Wanderworld

I’ve never tried surfing before; last year I was meaning to do so but never really got around to it. So while planning my  post-birthday beach celebration a month ago (yes, this is a really late post, sorry), I figured, why not make that idea a reality this time. And I had the perfect reason too: I just turned a year older so I had to try something new.

The destination: Baler.

Baler is a famous destination in the Philippines because of its surfing beach, Sabang Beach. It’s frequented by amateur or first-time surfers (like me) because the size of its waves are just right for beginners (at least in the morning until the afternoon), though some professional surfers do come here too like Luke Landrigan (and yes, you’ll see Jericho Rosales here too).

So how was it like surfing in Baler for a first-timer like me? Here are some tips:

• Never make the same mistake that we did, which is to try to surf (for your first time) at around 5-5:30 pm because it’s high tide already and the waves are really huge (and angry) at this time, not to mention scary. Since we went on a tour right after we arrived and then relaxed (hmmm) in our room afterward, we only got around to surfing late in the afternoon.

• Paddling to the spot where I was supposed to surf was a struggle already because of the huge waves coming my way. I had to hold on to my guide so I wouldn’t be washed out every time a wave approached. I was too exhausted even before I got the chance to try and stand on my board and surf. Suffice it to say that after several failed (and scary) attempts, I gave up before my 1 hr of surfing lesson was up and took a rest on the shore while the boyfriend tried to brave the waves a couple of minutes more.

• Obviously, it’s best to surf in the morning when the waves are way calmer and just right for beginners. As I mentioned in my previous post, we got to surf again on our second day because of our little misadventure, which was a blessing in disguise in a way. On our second try, we finally got to “learn” to surf, or at least managed to stand on the surfboard for a couple of seconds before we were washed out. Haha!

For me, it helped that my guide was very patient and an excellent teacher. He pointed out my mistakes and even taught me a technique on how to stand on the board before the wave washed me out. The result? I got to surf all the way to the shore (which I believe is the measure of success, haha!) several times. Too bad our photographer didn’t capture it though.

Ultimately, our misadventure in the early morning turned out to be an awesome new adventure before we went back home. We probably will come back again just for surfing alone. ❤

**Our surfing lessons cost Php 300 per hour w/ guide and board. The normal cost though is Php 350. Depends on your charms, I guess. Haha. We gave a huge tip to our guides too, which they well deserve. 😉