Surf’s up fellow Filipinos! The Flow House Manila is now open since April 1 and this is a new extreme water sport located in Molino, Bacoor, Cavite. I first discovered this last 2014 when I saw a sign at the construction site, I got the interest do some research and I learned that it’s the construction of Flow House Manila and they will bring here the 1st ever Flowrider surfing system in the Philippines.
check out my old blog post here at http://azraelsmerryland.blogspot.com/2014/03/indoor-surfing-in-molino-cavite-coming.html
I’m excited and also thrilled to try flowboarding, it looks so easy, but its very different from riding the waves via surfing and also skateboarding. I like to try this because I’m scared to do surfing and I;’m not confident to swim over 10 feet of water, but here in flowboarding the water is just ankle deep, but the flow water with a wave simulation is very wild and strong, it can push you away when you loose your balance in flowboarding.
If you loose balance and fall, don’t worry, the entire floor and wall of the FlowRider system is soft and it will give you a nice landing if ever your plant your face after a massive wipe out.
My 1st trial was during the Sony Action Camera media event. We were here to do the last activity – do flowboarding and shoot our surfing action with the Sony Action Camera.
Above is the photo of the FlowRider system, they installed a balloon divider to make more room for flowboarders who are beginners.
I also learned that this is the 1st ever FlowRider system in the Philippines. There’s a similar water sport in Boracay, but their set up is not the original FlowRider, according to a rep from Flow House Manila, you can break a bone if you fell into ground of an imitation of the FlowRider system
Then they switched on the FlowRider pump and we saw the wild and crazy water splashing up to the top base of the Flowrider.
The flow of water simulates the strong wave of the sea, but the water that jet sprays is like a crazy typhoon signal number 5
Here I saw how they ride the Flowboard and surf with the FlowRider
We attended a short briefing about how to use the flowboard and how to land safely
here’s the tip that I learned
Tips:
1. Do stretching first – stretch your arms, legs, hands and warm up your waist and neck
2. You can ride the flowboard in two kinds of position –1) stand up surf ride 2) body board ride
3. For beginners – I suggest try the body board ride first, just to feel the power of the wave and how you can control the board with your body
4. If you loose balance in flowboarding, make sure you sit down quickly facing the wall of the FlowRider, then slide up feet first and then hold and protect your head, just to make sure you hit the wall feet first and not face or head first. ( I landed my chest first and it was very painful, I thought I broke my rib cage).
5. Don’t do the Superman slide up because you’ll hit the wall head or hand first, this might cause some serious injury.
6. Action cameras, monopod and jewelries in your body are not allowed in the FlowRider system.
7. Shoes and sandals are not allowed inside the FlowRider
8. But before riding the wave, you have to read first the guidelines and also sign a waiver form.
What to wear
1. Rash guard
2. surf shorts or board shorts
3. sunblock
Entrance fee is PHP 650 (as of April 1)
with 1 hour use of the FlowRider + coach + unlimited use of the swimming pool
PHP 300 entrance fee for non riders
Before we try the flowboarding, we saw our celebrity guest try it first. Here’s volleyball player Michelle Gumabao trying the body boarding
Keane Cipriano got a bad wipe out after his 1st run. I got super scared when I saw this wipe out
I was standing next in line with PRO surfer Luke Landrigan, it was his first time to try flowboarding and here we saw that he pulled it off so easily. I think surfers can ride well the FlowRider system.
Me as a skateboarder, well….I will find out later if the balance and ride are the same.
Luke Landrigan did an awesome zip and shred to the waves. After a wipe out, he realizes that it was different from riding the waves of the sea.
Okay..my turn
This is my 1st time to try Flowboarding.
The coach signals me to hold that rope while I do the surf stand up ride, then there’s another guy holding the surf board, then I suddenly let go of the rope when the let go of the board away from the ramp.
So I flowboard ride with the wave for…..er..I think 10 seconds ??
Then the juicy moments……. a wipe out
I rolled down and was ejected up to the top base of the FlowRider, I landed feet first to the wall, my tummy and chest hurts after the fall, but I was okay after some minutes of rest.
My blogger friends did their own flowboarding stunt too. Here’s Eli Villagonzalo doing the body board ride. I didn’t got a chance to try this because I was in a hurry to learn how to surf up properly.
for my 2nd run..it was quite perfect.. but
I fell down again in less than 10 seconds of riding the waves ahahahah.
It was very difficult and I was running out of patience.
Then I learned that my balance and pressure is at the front of the board. The coach said that I should put my balance behind the board in order to let the wave push the front base of the flowboard.
with Jonel Uy
so for my 4th run…..I fell again.
Then at the launching event of Flow House Manila. I tried the body boarding at night time, it was fun with lots of disco lights, rave music, bubble machines, smoke machines and also with the cold breeze, I quit the flowboarding at night because I started to freeze already.
