Surfing Siargao: spots and lessons

Siargao is an island in the northeast of the Philippines, and most of its surfing happens around the town of General Luna. There are breaks for every level: soft waves for your very first session, and shallow, hollow reef for experienced surfers. Every wave here breaks over reef, including the ones that feel like a beach break.

We wrote this guide, the coaches at Surfing Sirago, to put the questions people ask us before they arrive in one place.

Where to surf: spots by level

Nobody should pick the lesson spot weeks ahead. Your coach decides that morning by your level, the tide and the wind, because a spot that’s perfect one day can be flat or dangerous the next. Every spot has its own page on the surf spots guide.

When to surf in Siargao

• June to August: small, clean waves and light wind. The softest for a first session.
• Late September to November: the best waves of the year, shoulder high to double overhead. Beginners learn on the soft spots, and these are the island’s busiest weeks.
• December to March: big swell and a strong northeast wind. Experienced surfers go to the sheltered breaks; beginners move to the south side of the island.
• March to May: a quieter stretch, around shoulder high, with some flat days.

In 2026 PAGASA dated the habagat, the southwest monsoon, from 30 May to 5 October. The month-by-month detail, including typhoons and rain, is in best time to learn to surf in Siargao.

Cloud 9 is not for a first lesson

Cloud 9 is the island’s famous wave and the least suited to beginners: a hollow right over shallow reef. In July 2025 the local surfers announced a rule: no beginner lessons at Cloud 9, and no board rentals to beginners without an instructor. You can still walk out on the boardwalk and watch, which on a good day is worth the trip. The details are in can beginners surf Cloud 9.

How much a surf lesson costs

A lesson with a local instructor usually runs ₱500 to ₱800 per hour, and a private lesson at an established school ₱1,400 to ₱2,500 for one to two hours. Board rental is about ₱200 to ₱250 an hour.

Ours is simple: ₱1,200 for a two-hour lesson, board included. On days when the waves offshore are better, we take the boat, which is ₱300 more. The full comparison is in how much is a surf lesson in Siargao.

Getting to Siargao

There is currently no direct flight from Manila (NAIA). Cebu Pacific moved its route to Clark in March 2025, and PAL suspended its Clark to Siargao route in May 2026. The main ways in:

• A flight from Cebu, the route with the most daily flights.
• A flight from Clark or Davao, with fewer departures.
• The fast ferry from Surigao to Dapa, about an hour and a half. Fares run roughly ₱450 to ₱700 depending on the operator and class.

Schedules change often, so check with the airlines and ferry operators before you book. From the airport or port you continue to General Luna, where most of the breaks are.

What to bring to a lesson

Swimwear, sunscreen (ideally reef-safe), water, and a rash guard if you have one. The board is included.

Surf with us

We’re three local coaches, Francis, Michael and Glenn, teaching on the breaks around General Luna. Complete beginners and experienced surfers both come to us, and everyone gets a personal coach in the water.

The WhatsApp button on every page opens a ready-made message to Michael. Read what happens in a lesson or check the prices.