Skimboarding at Bantayan Island

Posted by: imaharot

Full moon is the best moon phase for big waves.

It’s not the phase of the moon that makes a difference but the location with respect to the earth. When the moon is closest it causes the largest tides, but wave height is dependent on the transference of power from the waves sideways motion to the vertical motion, which is dependent on the shallowness of the water. I’m not willing to do a full analysis and I’m not an expert on the area of tidal power so I don’t know it off the top of my head but I can say this

When the moon is closer to the earth, more water is drawn towards it and thus a higher tide. This means the water is deeper in most places and wouldn't transfer as much energy to a vertical motion (waves wouldn’t slow down as much going towards shore).

When the moon is farther away, less water is drawing towards it and thus a shallower tide. This means water is shallower and more energy goes into slowing down and raising in height.

Edit: to clarify the above, how a New Moon makes the ocean look calm, it is because there is less light reflecting off the choppy surface than normal so it appears to be still.

Too much of the moon thingy...

Since we have perfect waves and best spot for the activity. I decided to do some little action that evening. One of the most usual activity that you'll be seeing in Bantayan Island is skim boarding. It's boardsport requires a beach that has a flat surface where the board can smoothly slide and Bantayan Island has it.

We used the board for free from the resort. The board used for this is thinner than the usual board used for surfing and other board sport. A skimboard usually cost between P1,500 - P5,000 (around $30 - $100) .But you can buy the ones locally made at a cheaper price.

It requires a lot of practice to master it because it's not just about running, throwing the board and jumping on it. you need balance, timing and focus. Once you've mastered it, you can already do some special moves like boarding on it upside down or at least jump over a ramp..

For people who has a sporty soul, is it worth trying? yes.

So here I am and Bim trying hard to ride the waves... :)