april-2012

Clockwise from top
left: Choose the
right gear (and add
in some booties
too); the more
challenging swells
occur from July
to October; after a
satisfying surf, order
a hearty meal while
lounging outdoors at
the Kapuluan
Vista Resort
S URFING NORTH TO SOUTH
{ 73 }
Heading out to
board meetings
has never been
this fun!
The swell season
Surf season for the breaks mentioned
starts in June, and goes on until
November. Beginners have the best luck
trying during the off-season months
of October to April, when the swell is
generally smaller. For those world-class
waves with more teeth to them, try
July to October. The months between
November to March is too windy, but
some of the breaks that are in protected
coves can be worth the trip.
For the sake of convenience,
Kapuluan Vista Resort or KVR (tel: +63
920 928 5273, www.kapuluanvista.
com) is the usual point of reference for
the breaks, all of which are reef (which
means they break over a reef shelf or
coral).
Located right in front of KVR, Vista
usually breaks to the left and is good
for all surfers. Dos Hermanos is beside
Dos Hermanos Island, to the left
of KVR. Waves break left, and are
hollow as well as fast over live coral.
A certain amount of skill is required
to surf here. Next to Dos Hermanos
is Private, another wave that is best
for short boards. When the wave face
starts getting over 5ft, it becomes quite
hollow. Surfers who are intermediate
to advanced can handle this, but not
beginners. Heartbreak is one of the
rare breaks in the area that breaks both
left and right, although the left is much
longer. Capable of rising to 6ft, this
is one of the most popular breaks in
the area for surfers of intermediate to
advanced levels. Bantay Abot is around
the bend from KVR and breaks to the
right — friendly to surfers of all levels.
Level Up is also just around the bend
from KVR, and is easily the heaviest and
trickiest wave in the area. A steep lefthander
(which means it breaks to the
left), it is not a break for the uninitiated.
Pro surfers who have tried it, love it.
But if you haven’t had much experience
paddling into big sets, this is a break you
should stay away from.