not your ordinary first-timer waves -- surfing in Sabang, Baler

doing it like a pro

 
as i mentioned in my previous post, this was the main event of our Baler trip. surfing, yay! we almost lost the chance to do this because of the weather but as it turned out, it made it all the more exciting.



we arrived at Baler with partly cloudy sky. we went surfing on our second day at late afternoon. the sky was grayer and the waves of the Pacific were not as tamed as they are during finer days. hence, the first surf shop we checked encouraged us to postpone our session until the next morning as the wind and the waves were not suitable for first-timers, accordingly.

"it ain't that hard to do, you know," i thought. chos.

 
but we, being obstinate people, went to another shop and made sure we do it that time. it's then or never. luckily, they allowed us and some others, too, to surf. if we didn't go for it that time, we wouldn't have done it the next morning as heavy rains poured already. verily, the right choice!

since it's our first time, we needed to hire a trainer. all my trainer told me was to find and keep my balance. that's it. he should be thankful i'm such a good student, i was able to do so and surfed until the shore on my second attempt. my trainer couldn't have been any prouder. lol. it is advisable that you get a tall trainer so that he can help you get farther from the shore and enjoy a longer surf. good thing my trainer was so. 

oh ha! like i came out of the water

 
whether it's because the waves we braved were wilder than what we were supposed to encounter or not, surfing really requires physical endurance and strength especially when you paddle against the waves. it's not a joke countering that force, not just once but many, many times.

it wasn't fun. not at all.

 
in the end, body pain! but we had the time of our lives. doing something for the first time under circumstances unpleasant and ending on a high note, what else could be more fulfilling than that? chos lang.

and here is Sabang Beach during morning twilight. magical!