I cannot imagine anyone trying to be a "surfer" living 8 hours from the beach. You're more of a person who surfs twice a year when you have vacation. If I were you I'd look into heading to Boone and snowshoe WVA and pick up snowboarding.
The Reverse Beverly Hillbillies Listen to a story ‘bout a surfer named matt, Lookin’ for a job gotta keep that wallet fat, A friend said, "Cali ain’t the place you wanna be," So he loaded up the van and he moved to Tennessee! Good luck to you matts! yer always welcomme at CB...
Blasters, You're missing out here. You could open a redneck Bed and Breakfast for your brethren in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Arkansas. Have them come and LEARN the Carolina Cutback! You could be a Confederate Surfing Yoda.
I know CB, I know. I thought I could pull it off because I once lived in Burgaw, NC for a couple years. But there was just that little something missing. My spray could injure but not kill like the real Carolina Cutback. But the inland fools don't know this. I still think Blasters could market and sell the CC to the unknowing masses. Kinda like Ginseng.
I lived in Knoxville for a spell. Horseback riding in the Smokeys, white water rafting on the Ocoee, and the local moonshine are fond memories. Take a week and go to OBX if you can swimme.
Agree with the others about skipping the EC if you are making bank go to costa, PR, Nica ect. EC is a fickle biatch especially SC and GA. If you do go EC go to Hatteras or Fla. or, of course, The Belmar. if you can handle it.
I lived in chattaboogie for 3 years. The Appalachian mtns are beautiful and great for camping and rafting...but that's about all the excitement in that area. 8 hrs is waaay too far to drive for small surf. Save your money for a trip to a warm surf destination. Caribbean islands (bahamas?) in winter can be fun to epic...summer gets loggable wind chop (if it's flat, you can still swim and snorkle in trunks). There's usually some sort of swell in mexico, year round...even cancun (carribean side) gets loggable wind chop every 2 weeks or so.
+1 for save your money for a real surf trip. OBX is nice, but you're gonna get skunked if you're driving that far
A guy with a gopro on a selfie-stick, riding a SUP, in a river, while wearing a helmet and a life vest. Wow. Don't forget the shorts over his wetsuit. Part of me is screaming 'WTF.' Another part of me thinks about all the times I've smoked a doob and chilled in a tube, floating a river in the Catskills, enjoying the unparalleled view. River-SUPing Tennessee might be much more passive than surfing, but if I were somehow forcibly relocated to such a god-fearing toothless state, I would most certainly give it a shot. I would probably also be an alcoholic.
Hell...if Slater can build a wave pool in Lemoore, California (farking wetback-infested cowtown) then maybe you'll get lucky and he'll build a chain of 'em and you'll land one out in the Denture Capital of the World.
standard whitewater equipment. aside from the baggies over the wetsuit, you wouldnt want to get churned through that without the helmet and life vest. take everything you know about being the coolest dude surfing and forget it, whitewater is a much different beast.
