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So, What exactly counts as "INSTRUMENTAL SURF MUSIC"?

Good question. Some today find the "essence" of surf -- as distinct from other instrumental rock and roll -- in one or more aspects of Dick Dale's early '60s style: staccato melody lines played on the low strings of a Fender Stratocaster (or maybe a Jaguar or Jazzmaster), or the "wet" dripping sound of a heavily reverbed guitar. Dale was the first to feature the Fender reverb as a sound-modifier for the guitar. These sounds were said to capture the feel of riding the waves. But not all the original surf bands sounded just alike. Other bands evoked the spirit of the swelling surf by liberal use of the guitar's tremolo, or whammy bar. Rather than try to reduce a complex, evolved, and still-evolving style of music to a single defining characteristic, we should recognize that surf involves a combination of elements in proportions that can vary. We can put it in medical terms. Instrumental surf music is a syndrome -- a cluster of symptoms, no single one of which is necessary or sufficient for the diagnosis. The main symptoms are:

1. Small combo (electric guitar, bass, drums, and usually rhythm guitar; possibly electric piano or organ, or sax)
2. Prominent reverb on the lead or rhythm guitar (prime exemplar: the Astronauts), or extensive use of the guitar's vibrato, or whammy, bar (the Sentinels)
3. Short (usually under 3 minutes), catchy songs (this is a form of danceable rock and roll we're talking about)
4. A melody that is a picked or double-picked staccato (Dick Dale's style).
5. Surfing-related song titles (especially during the 1960-65 period).
6. No vocals (of course!).
7. Of lesser importance but still worth mentioning is the garden-variety "surf beat": double on the two, single on the four. mm-BA-DA mm-BA, mm-BA-DA mm-BA. For further discussion of this topic, see the introduction to John Blair's Illustrated Discography of Surf Music.