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Arsenal of Things for Siargao |
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Written by jspot
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Tuesday, 18 August 2009 |
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 A lot of people come to the island carrying the normal beach stuff: light clothing, dark sunglasses, some sort of sunblock, sometimes a hat. These may be enough for a legit beach holiday destination, places where you can find an actual ATM machine, a convenience store, or even a corner fast food joint. But for a far-flung island like Siargao where transporting things takes a lot of time, money, and effort, you'll definitely be needing more - and maybe less of the usual beach stuff.
So aside from the rashguards, surf wax, fin keys, and things that people already know to bring to surf spot, here's an arsenal of things to pack for Siargao.
(Note: These are pictures of things I actually use, which hopefully explains their shabby and worn down appearance.)
 Change. Barya. Sinsilyo. And lots of it. Doesn't matter if the bills are old, dirty, and resemble used tissue paper, vendors here are more happy to see them than a 500 or (gasp!) a 1000-peso bill when paying for stuff. And remember, it's 15 pesos per person for a habal-habal ride from the town of GL to Cloud 9. 20 pesos when it's nighttime or close to it.
  Betadine and hydrogen peroxide. These two together, always. Especially useful for preventing "sea cancer" - reef cuts or insect bites that start really small but slowly grow bigger and deeper until you can actually put a finger in it. It must be the humidity or the sea air that makes it difficult for wounds to heal quickly. Case in point: Joseph's pin prick reef cut that grew into a 3/4-inch in diameter circle and took 2 weeks to heal.
 Betet. Not the Indonesian super surfer, although this is also from Indonesia. Forget Caladryl, calamine lotion, or any of that anti-itch stuff - Betet is your best bet. Some people previously tried to refute this claim saying that Tiger Balm was even more potent, but we tried that stuff and still all itched for Betet. As our local New Zealanders used to say, "It does the scratching for you". It also stops you from scratching insect bites open which could eventually become sea cancer.
 Duct tape. Unless you're like Martin Taniegra who can magically put a broken board together in one day with a basic ding repair kit, you'll need a temporary fix-it-all like duct tape. And unlike other items on this list, this is the one thing you really cannot find on the island.
 Omega pain killer. Or "walang au sa Pau" liniment. Or Alaxan. Anything that takes away the pain from surfing too much. This bottle here was left by JP and we're all thankful over here at J-Spot.
 A dry bag and a canvas bag. The dry bag is for your wet clothes. The canvas bag is for when you go to the market to buy fresh produce or groceries. Both for decreasing plastic consumption and waste in Siargao. Every bit helps in protecting the island's delicate eco-balance.
 A nail cutter. Anyone else notice that your nails grow longer faster when you're in the water more? Yeah, so prevent swine flu from spreading - cut your own nails with your own nail cutter.
   Broad spectrum zinc oxide and sunblock with SPF30 to 50. Anything less isn't enough and anything over 50 is a waste. Tried that SPF70 sunblock before and the SPF30 did a better job at keeping sunburn at bay. Besides, the habit of reapplying sunblock is what really protects you from the sun's harmful rays, not the SPF rating. Fiveforty's Aloe Gator is becoming a fast favorite.
 Lip balm. Okay, this one may be for the girls, but it's the best thing to take away that salty aftertaste that soaking in the ocean leaves on your lips. This is my third pot of The Body Shop's Born Lippy and the previous two had lasted about a year each. Maybe more if the boys stopped bumming off of it.
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