Jacking Horse

Jacking Horse is a hundred metres from Cloud 9 and a completely different wave. Where Cloud 9 stands up and throws, Jacking Horse rolls, reforms and offers you a shoulder. It is the wave we use for almost every first lesson, the wave we put progressing surfers on when they want to catch twenty waves rather than two, and the wave we would send most visitors to most of the time. Nobody flies to Siargao dreaming about it, and then it turns out to be where they had the most fun.

The wave

Jacking Horse is a soft right-hander that reforms on the inside of the same reef system as Cloud 9, a little down the beach towards town. The bottom is mostly sand and dead, flattened reef rather than live coral, which is the single most important thing about it: you can fall here and stand up laughing.

The wave itself is a gentle wall with a wide, slow shoulder. On a two to three foot day it peels for long enough to get to your feet, trim, and try a turn or two. On a bigger day it gets punchier and more sectiony, and the lineup fills with locals on longboards making it look effortless. There are occasional lefts off the peak but the right is the wave.

When it works

Tide. Mid tide is the sweet spot, and unlike Cloud 9 it is fairly relaxed about direction. On a very low tide the reform gets shallow and quick and the dead reef starts to show; on a very high tide it goes fat and slow and beginners struggle to get moving. We plan lessons around the middle few hours.

Swell. Jacking Horse takes the same east to northeast swell as Cloud 9 but wants less of it. Two to four foot is ideal. Because it sits on the inside, it is still fun on windswell that would make Cloud 9 mushy and messy, and it is one of the first spots to become surfable when a swell drops. When Cloud 9 is six foot and barrelling, Jacking Horse is often too big and shifty for a first lesson, and we move beginners elsewhere or wait for the tide.

Wind. Light offshore mornings during the southwest habagat are best, but this is not a wave that needs perfect grooming. A bit of onshore texture matters far less here than on the main peak.

Season. It works all year. For learning, March to May is the best window: clean two to four foot swell, long spells of light wind, and a lineup that is not at capacity. September to November is bigger and busier. Check the surf forecast before you come, but honestly, on most days there is something rideable here.

Who it suits

This is a beginner and longboard wave and we mean that as a compliment. Complete beginners will get to their feet here with an instructor. Improving surfers get the repetition they need: paddling technique, reading a small peak, timing a pop-up, staying in the pocket. Longboarders get a long, soft wall that rewards trim and footwork, and on a clean morning the noseriding here is as good as anywhere on the island.

Advanced shortboarders will find it slow on a small day. That said, plenty of very good surfers grab a log and surf Jacking Horse when Cloud 9 is a car park, and nobody thinks less of them. See our spot overview for how it fits in with the rest of the coast.

Getting there and getting in

Head to the end of Tourism Road in General Luna and the Cloud 9 boardwalk, then walk along the beach to the right, towards town. The peak is a short paddle straight off the sand. At mid tide you can wade a fair way out before you paddle; the bottom is uneven, so shuffle your feet and take your time. The current between here and the Cloud 9 peak can pick up on bigger days, so keep a landmark on the beach and check your position every few waves.

Lessons and guided sessions with us include free pick-up from any hotel in General Luna, and our shop is a few minutes away by scooter.

Board choice

Volume is your friend here. Beginners should be on a soft-top around 8'0" or a 9 foot longboard. Progressing surfers do well on a 7'0" to 7'6" funboard. If you already surf, bring or rent a longboard and enjoy it for what it is. Our rental fleet has longboards from 8 to 10 feet, including soft-tops, and funboards from 6'5" to 8'5"; two hours costs 300 PHP and a full day 500 PHP, with cheaper rates the longer you keep it.

Etiquette and hazards

Jacking Horse is a shared, mixed-ability lineup, and that comes with its own rules. Surf schools work the inside; if you are not in a lesson, sit a little further out and leave the whitewater to the people learning. Hold on to your board, because a loose board in a crowd of beginners is the most common cause of injury here. Do not paddle out through the middle of the peak; go around.

The hazards are mild by Siargao standards, but not zero. Patches of dead reef can scrape you, the sun is stronger than the water is dangerous, and the drift towards Cloud 9 is real when the swell is up. Wear a rash vest, use reef-safe sunblock, and if you cut yourself, clean it properly the same day.

If you want to learn here, our surf school runs two-hour lessons at Jacking Horse for 2,500 PHP, about 45 USD, including board, instructor and pick-up. Message us on WhatsApp with your dates and we will put you on the right tide.