Will any surfers PLEASE answer this?!!!?

Question

what does it mean when surfers yell ''OUTSIDE!"

Answer 1

it means there is an outside set rolling in

Answer 2

It means there's a big wave coming.  

Waves come in sets.  There are usually 2-4 bigger waves and then a break or lull in wave height, then after a few minutes another set comes.  

When someone yells "outside" it means there's a bigger, set wave that's forming outside, or away from the shore.  

Sometimes it's a safety thing, like if there haven't been a lot of big waves, and everyone is sitting in the inside (closer to the beach), and a big wave comes, all those people could get hurt.  So, someone yells "outside" as a warning to start paddling outside, and quick.  

If the wave isn't THAT big and there's no real danger, the person might choose to keep it to themselves, and purposfully NOT yell outside, so they can paddle out and into possition and go for and catch the wave with little or no competition.  

Surfers out in the water sometimes move like one creature.  If one person starts paddling out, maybe they see something you don't, so you start paddling out.  Then the guy next to you sees both of you paddling out, and he thinks something for sure is coming, so he paddles out, and before you know it everyone is paddling out, even though there may not even be a big one coming!  :)  If you really pay attention, it's funny to watch.  :)