A question of balance

from where i sit both sound fantastical.
i'd say Oahu if u can make real $ and plan for an eventual retirement. Whe wont be young forever

 

Weigh in family and friends. They count too.

 

If it were me, I'd take option one.

 

So many more things to consider.
Family, friends.
Got a girlfriend? Planning a family? Oahu schools SUCK
I've been to Oahu several times. the North shore and east side are nice, I would never want to live on the south shore. The crowds and traffic are hell in the south shore. Rush hour is grid lock, as bad as any major US city.
West side? No bother, haole.
The island is incredibly expensive.
It's not all it's made out to be in surf magazines. For the everyday Joe, it can be a tough place to live.
When you go to buy food at Food Lion and see a line of 100 locals standing in line for a plate lunch/ dinner because they can't afford regular groceries, it's hits home how expensive Hawaii is...
Do a Zillow search on what $400K will get you in Oahu. I can tell you this, it's no where near the beach, and quite small.

 

OBX and part time job all day long if you can survive on that and have a decent lifestyle, would suck to be really broke on the regular, but if you got coin saved up and can coast for a while I say go for it.

 

Obx

 

I would go to Oahu. How many people do you know that actually move to the tropics and surf and work and live. Sure you'll have to work but most people have to work. If you can make good money while on the island and actually be able to retire at some point, go there.

Plus there will be no 5/4/3 wetsuites in Oahu. There will be in your future at OBX. Water there gets cold fast and stays cooler than most places in NC.

 

I don't know many, because they all end up moving back.

 

Great comments on family, etc. But as someone who lived on the OBX... a few points:

1. It is REALLY cold and boring in the winter... but there is good surf;

2. It is REALLY crowded in the summer... and there is occasional good surf;

3. The fall is the best time of year for everything... water still warm, surf is best and fishing is best.

On the OBX there is not much to do. Personally, it is a place I visit in the fall, and am glad I don't live there.

On Hawaii... man, there is so much to do. There is always surf, great fishing and a bunch of other things to do. Mountain biking is great, the weather is always perfect. It is certainly more expensive, but I really think its a matter of "the grass is always greener."

In the end, I would go with Hawaii for the weather and variety of surf and other activities. The fact that you lived there, and would go back, also tells me that you like it, otherwise you wouldn't even consider it. Never underestimate how much cold weather sucks...

 

Oahu, until such time as you have had enough. It is an opportunity of a lifetime. Go for a short spell, say 3-5 years, then when tired of it, return to home.
OBX is rubbish next to Oahu. Pure rubbish as far a surfing goes. And you will always find breaks around the circle that Oahu is that others do not frequent and aren't crowded.
If OBX is chosen, well, does the term "moron" mean anything to you?? hahahahaha!!!

 

Go to the obx for a week in December when it is 45 and raining and then you will have your answer.

 

Bingo^^^^
Very good fungus.

 

It is the beginning of you acquiring wisdom & "class"........as well as wrinkles!!

 

I don't think anybody disputes the waves and the beauty of anywhere in Hawaii. I think it comes down to income and work / life balance. If one can afford to stay on the big island and it's not requiring them to work too many hours or if it doesn't require living in a box the I think it's obvious what option to go with. Sounds to me like this guy wants to work as little as possible and surf as much as possible while avoiding being homeless. I'm pretty sure cost of living in OBX is way lower than Hawaii, so that's why I think most would say OBX.

 

Original post really kind of hit on work/life balance:

Choice 1) Move to the Outer Banks, work a part time, flexible hours job he loves, and have every day to surf/do hobbies.

Choice 2) Move to Oahu, but work a regular full time 40+ hour job, and have normal worker-bee surf hours.

If you are basing it on these two, to me he would be happier in OBX. Sounds like he would be making enough money to live happy from a part time job that he loves. Personally, I think I would do the Oahu thing for a couple years and try it.

 

I based my decision on what some may consider strange criteria...and I am not passing judgment on anyone with different criteria, but I reached my conclusion with the following:
-Hawaii doesn't need me, and would be much better off if the influx of people moving there was stopped.
-I could theoretically walk to the OBX.
-I like fall, and tolerate our wintres up here.
-I like the classic EC look of dunes, grasses, and stunted pines.
-Besides, I'd love to catch a small day in the shorey at the Bay, but I'm happy with chest to head on the EC. As long as I can bring my own weed and tryptamines, OBX here I cometh.

 

Pretty much all of this exactly.

OBX January - March no thanks that's a rough three months of cold nasty weather. I guess if your into that great. The water north of Buxton is freezing.

OBX in July and August crawling with vacationers, flatness.

Seriously I can't believe a forum of surfers would have trouble deciding between Oahu and North Carolina. 40 hours a week job in Hawaii will leave you with ten times the quality surfing as a part time flexible job anywhere on the east coast.

I guess if its about school systems, then yeah there's that. OK move someplace with good schools.

 

WRONG!!
Hawaii absolutely needs guys like you!! Presently, the problems with Hawaii is that there are NOT enough people like you out there. That comes across strongly in your posts. Also, Hawaii has seasons as well, but they are manifest in the water more than on land (same in PR).
So.....brrrrrpppp!!
Move now. lol