LEARN HOW TO SURF anytime, any day from certified surfing instructors as the country?s biggest wave pool opens to the public.

Mechanically imitating a variety of breaks of natural surf spots, OceanWaves at Club Manila East on Km 24 Manila East Road, Taytay, Rizal, is the first and only kind in the country to consistently produce reliable rollers akin to the real thing.

The size of more than 10 basketball courts, OceanWaves holds two million gallons of water with programmable breaks simulating powerful ocean waves of up to 1.5 meters high. Waves roll up on demand in different shapes, heights and intensities.

?Because we use fresh water, you have to work harder to catch a wave. The water is not as buoyant as the ocean, so you will improve a lot faster. Once you get into the ocean, things will become easier,? said Darryl Buckley, certified instructor from Philippine Surfing Academy (PSA), the first and only surfing school in the country accredited by the Academy of Surfing Instructors in Australia.

PSA is the only institute exclusively contracted by Club Manila East to conduct surfing lessons and monitor surfing activities in the facility. Since operating in April last year, PSA has taught and trained over 1,000 people how to surf.

These are people who actually come back to learn some more, said Buckley, unlike those encountered in the ocean who mainly try to surf so they could scratch it off their to-do list.

Good idea

Buckley, who has been surfing since 1964 and working as a professional instructor since 1991, said experiencing how waves break gives students a good idea of what to expect in the ocean. They learn how to read waves and how to make the break work in their favor.

?You have to paddle out and deal with the water and your momentum. You need to catch that wave and ride it quickly. Believe me, learning how to pop up (stand on the board) is the easiest part of the course,? he said.

One of the biggest advantages of having a surfing pool in the city is accessibility. What might take students years to perfect in the ocean, he or she can learn at OceanWaves in a matter of months. Consistency is a key factor.

Paolo Soler, owner-founder-instructor of the PSA who first tried surfing in La Union in 1997, said it took him about three years to confidently learn how to surf. Still in school at the time, he only traveled to La Union about five times a year and surfed an average of three days when he got there.

Surfers wait for good conditions such as wave heights, waves with reasonable power and good wind conditions. Ideally, wind conditions must be offshore, blowing from the beach out to the sea so that the waves break slowly and evenly.

?You travel far, spend a lot of money and once you get there you don?t have any guarantee of catching a good wave. On a perfect day you?d catch a wave every 10 seconds, but normally you wait for minutes,? Soler said.

At OceanWaves, waves are generated every two seconds or less, so students learn how to surf so much faster. ?Hey, even if I live in Manila I can surf every day,? he added.

Course

A surfing course starts with a 45-minute lecture on safety: how to handle the surf board, carry it properly, bring it to the water, how to use the board, use strokes properly, how to pop up, paddle, ride, and get off the board.

PSA also teaches the golden rule in surfing: Always pay attention to the waves. Collision is one of the risks in surfing--either with another surfer or with your own board.

Surfing works every muscle in the body, Buckley said, and while it is an advantage if a student starts off already physically fit, anyone can learn how to surf and work on one?s strength along the way.

?You build your muscle strength here, because surfing is 90-percent paddling. And that?s like using muscles you never thought you had. But the beauty about surfing is, it never feels like a workout. You?re out there to have fun,? Soler said.

OceanWaves also has a 14-ft-deep diving pool with four diving platforms and a 20-ft-high waterfall; and a 30-m wide, 76-m long family wave pool that?s only 4 ft deep. It?s open every day with two-hour surfing lessons scheduled at 8-10 a.m., 10 a.m.-12 noon and 2-4 p.m. Surfing lessons are scheduled on appointment-only basis. Call 6312805 or 3575452.