what would you do?

I guess it depends on how important surfing is to you.
Think long term and not just the next year.

Imagine this scenario, you got into an accident and hurt your leg and could never surf again.
Then how would this change your decision?

 

Taking your Girl out of the equation.

Utah will take your breath away, and the experience will be life changing... you may never get this chance again.

I absolutely love surfing, can't live without it, but I don't get to go every day - I usually have to go a week between sessions.

A 6.5 hour drive to the coast every other week seems like you can have your cake and surf it too.

 

this situation seems to me like you are asking for the best possible way to mix orange juice and milk.... Some might say, he man, its only surfing... where others might say, dude, follow the waves cause its obviously your passion...
so you can't mix oj and milk... you can't, from what it seems, accept this job if you are so passionate about surfing.
seems like this is a job that would require you to give your 100% to the people that are there for your help... not gonna last long there if all you do is think about the waves. just my 2cents...

 

No way in hell I could do it. The worst 4 years of my life were in college at NCSU--just two hours from my home. Not having unlimited access to salt water messed me up. I thought before hand it wouldn't be that bad.... but it was, that and more. This, and I still came home every summer to live at the beach and teach sailing and kayaking, so I wasn't trapped in Raleigh but my absence from something I had literally grown up with at my fingertips for a month or more at a time had serious ill effects on me.

People say you learn things about yourself in college--I sure as hell did. There is absolutely no way I will ever live outside the coastal region.

Why not apply to be a NOLS leader in Baja?

 

dude you can always come back to the beach. I lived in lake tahoe north lake for a winter (about 6 months total) and didn't surf a single day but boarded over 100 days in 6 months! Mind blowing experience probably the coolest thing I have ever done. Go to utah and climb around on some boulders, shred some mountain bike trails, ride dirt bike and get it in because life is short. You will not regret it, the beach is always here.

 

Don't do it! We need you giving the surf report. You can't give a surf report from Utah. And anybody emailing you telling you you're overcalling it needs a mental exam. If anything, you're undercalling it slightly.

 

one week on, one week off, sounds like an excellent surf schedule. You would have all week to surf out and that would give you time for exploring a lot of coastline in the PNW. It is tougher when you only get one day off a week. Plus it is nice to have a job lined up before you make such a big move. You will then have time to look for a job that will provide 24/7 ocean access in the future. Good luck.

 

I'm all for change and new adventure.go to utah and don't look back. S0 cal in the winter is pretty ****in good too!

 

Since you don't have anything that is really securing you down, why not go for Utah.
Then, give it a few months, and its not working for you, make a change.

 

Do it... unless you're planning on getting married chicks come and go... remove from the equation. Doing man sh!t in the wilderness, helping folks, building a resume, saving money, having a lifetime of stories to tell, and every other week off and I'm sure major holidays? Why wouldn't you do it?... If you're dedicated... and you'd have to be to... probably surf as many, if not more, good days out west as you already do in RI. It'd be like 180 South all gnarly wilderness types and then they shred. Don't be afraid to step out side the ol' comfort zone...too many people are... don't let fear of missing sh!tty waves influence you too heavily. I did once in my life and it kept me back for too long...afraid to make a move... to miss a swell... took a leap of faith that seemingly sucked... largely missing out on surfing for a few years in my prime 20s... to reap the benefits in my early 30s...two years of straight Pacific ocean and Indian ocean perfection surfing places that most others on this side of the world only talk about.

 

The waves will never stop bombarding the edge of our country...they are the constant...this job opportunity is not. I would take the job in Utah, earn some money and knowledge/experience of the wilderness as well as help fellow human beings. You have every other week off to hit the coast. If its flat out, you can travel somewhere else since you have income. With out a job in surf city, if its flat, your out of surf and have no real $$ to go somewhere else (for surf or not).

Summary: Utah!

 

i would say give it a go. itll be one hell of a life experience and make surfing that much better once you get back. and yeah, getting outside of your comfort zone like someone else mentioned is a good thing.

 

I'll third the getting out of the ol' comfort zone.
Traveling is important, as it lets you see other ways to live.

 

Go to Utah! I have been a surfer for 25yrs and always made decisions based on the ocean surf etc.. I have realized as much as I love surfing that it can be replaced with other things. Help those people in Utah and get the outdoor experience you need it will help you in the future and hopefully will be rewarding.

 

Maybe explore other opportunities to do similar work helping people, but on a coastline. Where I live there are numerous jobs available helping others learn to surf...kids with disablities, wounded soldiers, people in recovery...etc. What I honestly do anytime before making a big decision is divide a sheet of paper in half and right down the pros and cons. I add to the sheet for about a week, because reasons will continually pop in your head. Once you've given yourself enough time to compile the list, look at it closely and then make your decision.

 

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.