Surfing and Careers

define surfing related career?

Reping- I know a few guys who do that and they never get to surf cause they are on the road all the time.

Surf Shop Owner-Know a few and they rarely gt to surf (esp in summer) since they are always at the shop.

Shaper-Get to surf more but barely make a living.

 

Surfing and careers don't mix.

 

suck it up and get a higher education then get a job which allows you flexibility to surf (comp-time, work from home, good pay, generous time off). Its sweet.

 

exactly, I work 2nd shift so I can hit dawn partol more often , I got weekends off paid hoildays and great time off plus the pay is good too. My job is sweet and I wouldnt trade for a surfing job well maybe if I wanted to open my own surfshop .

 

All well and good but go find corporate heaven somewhere where you can actually count on waves to complement your precious few hours away from flourescent lighting and cubicles. Delmarva is a poor choice.

 

Teaching is a great choice for a surfer. You can go work anywhere.

 

ok, salty. what do you do?

 

It seems the tragedy of surfing is that most places with good waves, at least on the East Coast, offer very few decent jobs, telecommuting notwithstanding.

Lets go down the coast and I'll give you my opinion on the areas
NYC - too cold and too crowded
DE - could be cool but I don't know a lot of jobs but if you're a Dr. or Lawyer, or accountant, I guess you can work anywhere
VA Beach - waves aren't so great but I guess you have the military and could do Govt contracting, but this area is sort of beat and ghetto. Not sure I'd want my kid(s) going to public schools there.
OBX - Live on food stamps and work at Food Lion.
Wilmington - could be alright but not all that consistent for waves. Not sure about jobs but I think there are some things there.
Charleston SC - SC has no waves, but you might get a hurricane or two that could help, think there are some okay jobs around here too. I've heard good things and considered this area myself.
Georgia - next...
Florida - Jax not too consistent but maybe not bad. I haven't been here.
Florida south - You got Del Rey and can surf all year round, not sure how great of jobs there are but there is probably something. Hurricanes are another threat to your real estate but like Tyler Durdan said "you aren't the car you drive."

Sort of interesting to think about.

 

I'd vote health care over teaching but both are good choices. the bad thing about teaching is that it's hard to get off in the fall/winter/spring when the waves are best.

 

i work in finance, and save 75% of my days for surfing. i don't need to give any notice when i want to take off either. the criteria for taking a day is usually overhead and offshore. i try to score after work sessions also.

 

environmental aspect might contain some cool jobs maybe surfrider foundation

 

NYC - too cold and too crowded
DE - could be cool but I don't know a lot of jobs but if you're a Dr. or Lawyer, or accountant, I guess you can work anywhere
VA Beach - waves aren't so great but I guess you have the military and could do Govt contracting, but this area is sort of beat and ghetto. Not sure I'd want my kid(s) going to public schools there.
OBX - Live on food stamps and work at Food Lion.
Wilmington - could be alright but not all that consistent for waves. Not sure about jobs but I think there are some things there.
Charleston SC - SC has no waves, but you might get a hurricane or two that could help, think there are some okay jobs around here too. I've heard good things and considered this area myself.
Georgia - next...
Florida - Jax not too consistent but maybe not bad. I haven't been here.
Florida south - You got Del Rey and can surf all year round, not sure how great of jobs there are but there is probably something. Hurricanes are another threat to your real estate but like Tyler Durdan said "you aren't the car you drive."



** you didint even mention NJ at all...!?! I work in the advertising dept. at a AC casino. im on the 9th floor and get to stare at the ocean all day (It Blows when its actually good).

 

Im with you on that one man. For the past couple of years, I have been checking out numerous places back east. And the problems you speak of have thrown a wrench in my plans. I am now in the hospitality industry. I run a couple of restaurants in San Diego. I am able to be successful doing that because the market out here is year round and the tourism never stops. But back in the mid-atlantic, most restaurant business (at least on the coast) is all seasonal. The only two places that make sense that have a decent job market would be Atlantic City, NJ… Or Wilmington NC… Everything else is pretty much hit or miss. If I would try and move to any other beach town pretty much, I would have to open my own place, because the salaries in all of those areas are less than competitive. So there are ways to make money in those coastal towns, but it’s not easy. I don’t know though. I am still looking around, but the Wilmington Area is really the only place I have found all of the things that my Fiancee and I are looking for. Yeah, the waves aren’t that consistent, but the water temps there are warmer for like 6 months than it EVER gets on the west coast, so that could be cool. And in Wilmington, we would be a 4 hour drive from family etc…. And from what I have read about Wilmington, they have quite a few good job markets down there. Depends on what you are looking for, but Wilmington to me was the nicest, surf friendliest, reasonable places… As far as careers. I know that AC new Jersey has sick restaurant gig… Some of those places pay out 6 figure salaries and stuff. World class entertainment up there, but then again, you are in Atlantic City New Jersey. Not sure if I would want to raise my kids up there, ya know? I know that jersey shore is nice and wave rich, but the cold water and weather is why I left Maryland to begin with…

But anyway, about your list… that is pretty accurate from all of the research I have done… Cause the way I have it now, I can pretty much surf all day, so I have no plans on a career change any time soon. And my schedule would pretty much stay the same in any beach town.

 

Scobeyville, nice... Are you from Jersey? If not, where are you from and what would you say about year round living up in the AC area?

 

As far as surf marketing, i would think the only place to even attempt to do well there would be CA but given the state of that region I don't think you could pay me enough to live there.

 

I'd LOVE to be a camera operator for WCT Events

 

It's tough to find the perfect job and still be able to surf, it's like you can have one or the other. I live on the east coast of central florida and I am an engineer. I hate my job, yet it allows me to take long lunches when there are waves and the beach is only a 10 minute drive from work. I know this sounds great but when there are no waves, my life sucks (especially extended flat spells).

 

when it's flat for extended periods, work becomes REALLY SH!TTY.