But I sustain a stiff neck after my final ride that night. I think the muscle around my neck started to build that’s why I felt a painful stiff neck for days.
Flow House Manila launch party was observed after the Sony Action cam media event. I stayed here to check out the launch and also cover it too for my blog. Thanks to Jamy Gamos for inviting me to the launch.
Sunset starts here in Flow House Manila.
One of my ideal plan to ride the wave is during the after lunch time and also during sunset.
I signed up for the free flowboard ride and they gave this ride coupon with 7pm-8pm schedule.
In regular days, they gave this to you after paying the entrance fee of PHP650 and this serves as your ticket to the FlowRider system
During the launch: The DJ played some EDM music at the background and then the waves started to flow and we saw our flowboard coaches do their own stunt
Flow House Manila also invited some PRO FlowRider from Australia.
here’s Aussie PRO flowboarder Adam Wildman riding the wave board
Flow House Manila’s very own flowboarder Julius Monroy rides the wave with this kid.
take note that he is a professional and he made sure that the kids enjoy the ride and was safe
Adam Wildman zips to the middle of the wave to talk to another PRO flowboarder -- Charlie Wright.
Take note again that they are champion flowboard riders
After seeing Adam do some surf routine, we were surprised that he started to jump high and bounced off to the wave, an awesome 360 degree turn.
We admire these twins… they started to ride since last year and they are ride like a PRO level
They are awesome in stand up surf too.
sobra inggit ako ahahahah.
pero as they say…. practice makes perfect.
After a few days, I invited Ted Claudio to come and visit me here in Cavite and I will accompany him to try flowboarding in Flow House Manila. Ted was excited and he revealed to me that he is a flowboard rider in Dubai..as in..whoaaa!
I’m glad that my stiff neck was gone and I made sure that I do some stretching and warm up. That’s what I missed during my 1st trial few days ago.
Over confident.
I tried the stand up surf for my 2nd day ride.
It was not a good ride, and not a good fall.
Ted captured my wipe out moment with his Sony Action Camera.
oh man…I landed face first here.
I quit the stand up surf that day and I decided to do the body boarding.
It was easy and safe. For my first run, I got a hard time to control the board.
The bad thing here is that I shifted my body to the side and then the wave threw me out.
My body rolled up to the top base of the FlowRider and I landed chest and face first to the wall.
It was painful and I got a hard time to breathe after. I got scared because I think I broke a rib or my kidney. I took a rest and then rode the board again.
(the pain lasted for a month and I’m glad that no bones were broken, but I lived for a month with a swollen diaphragm)
So I ride and ride.. till I get the ride way to control the body board. Thanks to Ted for showing me how to ride it.
I just enjoyed my 1st flowboard ride and it was the best ever!!! I want to do this again on my next visit aahahaha.
Me and Ted will do next the shifting from body board to kneel position. I think that’s a big challenge but that’s how you play this water sports.
Here’s Ted Claudio body boarding from the top base….
It was his best accomplishment that day to ride starting from the top base.
normally, beginners surf from the ramp below
Ted in kneel position
Wow… Ted can hang on for hours…….
As for me…this is my 1st ever trick that I learned… Look Ma.. no hands! haahah
I will go back again here to ride the waves…but first I need to recover and let this chest injury heal for a month.
Directions to Flow House Manila
From Manila.
1. Ride the Bus going to Dasma Cavite, Ternate, Tagaytay or Nasugbu
2. Bus terminal is at Coastal Terminal in Coastal Road. There are also some bus coming from Lawton and Baclaran
3. Drop off to St. Dominic Hospital in Bacoor, Cavite. (just mention this to the bus conductor)
4. Landmark of drop point is Mcdonalds and Shakeys (right after Talaba, Bacoor)
5. Find the small jeepney terminal near Mcdonalds.
6. Ride the jeep bound to SM Molino or Paliparan
7. Just mention to the driver to drop you off at Seasons malls, that's right after Cita Italia village.
From Alabang
1. Ride the jeep or bus going to Zapote road
2. In Zapote Road, ride the jeep going to Bacoor Cavite (ride the jeep going to Imus only)
3. Drop off to St. Dominic Hospital in Bacoor, Cavite. (just mention this to the bus conductor)
4. Landmark of drop point is Mcdonalds and Shakeys (right after Talaba, Bacoor)
5. Find the small jeepney terminal near Mcdonalds.
6. Ride the jeep bound to SM Molino or Paliparan
7. Just mention to the driver to drop you off at Seasons malls, that's right after Cita Italia village.
FLOW HOUSE MANILA
Address: Seasons Mall, Molino Blvd. Bacoor, Cavite
Website: http://flowhousemanila.ph/
FB - https://www.facebook.com/FlowHouseManila
Opens: 10am-10pm
