Surfing and Careers

gokart. that was my go to spot for when i decided to surf AC. that left was something else. got some nice barrels at metros though. (also got my car window smashed out by a brick there in the middle of november! tehy stole all my clothes too and it was like 30 degrees! suckedddd)

 

My company just asked me if I wanted to relocate from PA to the jersey shore...they know I surf and still offered me a nice benefit package and a sweet new salary...(they assumed no one would want to live at the beach through the winter) part of the new contract is that I have the option to go in at noon on days that its good...best of both worlds?

 

Another vote for teaching

My 2 cents. As a teacher I work 184 days a year. I also get 10 sick days and 3 personal days, which I save for days of good, clean fun. Lastly my daily schedule is 7:30-2:30, dawn patrol is tough, but afternoons work just fine. Solid job during times of recession and the northeast areas pay well.

Other then that, marry a woman with a trust fund.

 

F*u*c*k you you lucky f*uck*er!

 

probably going to have to come in a few hours late on monday morning...

 

Salty1,
That’s for the story man, that is a comforting thought. It sounds like you and I are in similar situations. And like I said, since I am from the OC MD area originally, I was looking at places within driving distances of MD etc for family. So, while I love OC MD, it is incredibly seasonal, I mean, almost nonexistent in the off season is you either own a restaurant or work in the industry. So, its funny because AC NJ is only 2 hours from Baltimore, an equal distance to OC MD, so I looked up in Jersey too. But my Fiancee and I both decided, that unless we got some pretty sweet job offers, that the Jersey shore was just colder than MD and not what we are looking for. We are both from MD and moved to SD together for the same reasons.

So anyway, the second stop on my list of places was VB. VB is like 3 hours or less to get up to DC/Bmore where our families live now. So, VB was all over my radar. For a while, the VB guys on here told me that VB was relatively more consistant that OC MD is, but then my OC MD boys bashed that idea and said it is not true, although they are very very similar. So, what the VB guys told me is this. They say it gets pretty cold there, both water and air. They say that the local authorities are not that kind to surfers, and the few spots that are in VB are as crowded as SoCal… So, like I said, maybe this is true and maybe not…

But here are the GREAT things I learned: VB/Hampton roads is the largest metropolitan region in the nation that has yet to have a pro sports franshise or anything like that. The Hampton Roads are is FULL of jobs. There are all kinds of things going on down there. I was also told by local business owners in VB that VB is pretty much a year round spot, even right on the beach. They say that although the Hampton roads area has a really high crime rate, that the actual city of VB is nice and family oriented. And last but not least, the Banks are 1.5 hours from VB….

So again, VB was all over my radar for good reasons. But, again, another 1-2 hours south, I found Wilmington, and although that couple of extra hours of driving could be a pain in the as$ if we do it all the time like we want to, but I think after weighing out the pros and cons, that Wilmington won me over. So far anyway. The warm water, the PALM TREES (that’s one thing I think I can never live without after living out west. I love them), the climate is more humid but much more similar to SoCal than most areas over there. The Hospitality industry both downtown in Wilmington, by UNCW and on the beaches is all pretty good year round. And after researching the swells and checking the surf on basically every beach on the east coast for a couple of years, I have been pretty stoked on the waves I do see come through WB and CB and stuff. Its not always epic, but sometimes its going off pretty nicely, and even on the smaller days, I see pics of some rippable wedges down there. And overall, VB and WB are about the same consitancy. I know that VB gets the NE better, but WB gets the SE better.

Anyway, again Salty1, thanks for the info. I am glad that you found a good setup for your family and your surf. Good sh** man.

 

Dude, Zach... I'll tell you what, if your still deciding on a place to live on the East Coast, VB is the place for you man. By no means does VB suck. Its got everything you could ever need plus more. I live in CO right now, but VB is my true home. Anyone who says it sucks, has probably never lived anywhere else, simple as that.

The people are great, there is tons of nightlife, plenty of jobs, and more often than not beautiful weather. Sure the surf may not be amazing. But I mean ****, it is the east coast. And we all know the OBX is just an hour away.

