Surrounded by water on all sides and with virtually 7,107 islands to choose from, it is no wonder why the Philippines is a prime surfing destination.
Not long ago, Philippine coasts were basically fishing villages characterized with strips of rugged and untouched beaches covered with rolling waves roughly sweeping its coastlines. When surfing started becoming a part of the daily lives of the fishermen, the practice spread until more and more young people got into it. Major Philippine surfing destinations like Siargao pulled surfers from around the globe, but there continue to be many undiscovered coasts where there are even bigger surf as is the case with some Samar surf spots.
Surfing Spots in the Philippines
The beauty of surfing in the Philippines is that while it is starting to become popular, there are still pretty much undiscovered surf spots. That being said, you will never run out of places to surf in the Philippines. Below is a guide to help you plan your next Philippine surfing trip:
La Union
This coastal province at the northwest of Luzon has a series of beach breaks for beginners and occasional challenging point breaks for skilled surfers. It is one of the closer surfing destinations from Manila and has a pleasant atmosphere even for beach combing. Surfs in La Union have standard line up of 100 m from shore. Waves start at 1 meter and can swell up to 6 feet. Waves can close out after a strong typhoon.
Baler Bay, Quezon, Aurora Province
Nestling in the east coast of Aurora Province, Baler is physically unattached from the rest of the Philippines. To get there takes 6 hours by four-wheel-drive vehicle, and passing through rough roads in the mountains down to the bay of Baler. The ride can be exhausting but getting there promises a remarkable view of surf all over the stretching brown beach of the bay. The town faces the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean, which gives it the surf that it is renowned for.
Surfing in Aurora is limited by your access to the sites that are there. For perfect surf you need not look too far, but should you want do some exploring, you can hire a banca to help facilitate this.
Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte
Many surfers have asserted that Siargao has the best and most consistent waves in the Philippines. In this regard, this famous surf spot has made its way into the international surfing circuit. The highly recognized surf breaks, commonly known as Cloud 9, are reputed to be the best breaks in the Philippines and all over Asia. Due to the island’s thriving development, more resorts have sprung up and surfers from all over the world have become a common sight.
The Siargao International Surfing Competition happens every year in October.
Zambales
Zambales is a province on the west coast of Luzon north of Manila. Zambales is part of the Central Luzon Region or Region 3. The opportunities for surfing in Zambales are enormous. The entire coastline offers adventurous surfers many possible surfing breaks.
Catanduanes
Its strategic location in the course of Pacific typhoons give Catanduanes the crashing waves that surf enthusiasts the world over flock to, including the famous Majestic wave that crashes the shores of the island from the depths of the Pacific Ocean. This break on to an offshore reef 200m from Puraran Bay is known to be unpredictable but once present, it kicks off one of the fastest, right-handed and the hollowest wave of more than 6 ft. Beginners should be aware that this wave can sweep you closer to the reef. Thus be always prepared to experience cuts and scratches.
Best Times to Go
Philippine surfing is both temperamental and seasonal, so it is important to know the best time to come surf or you may be disappointed. Conditions vary depending on location. In general, the best time would be from July to November, when surfing competitions across the archipelago are mostly held.
With these in mind, you can choose to surf the east coast or the west coast. The east coast probably gets the better surf.
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