Surfing Philippines | Southern Siargao in January

Sunset view from Cloud 9

The Philippines is an under the radar surf spot that has the potential to be another Bali, but let's pray it doesn't. The spot that put Philippines on the surfer's map is Cloud 9, a hollow right-hander barrelling over shallow, sharp reef. It's a stop on the WSL tour for the qualifying series. If you're a mere mortal, don't head for the exits yet: there is a surf spot for everyone here, from beginner to pro. 

The Philippines has over 7,600 islands and counting. Our active volcanos create new islands each year. If you had a boat, I'm sure you could find pristine, empty waves on an island of your own. If you fly into Manila airport, you can stay on the island of Luzon and drive 4 hours northwest from Manila to El Union. Or head 5 hours northeast to Baler. Both are crowded though as they are close to the capital city. 

I recommend you instead take a domestic flight from Manila to the nation's surfing capital of Siargao, an island on the eastern side of the Philippines, facing the Pacific. Wherever you go in the country, living costs are low (unless you're staying at the $1000 per night Nay Palad resort that Steph Gilmore visited), the cuisine is daring, and the locals are friendly and english-speaking. You can rent a tuk tuk to drive yourself around in Siargao (or hire a driver if you stall even more than I do). Wifi and mobile data work well enough here, especially if you find a place with Starlink.

Surf Spots in Siargao

There are many surf spots in Siargao, but I'm only reviewing the ones I actually surfed here. The ones I missed (Cloud 9, Pacifico, Tuason, Stimpy's, Salvacion, etc.) were beyond my ability level or conditions were unfavorable.

Shore of Cloud 9 at low tide


Cloud 9 wasn't looking so hot in January

Bumee

Mellow break with mixed sand and flat reef on the eastern side of the island, across the Sunset Bridge and north of General Luna. An uncrowded spot that requires a dirt bike or 4WD through some muddy paths through the jungle. Good for longboarders and beginner surfers. The reef is not sharp so it's a good place to try doing headstands, noseriding, cross-stepping, and other longboard shenanigans.

Undeveloped coastline at Bumee

Jacking Horse

The most popular spot for beginners. It gets crowded in the mornings when it's least windy. A strong current takes you up north, but supposedly there's offshore winds and less current in April-May, which is my surf instructor's favorite time to surf this spot. There are restaurants, accommodations, and surf schools, lining the coast here, hence its popularity. The bottom is flat, dead reef. Wave heights were rarely above my knees in January.

Jacking Horse

Quicksilver

When you graduate from Jacking Horse, you move farther out to Quicksilver a right-hander just another 5-10 minute paddle out east from Jacking Horse. The water is deep enough that you don't have the comfort of being able to stand on the ground when you're off your board. Quicksilver was often blown out in January and had strong currents but I had some nice, long cruisers in waist-high surf. In bigger swells, this spot is more for advanced surfers as it breaks fast and barrels. On those days, I sat on shore and watched a couple of shortboarders do their thing.

Giwan (or Guiuan or G1) 

On the southern side of the island, west of General Luna, are 3 breaks that are crowded with beginners and their surf instructors. Secret Spot (which is not so secret) is the farthest west, then there's Giwan main break, and Giwan Paradise (where there's a lone beach shack selling coconuts, chippies, and beer). The wave were knee high and quite fat initially. You gotta start paddling early and pop up before the wave suddenly steepens then breaks. Good place to work on cross-stepping. There are lots of sharp reef heads near the shore though, so kick out early (unlike me when I banged my knee on a bommie just under the surface).

Daku Reef

A 10-minute boat ride from the marina west of General Luna, Daku Reef presents an exciting right-hander over deepwater reef in turquoise water. While Jacking Horse was less than a meter high, this place had juicy overhead waves, with a sprinkling of double overhead+ steamers that pitch over in slow-mo. It's not hollow; a cross-section of this wave would be like a triangle moving across the ocean, with a little foam at the top. 

The crowd, though heavy (as in, 15 surfers when I went), remains organized because the surf guides and locals communicate about who's going next. Local shredders throw multiple aerials in a row here yet they're super friendly and cheer everyone on. When my leash snapped, one of them fetched my board all the way from the shore of Daku island about a 1000 ft. away while I swam back to the boat. 

Daku is good for intermediate surfers and advanced longboarders. Might be good for beginners too on smaller days, but I don't know for sure because I didn't get to experience Daku on a small day.

Surf Spot in Baler 

Saba Beach

Blown out mushburger city. I would not come back. Good for... people who like sloppy wind chop?

Lodging

I recommend this Airbnb right on the beach in front of Jacking Horse. You can walk 5 minutes to Quicksilver, 7 minutes to Cloud 9. It's a 2-story home with AC, Starlink internet, kitchen, housekeeper and the best personal concierge ever, Mary Bergenheim. She will hook you up with whatever you need, tuktuks, surfboards, surf guides, etc.

Catangnan Beach and Jacking Horse

This could be your patio

Conclusion

Hurry up and check out the Philippines before it blows up (though it's probably too late by now). Best time to go is September to December for advanced spots, April-May for beginner/intermediate spots. Although, I still had a good time even though I went in neither of those time periods.