what would you do?

[kidrock]

I think it should be considered a strong sign of what surfing does to one's soul when they are weighing the options between a career away from the ocean, and surfing.

I had a child late in life. Up until then, I chose surfing and my career path, along with my finances, suffered. Note, not everyone is like this....there's probably a ton of guys that'll come on here and say they make 6 figures and sport a posh pad next to their favorite reef. I'm willing to bet there are more that are like me.

After having my child, I decided that I needed a real career....and that took me pretty damn far from the ocean. And for the first couple of years, it ACHED. I had surfing dreams what seemed like 2-3 times a week while sleeping. Fortunately, I lived in Colorado at the time and I am an avid skier. And as much as I love skiing, it couldn't fully take the place of surfing.

But I've been in my career of choice for almost 20 years now, and I don't regret it. After a few years, I started taking vacations which allowed me to get in the water for a week or 2 once or twice a year. And, I built up enough bank to where I was able to purchase, with cash, a piece of land next to the water in the Pacific Northwest. When I retire in the next year or two, I'm cashing in all my equity and building on that land and going back to my roots. If I decide to work, it'll be to take up my spare time and supplement my retirement pension. And I'll only be 50.

So, it's all about deciding to make a sacrifice. You could build your resume in Utah, then put in for something on the West Coast. Oregon and Washington are constantly looking for people with the experience you describe.

But you also need to know that rocking up to Seaside Point is not the same as pulling up into Ruggles. There's a reason so many people are so damn surly up there. Be prepared.

Just my .02 cents....good luck.

[super fish]

surfing and the ocean life is way more important than money to me. worse comes to worse you could always bartend or serve and make quick money that way.

[waverider]

my whole life i have lived no closer than an hour and 15 min. from the east coast! in college, i went to hawaii for a summer, to see about moving there. it was perfect, everything i could have dreamed, 10 min walk to surf, unreal sunsets, etc., etc.. lined up a job for after i graduated college working at a pottery..not alot of money but enough to get by with. i always told my self i was never going to move further from the surf. to make a long story short, i never took the job in hawaii for various reasons. im still living an hour and 15 from the beach, but i have a good job,ive been happily married for 7 years,and we have our boy who just turned 5, and our baby girl who will be 2 in august! i still get to surf. not as much as i would like, but i still get to surf. lifes a journey, you have to find the balance that keeps you you! you have some great opportunities! think of it like this. if your a surfer, and you see all those reports going off, and your freakin out, because you want to go, but you cant, and you feal like your losing your identity,that sucks, but eventually you get over it, until the nxt swell, and the nxt swell, and the nxt. and if you never get to go, your going to lose that part of you. theres more to life than surfing. just because you step away from surfing for something else doesnt necessarilly mean its gone forever, even though it might feel that way, or maybe thats just me?PEACE!

[super fish]

my whole life i have lived no closer than an hour and 15 min. from the east coast! in college, i went to hawaii for a summer, to see about moving there. it was perfect, everything i could have dreamed, 10 min walk to surf, unreal sunsets, etc., etc.. lined up a job for after i graduated college working at a pottery..not alot of money but enough to get by with. i always told my self i was never going to move further from the surf. to make a long story short, i never took the job in hawaii for various reasons. im still living an hour and 15 from the beach, but i have a good job,ive been happily married for 7 years,and we have our boy who just turned 5, and our baby girl who will be 2 in august! i still get to surf. not as much as i would like, but i still get to surf. lifes a journey, you have to find the balance that keeps you you! you have some great opportunities! think of it like this. if your a surfer, and you see all those reports going off, and your freakin out, because you want to go, but you cant, and you feal like your losing your identity,that sucks, but eventually you get over it, until the nxt swell, and the nxt swell, and the nxt. and if you never get to go, your going to lose that part of you. theres more to life than surfing. just because you step away from surfing for something else doesnt necessarilly mean its gone forever, even though it might feel that way, or maybe thats just me?PEACE!

my question is, is it anti "e" day

[waverider]

haha!lol. thats the cool way type next!

[whitewater]

if you live in rhode island i'm sure you go more than a week without surfing. A plane ticket to cali would be cheap. You could also save a bankroll and head to hawaii. If you aren't married, forget about your girl, and remember this. If it has a steering wheel or a set of tits, it will give you problems. It's a fact. Google it

[idsmashh]

The waves will never stop bombarding the edge of our country...they are the constant...

unfortunately the forcast seems to disagree with you.....

[Bronze Whaler]

this situation seems to me like you are asking for the best possible way to mix orange juice and milk....so you can't mix oj and milk... you can't...

Costa Ricans mix OJ with milk all day- actually its really good

[Juliaep]

Start looking for the same kind of job in the Pacific Northwest and Southern California. Take the job in Utah and keep trying to get closer to the Pacific. It'll happen.

One week on and one week off is pretty good. When you finish surfing in the morning in So Cal you can go to job interviews and then get back in the water in the late afternoon. Plus winters are super nice in So Cal. So go for the job in Utah and take it from there.

[RobG]

I would say go for it. St. George would put you right between Southern CA and SLC Utah - you get the best of both worlds. Some fun surf in CA or some sick mountains up around SLC. With your work schedule you will have plenty of time to travel to and explore either destination. Plus, you're pretty close to Vegas if you're into that kind of scene.

Utah is awesome. Before I started surfing I was planning on moving to SLC to work at a mountain and just ride all winter and skate all summer. Such amazing terrain out there for all kinds of outdoor activities.