[March 25-26, 2013]
All smiles after our first ever surfing experience!!! Waaaah!
We enjoyed it so much we wanted to surf some more!!!
By 3pm we were already fetched by our guide from the hotel and he brought with him other instructors. They brought with them giant surfboards. Man! These things are huge! I wonder if I can handle my surfboard??!
But it's kinda late to worry about that right now because the waves are definitely excited for us too!!
I can't seem to take my eyes off the waves as a gazillion thoughts of fear and excitement rambled in my mind all at the same time. This is it! This is really is it! is it! Haha! When we reached the briefing area, our main guide introduced us to each of our surfing instructor. Thank goodness this will be a one on one lesson or else, I'd fall way back in the class. I'm not a swimmer and I'm only comfortable in the water if I have my BCD. Braving the waves with no life jacket is not something I look forward to. However, my guide reassured me that he'll be there to rescue me all the time and that I just need to hang on to my board.
I initially planned to ask our guide if I could just wear a life jacket. But apparently, there's not a single surfer nor a student surfer in the area who wore a life jacket. Well, I could be the first one and start a trend. But nah...way too embarrassing!Haha! Anyway, our lessons began immediately and lasted for only about a minute or two. That was it?! All I remember was to keep my balance and pull the string tied to my foot if I fall to bring my board closer to me. Then I can grab it and live to tell my experience. Oh and I have to lie flat on my stomach on the board, paddle to the designated area and wait for my instructor to tell me which wave I have to take. I also need to hold the board at the side near my shoulder. I think. Those are pretty much what I can remember. I keep reminding myself that I will not drown..No..No..No...not today.
That's Paul trying to get ready.
All set. It's time to hit the waves. Go lang nang go!!!
My friends were on fire! They were like pros. They were able to stand-up immediately.
While I, on the other hand....was struggling so very much :( I just couldn't keep my balance. Even if I am just lying flat on my stomach, my instructor says my board is not balanced. Woah! My shoulders were sore from going back and paddling hard over and over again. My first instructor did not really help much. He wasn't that 'encouraging'. How unfortunate. After all 3 of my friends were able to stand on their boards, our main guide approached me and volunteered to help me. He gave me all the encouraging words I needed and he coached me all so well that after the first few 100 wipe outs and after drinking about a barrel of sea water...
Finally..here I am!!!!! Standing on my board..... like a scarecrow...hahaha!Who cares?! I made it!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks master surfing instructor! They say, the student is only as good as his teacher. Yay!! Surfing is definitely off of my bucket list. After this achievement, i forgot how sore my arms and shoulder were, I just wanted to paddle and hit more waves. So did my other friends. We forgot about the time and hit 'em waves!
Our pictures were not that great but what the hell, surfing is F-U-N!
No wonder why surfers have the best looking bodies. It ain't easy.
It requires a lot of muscle strength to paddle and to balance and more than anything else,
it requires patience to wait for that perfect moment to ride a great wave.
And when you are able to stand on your surf board while riding a wave for the very first time,
the feeling is so surreal. All your muscle pains will be worth it.
A salute to all the surfers out there! (Yes I can handle my board alright haha!)
By the way, the long boards are best for beginners while the pros can already play with the smaller ones.
After we had our pictorials, we went back to the hotel to wash up and get ready for dinner. All that surfing made us very hungry. Good thing they have this restaurant (forgot the name) which serves grilled food and seafood dishes and hot soup. We sure did ate a lot. After we had our tummies filled, we visited their souvenir shops and made a quick stop in their so called boulevard. We were amazed at how clean the public beach was, there was white sand and not a single litter in sight. They were kids playing beach volley nearby. I just wish I was able to take a photo but nevertheless, it was a surprise for us. We also sang a few songs at a nearby store with a videoke machine. Then we decided we'll have our drinks at the hotel just to be safe. It was our last night in Siargao and we'll be leaving for Cebu the next day. We needed to end our trip right.
So..rhum night it is. After we filled our glasses, we made a meaningful toast to this very memorable trip of ours. We shared our memories and thanked each other for the wonderful company. With that, I will leave you with a composition by my dear friend Carol..this was inspired by everything about Siargao..
"...on an island you sit and stare at the sea. You stare at its nothingness yet it gives you a peaceful bliss. It's magical beauty drowns you in tranquility. You close your eyes...you feel the soft cool breeze gently touch your skin. You hear the waves crashing...the sound of it is like music to your ears; a lullaby that gently puts you to sleep. You open your eyes and find yourself somewhere you've never been..a place so serene it gives you a peaceful feeling from within. Then you know you're exactly where you want to be." -C. Flores
photo credits
[paul, noel & cro]
until our next adventure!
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