Surfing in the Philippines

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Pagudpud beach blue sea aerial view

Pagudpud

Ilocos Norte
Pagudpud will take your breath away with its luscious beaches, seas, green hills, rice paddies, and even historical sites. Aside from the astonishing sites, Ilocanos will give you their warm welcome and hospitality as you enjoy your stay.
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San Juan, La Union, Philippine sea coast beach

San Juan

La Union
Known as the surfing capital of the north, San Juan is a highly sought-after town in the province of La Union, Ilocos Region.
Local CultureRestaurants & BarsSurfing
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Sohoton Cove in Bucas Grande, Siargao

Siargao Island

Surigao Del Norte
Beautiful white sand beaches, clear waters, exotic wildlife, large mangrove forests, enchanting lagoons... Siargao has it all!
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Surfing spot in Sabang Beach Baler

Baler

Aurora
Baler is known as the “birthplace of surfing in the Philippines”. This makes it the perfect destination for adventurers looking for a safe haven.
NatureLocal CultureSurfing Hiking
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Aerial shot coastal beach

Calicoan Island

Eastern Samar
Calicoan Island is situated in a town in Guiuan that is located in the Eastern Samar province. The Island is bounded by Leyte Gulf on the west side and the Pacific Ocean on the east side. The place comes with rich biodiversity.
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Bantayan Island White sand clear blue water

Bantayan Island

Cebu
Bantayan Island is a beautiful island that is known as one of the most breathtaking islands in the world. It is best known for its powdery white sand and immaculately clear waters.
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The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines is located in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. It's a country composed of 7,641 islands with an overall land area of 300,000 square kilometers and 36,289 kilometers of shoreline, making it the world's fifth-largest island country and maritime nation. With islands surrounded and facing the pacific many places are the best destinations for surfing in the Philippines.

The Philippines has the largest sea surface area covered in the world so it's no wonder that it was included on the Trips To Discover website as one of the top 12 Countries with the Best Beaches, not only it's known for its stunning coastlines and picturesque blue-green ocean and nowadays surfing has been a very popular activity for tourists even to locals. Among the "crowd's favorite" is Cloud 9 on Siargao Island, with a shallow razor-sharp coral and strong reef break, be it you're an amateur or professional this destination made people experience the thrill of this paradise crashing waves of right and left death rides.

If we go back in history, it is said that surfing was brought to the Philippine island by US servicemen in the 1960s, but not until in the late 70's that it became popular. It was a movie called "Apocalypse Now" by Francis Ford Coppola an American film director, producer, and screenwriter that it was filmed in the beautiful province of Baler, Aurora. Locals came to watch the entire filming and were introduced to the Americans and surfboards. As it was reported, when Coppola and his crew flew back to the US they left all their surfboard which locals took them instantly and taught themselves, at that point surf culture in the Philippines was born.

When is the best time for surfing in the Philippines?

Surfing in the Philippines, whether you're a tourist or local, checking the weather is a must before diving unto your favorite outdoor activity. Summer in the Philippines is from March until May which is the best time to surf if you're only a beginner. However, for professional surfer looking for an exhilarating experience, North-East Monsoon which is usually from August to March is the perfect enjoyment of surfing. Surprisingly this is the best time to ride on your board as the typhoon occurs and comes with a great lift for the quality surf breaks.

Learning about Surfing

As the pandemic hits in the last 2 years everyone was anxious, scared, and getting stressed with the stay-at-home policy hence when the government lifted the travel restrictions, people flocked to the mountains, waterfalls, and beaches across the Philippines just to find solace. Surfing is one of the many top lists outdoor activities for people to unwind. Well, surfing is not an easy activity, it would take you 2-3 hours or a month or two to find the right balance and be able to stand on the surfboard. It's frustrating to perfect surfing, it's just that people nowadays don't like to be cope-up in their homes 24/7 as they wanted to do the opposite of their not-so-adventurous-life routine. As everyone says, YOLO!

Surfing has been a popular activity since the late 70s in the Philippines. However, surfing thrives in the country when the Philippines Surfing Championship Tour was held in Borongan City, Eastern Samar last December 2019. The competition was for local surfers to heighten their competitive skills to match with Indonesian and Japanese pros and to boost international and local surf business in the Philippines.

Surfing is a whole-body workout. It improves your cardiovascular fitness, strength and balance, not only it well benefit your body but also you're mental. Enjoying the scenic atmosphere that includes crystalizing blue-green ocean, picturesque beaches, and perfect surf breaks stabilizes your emotions.

It's really fun to learn, it's exhausting but eventually, it will be overshadowed by all the fun gravity you'll experience. Combining serotonin and adrenaline makes it a sudden reward of waves for surfers to feel good and want more.

If you're a beginner, here are a few tips to start learning surfing:

  1. Search for a beginner-friendly surf destination.
  2. Ready your mind, be a positive thinker
  3. Enroll in a surfing lesson to know basic techniques, like paddling, standing position, and riding on the waves
  4. Know the basic fundamental and water-safety process to advance your learning while keeping you safe.
  5. It's okay to fail! You're still in the 1st phase of learning, read step number 2.

Just a quick piece of information! Surf lesson price ranges from $10-$200 depending on the school, hours, and day of the package inclusions.

Can I learn to surf on my own and not spend too much money? Of course, you can! It's possible if you are a tenacious person, you have a balanced skill and strength in your arms and legs and are willing to learn surfing etiquette and know how to watch and feel the waves for your safety.

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