Surigao City: Surfing Lesson in Siargao Island

Siargao Island left me breathless after my first trip in the Surfing Capital of the Philippines. With the invitation of some friends from Davao and Cagayan de Oro, I packed my bag and hit the bus heading towards Surigao City one more time.

We met up at the Butuan Bus Terminal Station at 3:00am and arrived in Surigao City at around 6:00am. We had our breakfast in one of the foodchains in the city proper. Since we missed the first trip, we waited until 10:00am for the next ferry bound to Siargao Island.

Upon arrival in Dapa Port, we hired two habal habal going to Gen.Luna and stayed in Ocean Pacific Inn near the surfing area, one of the cheapest accommodation in Siargao. At 3:00 pm, local residence and surfing professional Kyong recommended an instructor to us for our surfing lesson.

Surfing Made Easy ( Do this, not that!)

Though it was already my second time in Siargao, I wanted to be refreshed with the basic   do’s and don’t’s in surfing and these are the pointers I pondered:

• For beginner it is best to start with a long board to support the body weight.
• Putting a wax on the board is recommended to create extra grip on the foot of the surfer and to make it easy to maneuver the board over the waves.
• Finding your balance is important in surfing, so when you lay down put your chin at the midway of the board to create  equal gravity on the board.
• The weight on the board should be balanced .Too much weight on the back part would make the board cork. So you have to move an inch forward until the board lays even on the water.
• Paddling is made to create speed to the direction of the waves. It should be alternating hands instead of both hands.
• To stand up on the board is most important maneuver to remember.  You have to lie on with your chest and put your head up looking forward. Place your hands in the push up position on the level of your shoulders. When the waves pushed your board, push your body up while sweeping your feet sideways on the center of the board or they call it stringer. You have to keep your body low. If you stand erect  you will definitely fall from the board. Make sure that your feet have a good grip on the board. Keep your hands on side a little higher that your waste to keep you balance and always look forward and  not on your feet.
• If you feel that you are slowing down or falling just let your body  fall naturally.
• The most important advice is to keep you patience and enjoy what you are doing.

After the warm up and executing all the tips given to us , it’s time put our balance to the test. We hit the beach and swam towards the raging waves at the surfing site in Siargao. Since most of us are beginners, we asked the assistance of our instructors to guide and push our boards before  the raging waves.

It was all fun having the trial and error but it was a celebration among my friends who managed to stand over the surf board.  This surfing activity was a new addiction as I will long for it whenever I see a beach somewhere else and surely I will return to Siargao from time to time to check my progress in this  water “recreational” sports.

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