for all of you east coast surfers, i want to hear, if you had the chance to move to california would you do it or stay? california winter or jersey winter? california summer or jersey summer?
is this a serious question? cali for sure. i mean, that's like saying...would you rather marry a playmate or roseanne/rosi odonnell. even when you cant surf there's still so much to do.
socal has some advantages: weather is usually pleasant, water never gets real real cold in the winter, there is a variety of surf breaks: point, beach, reef, out of the water activites abound: hiking/biking in the hills, concerts and shows, great restaurants on every streetcorner, lots of sports and arts opportunities for kids and grownups. socal has some disadvantages: the cost of living is off the hook and good breaks crowd up fast. the cultural and professional opportunities in the la basin far outnumber those here on delmarva for sure, and the landscape is certainly more interesting to look at. but, googamooga, there sure are a lot of people out there! i have a buddy who has lived in redondo beach for the past fifteen years. it is really cool to go out and visit him, but i seriously doubt i could afford to live there without entering into a life of crime to pay for it!
if surfing were the only factor then without question - California over NJ - then again if surfing looms that large in your life as to crowd out anything else, more important than family, career, etc. then why settle for California, instead go all out and move to Hawaii, Costa Rica or even Indo
Sorry but I hear this alot. I have been out to Socal over 8 times and actually looking for a place out there as i write this to live. Cost of living?? It is just as bad where I am at now in NJ. My fiances brother lives in a place right by La Jolla for 1100 a month and the damn place is a 3 bed room and two baths with two decks. (literally less than 5-10 mins from the beach) Find me a place like that in NJ that close to the beach for the same price... Hey maybe you can but I don't care because at that price for his location that is awesome no matter what State you are in.
Ya, sorry, it is a rented condo. I have only looked at a few places in and around Encinitas and Carlsbad for buying and to tell you the truth it is not that bad. I can tell you that the taxes on houses is much higher here in NJ and if you are looking for an affordable place close to the beach in NJ nowadays FORGET ABOUT IT. Unless I am looking in the wrong places which I could be. Not saying that I am right people find different deals but the things I have been looking for have been this way.
Cali is great, surfed there a few times. The waves are much better but their is something to be said about being from the North East it can be tough to fit in once you leave the area. Besides the ground shakes out there.
JUst moved to socal from delaware I just moved to southern california from delaware and if anyone has a chance to move here do it and never look back, the waves are so much better and so much more consistant its not even funny. I cant belive its even a question. Seriously DO IT!!!!! Actually on second thought dont do it stay in Jersey it sucks here. HAHA
"Im way better..." where did you move to? I "lived" in Del for 6 years (went to college at UD) Just moved from NJ to cali a month ago, living in Ventura... it rocks! Only regret is missing hurricane season this year! Nothing compares to fall in jersey, gotta love the weather. Some breaks here are insanely crowded though... But there's also a ton of empty beach breaks
Yeah, I too moved from Delmarva to OB, in San Diego about 7 years ago... Best thing I have ever done. I have surfer litterally EVERY day since I moved here. On "Flat" socal days, there are 2 foot beach break waves all over the place. There really is not a day all year where you can't find a wave... The weather. Flawless. Zero Rain. Zero Clouds... The hardest wind we ever get is like 7MPH-10MPH onshore in mid afternoons. EVERY MORNING is glassed off for hours in SoCal and the same thing before the snu goes down... There are reefs, points, beach breaks... Im talking WORLD class waves out here.... It really isn't even a conversation. This is a no brainer.... And being frmo Delmarva, I know there are probably more than a few Jersey guys reading this who are about to say the following: "Man, when Jersey gets good, Its REALLY GOOD. I mean, I would take it over cali any day..." Or, "Man, the waves are just more powerful on the jersey shore when swells come" or "Man, the Outer Banks is the heaviest spot in the country!" All of the above are not true. Yes, jersey and OCMD have their days. On the right SE