Pic of the Week 12

Posted by on May 27, 2013
Local Surfer Jomarie Tanael setting up the bottom turn.

Local Surfer Jomarie Tanael setting up the bottom turn. Picture by Bidge Villaroya

My local friends from Gubat took me on a surfing trip to the island of Catanduanes, part of the Bicol Region in Luzon. Catanduanes features one of the best breaks of the Philippines, the infamous surfspot called “Majestic”. Since it was flat on the mainland, we wanted to hit Majestic and try our luck. Unfortunately even that swell magnet was not working when we made it there. What to do? Thanks to a hint of some local surfers, we chartered a boat to a hidden spot not too far away. With rather low expectations we were greeted by clean, shoulder high sets rolling in over a stone / coral reef. It was unbelievable. I think the whole country was flat during that time but this spot was working flawlessly. We surfed there for the next three days and had so much fun. It was just us and some local surfers who tagged along. No crowds, just friendship, great waves and great rides. In the picture you can see local surfer Jomarie Tanael setting up one of his aggressive bottom turns. The guys there are so good. An article about the trip will follow soon.

8 Responses to Pic of the Week 12

  1. samokan

    Looks scary but at the same time amazing.

    oh by the way I nominated you for Versatile Blogger Award :
    (http://samokan.wordpress.com/2013/05/27/the-versatile-blogger-award/).

    • Philipp Dukatz

      Hi Mikaela, thanks for the nomination. I appreciate that. The waves there were really nice. And the fact that it was flat almost everywhere else made it even more fascinating. It was a real swell magnet!

  2. Nin

    Gorgeous picture….

    • Phil D.

      Hi Nin, it was taken by my friend Bidge who had the Go Pro. Just perfect for pics like that. I have a video of the ride here as well and will post it in one of the next articles. Stay tuned 😉

  3. Jean Alaba

    That’s awesome! To be able to catch that wave would be a dream.

    • Phil D.

      The wave is nice and even better is the fact that we were the only ones out that day. No crowds. Makes it so much better!

  4. Onald Valenciano

    hi phil, can i know how deep is the water on the picture? thanks

    • Phil D.

      Since it is a reef break, water is not so deep. I would say about 6-7 foot in the take off zone and only 4-5 feet in the end.