During my three-day stay in Seagrove Beach last weekend, I saw lots of kids and teenagers trying out a somewhat newfangled sport called kite boarding. Or wake boarding? No, skin boarding. I don’t know! They had this little board, and they would throw it down and then rid the wave “spittle” on the beach as the wave completely petered out. Sometimes they would go ten feet, sometimes twenty, and sometimes they would face plant. That’s when I would cover my mouth to stifle my giggle. But, it’s really hard to make fun of someone when 1)You have no idea what the name for what they’re doing is and 2)You would also probably without any doubt in the world faceplant, too. And probably into a shallow herd of jelly fish, because that’s just your luck.

After realizing my ignorance between all the different type of board sports out there, I decided to post a little glossary for you. That way, the next time you’re at the beach and you see a wake boarder, you can say “Dude! That wake boarder is really cutting it up!” instead of “Wow! That um, guy, out there on that board thingy is really, doing whatever that is, really well!”

Wake Boarding

1. Wake Boarding

From what I understand, wake boarding is kind of like snowboarding on water. You’re pulled by boat, but instead of having two skis like you would in water skiing, your feet are both attached to what looks like a small boogie board. Those guys doing the crazy flips and tricks while being pulled behind a boat? Yep, those are most likely wake boarders. Those tricks are a lot harder to do when water skiing because your legs could potentially fly in different directions, which makes landing the trick less than ideal. Oh, and you don’t usually have a ramp in the middle of the water like this guy. That’s cheating.

2. Kite Boarding (AKA Kite Surfing)

Kite Surfing (Or Kite Boarding)

Kite surfing is really hard to get the hang of, I think. You have a kite sail thingy that looks like a parachute that’s attached to this harness you wear. Your feet are attached to a board. You have to let the wind pull you around on the ocean and sometimes, the kite can pull you way, way way up in the air — 30 feet or more. That’s when you hope you know what you’re doing. We watched this poor girl in the photo try to kite surf for well over and hour before we finally left. Oh, and this is completely different from wind surfing.

Some skimboarding action

3. Skim Boarding

This is what I watched all the kids try in Seagrove Beach. It looks really fun, actually. You throw down a small board towards the end of the wave on the shoreline and then jump on it, riding the ripples as far as you can. Some people apparently skim board in the ocean as well, but I’m not sure how that works. I will try this the next time I am at the beach. With knee and elbow pads.

Paddleboarding -doesn't it look fun?

4. Paddle Boarding

Paddle boarding got its start in the Hawaiian islands a long time ago, and it’s more recently spread to the mainland. Basically, you balance yourself on a long surfboard while standing up and then paddle away using a long oar. It’s a very good workout for the core muscles. And, you’ll look super cool while doing it. Much easier to get the hang of than surfing.

Wheee! Boogie boarding is easy to learn and is a blast

5. Boogie Boarding (AKA Bodyboarding)

I probably don’t have to define this for most of you, but just in case — boogie boarding is when you use a big body board and ride the waves to shore! It’s totally worth it to invest in a good one (i.e. more expensive one). The cheap ones you get a the drug store won’t work well, but if you spend $40-$50 on one, the bottom will be made of a much better gliding material that makes riding waves a breeze. Trust me on this one – you won’t believe the difference! I used to boogie board all the time in San Diego, especially in Oceanside where the waves were bigger.

Photos: WhatsUpMartha, EronsPics, Jenny Bengen-Albert, GJ Imageworks, ingridtaylar