# Cutback

> A turn back towards the breaking part of the wave, used to stay close to the power when you've ridden too far onto the shoulder.

**What "cutback" means in surfing:** A turn back towards the breaking part of the wave, used to stay close to the power when you've ridden too far onto the shoulder.

**Category:** Riding

## Related words

- [Bottom turn](https://surfslang.com/bottom-turn): The turn at the bottom of the wave after the drop.
- [Shoulder](https://surfslang.com/shoulder): The part of the wave that hasn't broken yet, sloping away from the peak.

---

Source: [Cutback](https://surfslang.com/cutback) on Surfslang.com, the surf slang glossary. Full glossary: https://surfslang.com/llms.txt