Beginner Surf Lessons

If there's one place to take your first surf lesson in the Philippines, it's La Union. The waves at Urbiztondo are forgiving enough for absolute beginners while still being real waves you can actually ride. Multiple surf schools have been teaching here for over a decade.

A standard 2-hour beginner lesson includes: 30 minutes of land-based instruction (how to lie on the board, pop up, balance), 90 minutes in the water with the instructor pushing you into waves and correcting your form. By the end of session 1, most beginners stand up on at least one wave.

Standout schools include San Juan Surf School, Kahuna Surf Camp, and Billabong Surf School — all on or near Urbiztondo Beach. Prices are PHP 500-800 for a group lesson (3-5 students per instructor), PHP 1,000-1,500 for private lessons. Board rental separately is PHP 200-400 per hour.

For those committed to learning, multi-day surf packages combine lessons with accommodation at surf hostels — typical 3-day, 2-night packages run PHP 3,500-6,500 per person including 4-6 hours of instruction.