surfing; literally wave sliding.

he`e pu`ewai - Toward the mouth of a stream, or up a stream.

he`e umauma - Body surfing.

heihei nalu - A surfboard race.

honua nalu - The base of a breaker.

huia - An especially high wave formed by the meeting of two crests, said to characterize the surf of Kaipaloaoa, Hawaii.

kaha - To surf; to body surf.

kaha nalu - Body surfing.

kakala - The surf in which an alaia board is used; a curling wave.

kiko`o - A 12-to-18-foot surfboard, good for surf that breaks roughly, but is hard to handle.

kioe - A small surfboard.

kipapa - The prone riding position; or, a place close to shore where a broken wave rises and breaks again.

kulana nalu - The place where a surfer paddles to catch a wave; usually the most distant line of breakers.

lala - Diagonal surf; or surfing diagonally to the front of the wave; a wave to the right; with muku, a wave to the left; or, the seaward side of a cresting wave.

lauloa - A long wave that crests and breaks from one end of the beach to the other.

lele wa`a - Canoe leaping; leaping from a canoe with a surfboard in order to ride the wave.

muku - The side of a wave near the crest; broken section of a wave; or, a wave to the left (see lala).

nalu - A wave; surf; full of waves; to form waves.

nala ha`i lala - A wave that breaks diagonally.

nalu puki - A wave that shoots high.

nalu-nalu - Rough; of a sea with high waves; to form high waves.

no ka pakaka ale - Gliding on the surf; probably refers mainly to canoe surfing. ' ohu - One of two kinds of surf ridden (the other is lauloa); a low, small wave that rises without breaking but with enough strength to carry a board; sometimes called opu'u.

olo - The long heavy surfboard reserved for chiefs; made primarily from wili wili.

omo - Another name for the alaia board.

onaula-loa - A wave of great length and endurance.

onini - A surfboard used by experts, difficult to manage; a thick board made of wili-wili; probably the same as olo.

opu`u - A large surf, a swell.

owili - A thick board of wili-wili; probably an olo.

pa-ha - A surfboard.

papa he`e nalu - A surfboard. Literally, a board for sliding waves. Ha'awi papa he'e nalu, to give with the understanding the board would be returned. Boards were loaned rather than given.

pu`ua - A Surfboard.

Al.

And heres some more info:

quote:

---

Hawaiians attached great mystique to the ocean and her moods. Not unlike the Eskimo, who utilizes several hundred words to relate forms and concepts of ice and snow, the Hawaiian people likewise assigned numerous persona and poetic metaphors to the ever changing sea, the kai.


She can be calm and quiet (kai malie),
or she can fume rough and raging (kai pupule).
More sensuous references identity streaked, whispering, and silent conditions.
Sometimes she swoons. Puna, "the spring" she of "pouty lips," was a coastal region known for her "sea rustling over pebbles". (Puna i ke kai nehe ka 'ili 'ili.)

---

thx m8.