Ive seen just about every beach town their is on the east coast. And VB reigns supreme by far. Trust me Zach, anywhere other than VB would be a mistake...

 

Nice dude! Thanks for the info. I knew VB had its upside for sure. I always thought of it as a cool place, that was just like a Giant OC MD kinda place, cause OC MD has pretty sweet vibes too, minus all the July and August tourists =) But hey, I run restaurants, so as long as they are not in the lineup, I love tourists! Love em!

 

Problem is sometimes they think they ARE in the lineup... lol.

 

from what i experienced the locals in Virginia Beach are really cool. Its not very ghetto in the actual town of VB as well

 

Here's some food for thought (I know most of you on here are fairly young). When you get older, most of you will have a family and a job. Jobs and families take up alot of time so you learn to really appreciate the surf sessions that you get. When you are young and unattached (no job or family) you are always looking for nice big barrels and you hate the small days. However, when you get older you still want big barrels but you learn to appreciate any day in the water so you end up enjoying the small days too which can actually increase your overall pleasure from surfing

 

I have 3 buddies that work at the hospitals on Delmarva and they sometimes have odd hours, but they make great money, and seem to rarely miss a session.

 

I work in Mayslanding , Nj so I am like 10 min from AC and I live in Cape May so I can usually get Dawn Patrol sessions in before i got to go to work . I get weekends off and I have a nice amount of vaction , sick and personal time each year. My hours are 12noon to 8:30 so if there is waves in the after noon thats the only time is miss them during the week

 

Eeek...what's that drive like? I work in Absecon.

 

45 min , I take parkway to exit 20 then take Rt50 to Rt 40. I am use to the drive it dont bother me

 

I'm surprised no one has mentioned photographers yet. Yeah, you don't get in the water when its good, but the rest of the time you're free to do what you want. Yes, I know its not a job anyone can take up, but with some practice and equipment and good promotion its possible. Water photogs, they basically get paid to body surf and take pictures, everything they enjoy... cmonnn.

Teaching jobs have a lot of time off, so they can hit it a lot. I had a teacher in high school, who wouldn't be in if there was any waves. Or he'd show up around 12:30 after a morning sesh. Same person if there was snow would be off but at the mountains instead.

Fishing career. They don't go out when the swells get big...

 

Government job....there's a handful of us state workers that never miss a swell.

 

im a barber in springfield new jersey. the hours are good because i run by appointment mostly.if i want to get out for dawn its a drive but if its good its worth it. the pay is really good anywhere between 700 to 2000 a week.i work saturdays but have sundays and mondays off.in the summer i get a week vacation and still can call out sick if i must and drop my appointments. id say about 40 % of my clients surf or bodyboard too so i always have someone to go out wit as well. works well for me

 

It's not for everybody but I work as a US Merchant Marine (basically a commercial sailor). I work a four week on for week off schedule on a ocean going tug. I can live anywhere as long as I can fly or drive to the boat. I started doing this after I moved back from SD and live in Margate, one of the towns on Absecon Island including AC. It would be great to still be living in SD but I really love Margate. It's a year round town, great nightlife, and lots of decent surf spots between AC, OC and towns south. The pay is really good so it gives me a opportunity to travel somewhere during my month off.

 

i'm in the garage door business. just recently started it myself after working in the field for 20 years for two other companies. fortunately i can work when i want, but in these kinds of businesses you gotta be ready to be on your feet at any time if you don't wanna lose clientel.if i really want to i can find time to surf at least five days a week if not six or seven most times. i'm going on a surf trip with some buddies next month for about three weeks to different places in the world that i've never been to. i'm really excited. my fiance got a job offer to work at a college in denver colorado for one semester coming up in the winter, but it winded up not going through. i like colorado, but i would never live there. i gotta be on the coast!

if i could get a job which allowed me to surf or work on the water other than commercial fishing, and that i could travel around with i would take it with the drop of a dime. realistically i don't see that coming though.