Baler Escapade : Surfing 101 In Baler
I went back to Sabang Beach not just to witness the breathtaking sunrise (Check : Sunrise in Baler) but also to try surfing for the very first time. I am not really comfortable at first because first of all, I really don’t know how to swim haha and I had this strange thoughts that the surfboard will somehow drag me away to the deeper part of the sea. Well, I gave Kuya Romel a word so I decided to do it anyway. I just told him that I don’t know how to swim and he told me that I can still surf even the water is just waist-high.
The water was still cold yet tolerable. Kuya Romel gave me a brief tutorial on how to surf properly and things I should consider when riding the surfboard. Since I was just a beginner, he picked up the widest board so it wouldn’t be so hard for me to catch the waves. It was a quick tutorial that lasted for like 10-15 minutes. He just gave me all the important guidelines. After all, he will accompany me during the surf (what a great relief).
Too bad I lost my video of our tutorial session but here are some of the things I have learned.
►Longboards are very ideal for beginners because it allows the user to paddle and to stand on top of the board easily. The wider the boards, the easier it is to balance yourself when you stand up while riding along with the waves.
►A strap or a leash is attached to the foot for both safety and also to prevent the boards from being washed away. It is for the surfer’s safety because if you got swallowed by the approaching waves, you can easily put yourself back.
►Position and timing is very important. First, you have to pick your target spot. For beginners, it is very ideal to start with waist-deep high. You must paddle your way to your desired spot but in my case, since I was accompanied by tutor, he was manually pushing the board. You have to position yourself on the board properly. Lie on the board and don’t put too much pressure. Just relax and wait for the perfect wave.
►When the wave is nearly approaching, it is time for you to turn the board around (again in my case, the tutor is the one turning it around manually towards the shore).
►From here, you have a short period of time to prepare yourself and you must be really quick to position yourself on the board as you must aim to catch the wave before they break.
►When catching the wave, make sure to vow your head a little bit as you don’t want the water to hit your face especially your eyes.
►When you’re ready, stand up while keeping the balance. Keep your feet planted on the board, your knees bent, your arms loose, and your eyes looking in the direction you are going. The position of your kneed and your feet are very important (believe me hahaha)
►Well, just prepare yourself to be wiped out.
So how did my first surfing experience turned out? Just look at this photo and be my judge!
Haha I guess the picture was quite deceiving, here’s the video to summarize everything and yeah, prepare yourself for a good laugh!
It was epic failed indeed and I guess surfing is something you must practice more often in order to master it effectively.
Am I going to try it again? Hell yeah! It could be another failure but it was entirely fun and I wouldn’t mind experiencing it again
I spent my whole hour of tutorial (which cost me Php300 by the way) falling and being wiped out by the ways but again, it was such an amazing experience. The only rewarding part of my session was the photo op with the long board hahaha
At least, the pictures could deceive my friends that my surfing session ended pretty well hahaha
(Me and Kuya Romel)
We have to leave the transient house by 9am so I had to pack up early. After a quick breakfast, we packed up and headed back to Baler Plaza for lunch and to buy some souvenirs too.
Now it made me wonder where the hell these kids get their courage and skills in surfing as they fearless face those angry waves of Sabang?
Things To Know Before Visiting The Sabang Beach
►The beach is publicly accessible and there is no entrance fee involved
►You can bring your own board or you can just rent it from there
►You can avail the surfing tutorial for Php300-350 which will take an hour. It covers the tutorial and also they will guide you while surfing.
►The water in Sabang Beach is not too deep. You can still surf even if the water is only waist-level.
►The bottom of the beach is merely soft sand so don’t worry about those sharp rocks.
How to Get to Sabang Beach
►You can actually ride a Transit bus from Cubao via Genesis Bus which will take you directly to Baler. These airconditioned buses has daily trips from 3Am to 7:30 Am with 6-7 hours travel time. The fare would cost you around Php550-600 per head.
►Once you reach the Baler town proper or the Baler Plaza, you can explore all the nearby destinations such as Museo De Baler, Doña Aurora House, Baler Church and the public market as well. Sabang Beach can be reached by walking but it is more ideal to ride a Tricycle to reach this place.
Where to Stay in Baler?
Knowing that Baler is one of the top tourist destinations in the country, finding a place to stay here is not really a big challenge but of course, it would be ideal and less hassle to book your reservations as early as possible. There are many budget hotels, transient houses and of course those luxury hotels to stay in. You can check our list of hotels in Baler and see which one suits your budget
After that crazy surfing lesson and staying a bit more in our transient house, we headed back to Baler Plaza for our lunch and also to buy some souvenirs. I also explored some areas in the plaza too which I will all include in my next entry.
For the mean time, feel free to follow me at my accounts for more updates:
Facebook : It’s Me Bluedreamer!
Instagram : @bluedreamer1227
Twitter : @bluedreamer_27
In case you missed my previous entries, here are the links below!
►Baler Escapade
►Ampere Beach of Dipaculao
►The Enchanting Balete Tree of Aurora (Millennium Tree)
►Museo De Baler
►The Doña Aurora House
►The Historical Church of Baler (Baler Church)
►Sabang Beach
►Sunrise in Baler
►Surfing 101 in Baler
►Baler’s Town Plaza
►Where To Stay in Baler
►Caunayan Falls
►Things You Should Buy When Visiting Baler
