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MANILA, Philippines—Surfing in Lanuza, Surigao del Sur is not for the faint of heart. First, to get there, you have to take a rocky four-hour land trip from the airport. Then the waves are not really suited for beginners, as there’s a strong undercurrent. But for the adventure-seeker itching for something way off the beaten path, Lanuza would be paradise.

The trip started innocently enough. The 90-minute Asian Spirit flight to Surigao City, the nearest airport, went smoothly. Surprisingly, the luggage conveyor belt at the Surigao City airport was working, so we were able to retrieve all our luggage in less than 10 minutes.

Our group was ushered into two vans that would take us to Lanuza. I initially planned on sleeping through the four-hour drive. But an hour or so into the ride, the road became very bumpy. The rest of the drive was similar to a ride on the moon, with the unpaved road and the enormous craters.

I looked out the window and saw that we were already traversing the top of a mountain range—Nobenta, as it is called. The scenery was spectacular—steep, green mountains with no sign of any inhabitants.

Dusk was settling down when we finally pulled into the town of Lanuza. At the municipal hall, Mayor Geri Irizari was on hand to meet us. We were served cold buko juice and carlang, a local delicacy of gabi and buko.

Mayor Irizari briefed us on the annual Lanuza Surfing Festival, the town’s ecotourism destinations, and its numerous awards as the Cleanest and Greenest municipality in the country.

B&B

Lanuza also has a “homestay” program for tourists, where more than 20 accredited households offer bed and breakfast.

I browsed the town’s brochures and was surprised that there were many other things to do in Lanuza aside from surfing—firefly-watching at the Mangrove Forest, spelunking at Campamento Caves, as well as snorkeling and diving at the Marine Park and Sanctuary.

Mayor Irizari also showed us samples of accessories made of agsam, a vine purportedly found only in Surigao del Sur.

Over the buffet dinner hosted by Mayor Irizari, we were briefed by Freddy Gonzales, pioneer of Onboard Philippines. Hand in hand with the Department of Tourism and the Aloha Boardsports Team Riders, Onboard Philippines aims to promote the country through surfing.

Lanuza’s Doot Poktoy, a huge sand bar that spans the town’s seawall, offers 10-foot waves. The town is one of the country’s “secret” surfing spots, though it is often overshadowed by its more prominent neighbor, Siargao.

The next morning, we woke up to breakfast of scrambled eggs and something that looked and tasted like squid. (Later on, speculations were rife that it was sea slug.)

We headed to the resort to finally begin our surfing lessons. To get to the surfing spot, we had to take a boat to a sandbar where the waves (and our instructors) were waiting.

Paolo Soler, one of the members of the team, pointed out the different parts of a board—tail, rails, deck and stringer. After a few drills on standing up, we were ready to go.

Out in the water on a longboard, and while waiting for a good wave, Paolo coached me on the proper position—the body should be right along the middle line, with the toes close to the tail.

Plunging into it

After some time, Paolo muttered “one, two, three!” and then pushed me to catch my first wave. I made a quick pushup and got up on my feet.

It felt so good to stand up astride the white foamy waters. After an hour of surfing, though, I was dead-tired. There was a strong undercurrent (since the surf spot was at the mouth of a river), which made walking back and forth on the sandy bottom difficult. I rested for a bit on the beach, looking out to the waves.

In the distance, we spied Freddy doing stand-up paddle surfing or propelling himself on a surfboard using a paddle.

A few minutes later, Mayor Irizari joined us on the beach. He showed us his surfboard. Custom-made right in Lanuza, it was made of Styrofoam and bamboo.

I made friends with Neil Lucente, another team member. He accompanied me as I tried on a medium board. I was never able to stand up on it, though.

When Mooney Castillo of Aloha Boardsports offered to coach me again, I quickly grabbed a longboard.

Unfortunately, the first wave I caught died down fast. On my next tries, I tried to paddle and catch a wave by myself. I was unsuccessful, though.

I asked Mooney what to do if I could see that the board’s nose was already dipping in the water. He answered that I should put weight on my knees.

Strong waves

Pretty soon, it was time to leave, as the undercurrent was getting stronger. On the way back to the resort, I volunteered to paddle through the river on a surfboard. The river was probably just 20-meters wide, but the bottom was muddy and the waters were as deep as 30 feet in some areas. My arms and shoulders were sore afterwards, but I figured that it made good practice in paddling.

Famished, we all trooped to the Sanctuary Café in the Lanuza Marine Park and Sanctuary, where we promptly wolfed down the fresh seafood dishes and wonderful egg pie.

When we asked how tourists could arrange their vacations in Lanuza, Mayor Irizari said: “All they have to do is to contact the municipal government. We can have them picked up at Surigao City and we will arrange for their accommodations. Sometimes, when I’m free, I take the visitors around myself.”

Now that’s what you call a hands-on government!

Our experience in Lanuza showed what surfing is really all about—laidback fun with good waves, good food and good company. In time, Lanuza will probably be as well-known (and crowded) as La Union and Siargao, but for now, it’s just perfect for those itching for something way off the beaten path.

Visit www.surflanuza.com or www.onboardphilippines.com.

E-mail the author at gmeleen@gmail.com