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By Nikki Hernandez Special to
The Manila Times
According to 44-year-old
Australian professional surfer Darryl Buckley, surfing has been his
passion since he was three. He grew up in a family of surfers,
traveled, and surfed almost all the seas around the world but he
chose to stay here in the Philippines where he has been staying for
five years now.
When asked why he chose to teach
in a surfing school in Ortigas, Buckley said that he wanted other
people to experience the jolt of excitement surfing gives him. He
said in his exact words, “the feeling of taking control and riding
the wave while cold air whips your face on a hot sunny day is
incomparable.”
Buckley is the head coach of The
Philippine Surfing Academy, he’s a level 4 surf coach in the
Australian Surf Lifesaving Association, master coach for the Academy
of Surfing Instructors and had three times been a Sunshine Coast
champion.
On the other side of Luzon, a
surfing instructor in San Juan, La Union, who is mostly known as
“Kuya Bads” said that anybody could surf; it’s not only for
professionals and rich people. He was “waxing” his surfboard
when he said, “you’ll get easily hooked in this sport. It might
be intimidating at first but once you had experienced it, you’ll
come back for more.” Like Buckley, he dedicated himself to teach
others his beloved sport. He put up some of his surfboards for rent
and organized locals to help him in training beginners and lovers
alike of surfing.
On a regular afternoon in San
Juan, La Union, you can see part of the South China Sea filled with
colorful surfboards; people are enjoying the roaring waves of La
Union. Some are just taking pictures, some are playing with the
waves, while almost everyone is trying their hardest to find their
balance and ride the waves.
One beginner in the sport
accompanied by a local trainer is Hanna Barcena. She’s a resident
of Manila, but she goes to La Union almost every weekend to surf.
When asked about the sport, she replied, “I just started surfing
three months ago. My cousin introduced me to the sport and now I
can’t seem to get enough of it. I just love it so much already.”
Not only adults are enticed to go
there to surf but teenagers and children as well. A young boy at the
age of 10 bravely sat on his surfboard and waited for a wave to ride
on. An instructor guides him and tells him what to do; when to hold
on tight, when to paddle and even tells him when to stand up to find
his balance. “It’s not dangerous,” one instructor chimed in.
“The waves are soft enough to cushion your fall. You just have to
learn the basics and all the rules.”
Where to go
The Philippine Surfing Academy is
located in 11th floor Strata 100 Building, Emerald Avenue, Ortigas
Center. They offer lessons for beginners or you could just go there
to book for a surf session. Lessons ranges from P1,500 to P2,850.
Prices depend upon the venue. For instance the P1,500 would take you
to Club Manila East where an artificial wave pool is built while
your P2,850 will take you to a beach in Real, Quezon. Surfboard and
Rashguard rental plus two hours of lesson would be covered. In Real,
Quezon’s case, lunch and transportation fee would be included.
There is also a chain of resorts
located in San Juan, La Union, that offers surfing lessons at a more
affordable price. An hour of surfing lessons and surfboard rental
would only cost P400. Hotel accommodations vary. You may visit.
The best site for surfing is said
to be in Siargao but be sure to be an experienced surfer before
packing up and nailing it down since everything would be a waste if
you just stood there watching.
How it works
Surfing lessons are not hard,
even kids could learn them. If you cannot take on the real life
waves at first try, you can do it on a pool where the waves are very
friendly but enough to take a ride. The instructor would teach you
the basics like how to balance yourself on the board, paddle and
most importantly stand up. “I thought it was hard, like nobody
could do it but those tanned guys who seem to be in here every day.
I was surprised I was able to ride a wave in just a single
session.” A first timer, David Aston proudly said.
Those who want to go for surfing
lessons will have to sign a waiver. Then they will have a one-on-one
orientation with their instructor, they will be taught the
basics—how to stand and where to jump in case they fall—and off
they go to enjoy riding the waves. It is a very short orientation
and it will only take from five to 10 minutes.
Because of the all-year round
availability of surfing spots here in the Philippines, whether it is
the east coast (Mindanao) or the west coast (Luzon) surfing is now
popular especially in young people. Buckley gave his heart to this
sport and now he’s training students to be better surfers. He said
he’d rather stay here in the Philippines than stay anywhere else.
He erased the impression that
surfing is scary and dangerous. He said, “there’s really nothing
to worry about. If every single rule had been taught, and everything
had been showed, then you’ll be in a reasonably safe environment.
You should be able to make it in just two to three lessons.”
He added, “Keep in mind to put
yourself in the hands of trained people, there’s nothing more
enjoyable than feeling safe. Fun itself would come along the way.”
For details, visit
www.philippinesurfingacademy.com/courses.html and http://sebay.cjb.net.
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