swell, jersey gets heavy... But seriously, surf a winter in cali and you will have TONS of days where you are happy you even made it back to the beach... There are some winters, where litterally, the surf never drops BELOW overhead for OVER A MONTH straight... I'm talking about riding so much overhead reef break surf, that when you finally get a chest high day, YOU ARE FREAKING STOKED!!!! Its gets so good here for so long, you go into a trance almost, taking for granted how good it is.... And anyone who says the typical, east coast beach breaks get heavier has never surfed a good beach out here... Try blacks out in January... That place is a beach breaks and stays CLEAN up to like 15-18 feet. Its insane. There is not a spot on the entire east coast that can hold a swell like Blacks.. And thats a beach breaks... There are what, HUNDREDS of reefs in San Diego county alone that pump out overhead peelers all year long... Sorry to Rant, but its a no brainer... The surf in Cali rivals that of anywhere in the world... Yeah, Costa rica has some better spots and is super consistent too, but what kind of a JOB are you gonna get in Costa Rica??? So for people who are SERIOUS about their surfing and want to live that lifestyle all belong in Cali... Its sad but true. Thats why its so crowded. But for good reason.. ANd if you are a good surfer, crowds are no problem.... I get my favorite Reef Break LITERALLY ALONE most of the time all winter. Riding every set wave that I want for Hours and hours and hours... Can't beat it with a stick! ANd if you have a boat, sh******** You have access to spots that are boat only... Empty, PERFECTION... DOLPHINS TANKS!!! RALPHS!!! If you don't live here, you will never surf those spots and they are two of the best on the ENTIRE cali COAST... North or South. Tourists don't know where to find the spots. They dont have boats and they aren't going reef hoping from outta town!
And as far as Cost of living. Yeah, if you live right by the beach like me. You pay for it. Its called the Socal sunshine tax... You get what you pay for... Its worth EVERY SINGLE OVER PRICED PENNY... Its a lifelong vacation.... and if you can tolerate living a mile+ from the beach, there are TONS of houses for under 200K now... Like I said, you can pay 700$ in rent in OC NJ and surf every now and again, or you can pay 1100 right on the beach in San Diego and surf your as$ off everyday, all year... You get what you pay for...
Dolphin Tanks and Ralph's Empty??? I don't think so... Those places really only show their true form on really good long period south swells. And when those conditions arise, everyone and their uncle heads out there. You would be better of finding a point in Baja Norte. P.S. You don't need a boat to get to Ralph's. Just alot of water, and a willingness to walk through lots of prickly vegitation...
so funny to read these posts, meanwhile down in Costa Rica all you meet is Californians who have zero positive to say about it - everyone surfs/crowds, overdeveloped, expensive, dirty, gangs everywhere, insane traffic. Look at it this way, we haven't had a shark attack in Jersey in about 95 years, and you have what, average 1-3 fatal ones a year in CA? But yeah no comparison in terms of surfing, not in the least. We get MAYBE 20 days in a year where a true-blue real born-and-raised Cali surfer would say the waves are as good as anyplace back home.
I lived in San Diego (PB) for about a year and i would have to say that the surf there is consistently better than the surf in the upper NE. The summers suck on both coast because of there being too many people out but the winters in SD blow NJ away. The hurricane Bill which was epic to so people really was not much better than the frequent swells that are seen at some of the better spots in soCal ...Blacks, swamis, Oceanside... Plus the beaches and girls are both better looking on the West Coast!!
went to cali this past summer and the smallest wave they have is knee to thigh. so um...i think id go with cali without a doubt.
Sorry, Zach, but I think you've been hanging out with the Slightly Stoopid gang down at Dog Beach way too much the past 7 years. I am not gonna question each statement below about *Southern California* other than to say most are gross exaggerations. Also, it is only fair to compare apples to apples when talking about California from the Baja border to the San Francisco Bay area -- more or less the same distance as Narragansett, RI to the Outer Banks, NC. Personally, I would choose the N. Oregon area, for a whole host of reasons, wear a 4/3 instead of a 3/2, and take my periodic trip to the tropics vs. the sewage infested waters of the SoCal area.
