Last month, Tricia, Rovilson and the rest of the GamePlan crew had the chance to visit for the first time a relatively new surfing spot in the country. Ironically, this beach break is only a 3-hour drive north of Manila found in the quaint town of San Narciso, Zambales. Unlike its hardcore counterparts in Siargao or Baler, the Zambales coastline boasts of beginner to intermediate waves that are best during the rainy months of October to December. We stayed at Crystal Beach Resort where a closely-knit and friendly group of local surfers hanged out. The surfing community here has grown immensely since 1999, when U.S. servicemen in Subic “discovered” this surfing destination. There we met Mr. Emmanuel “Dodo” Ramos, the manager of the place and the one who gave our hosts a refresher course on the “how to’s” of surfing.
Rovilson and Tricia aren’t really strangers to the sport -- Tricia have already surfed in Daku Island in Surigao while Rovilson braved the waters of San Fernando in La Uñion. But as we later found out, the water conditions in Zambales can be quite intimidating to the newcomer. Curls are big, reaching 8 to 10 feet, and required utmost caution when paddling out. On a good day, it can produce powerful tubes for the more experienced surfers. What is exceptional about the Zambales beach entry is that a surfer would need to fight a good fifty yards in order to get to the other side. For this alone, optimum physical fitness is a must – a decent swimming ability, cardio-vascular endurance, strong upper body and a good balance to be able to enjoy this sport.
Surfing is definitely one of the more difficult water sports, the learning curve would take months, even years to master. You have to learn how waves behave. You have to learn what your surfboard can do. You have to learn the skills of catching a wave, standing up, riding and judging tumbling water. But despite the unpredictability of the ocean and so many factors, each ride promises a completely different “stoke” (addiction in wave surfing parlance). There is no other feeling like standing up on a surfboard and guiding it in a jumping, sliding rush across glassy water. Joy exists. You’ll know, you’ll feel it.
For more info about Zambales surfing, visit www.crystalbeach.com.ph
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