Live in Washington D.C. ? Surf a lot? Read this

Hard to believe you're having trouble finding a crew with such an upbeat stoke/attitude.

 

I know more than few people who drive out for that shore pound...However, living in a pricey, transient, yuppie city like DC means (sometimes) having real jobs. So, no Thursday sessions for many. That being said I do know a marketing exec who surfs relatively often, he has all sorts of boards and time off.

 

i went to uni down in DC and used to always drive out to OCMD for surf. it's not a bad trip like 4 hours round rtip but it was definitely worth it. had a buddy that lived in Salisbury so i would crash with him.

that bridge that connects maryland proper to the eastern shore is the scariest ****ing thing i've ever EVER been on.

 

Good luck. I wish I could do the trip more, but having a family doesn't allow for it. It stinks being this far but more reason to pick up some other sports that give you a sense of sanity. Kayaking is good around here. I have only done it a couple of times since the entry fee for equipment is steep. I would recommend getting a road or mountain bike. There is good riding around here and if you do it enough it keeps you in super shape and it gives you an adrenaline fix similar to surfing. You must adapt to survive...

 

Never understood this mentality, either you love surfing or you don't. Don't use family as an excuse to NOT drive an hour or two to the beach. Why not bring the family along? Why not try to instill the same stoke in your kids as you have... oh wait....

 

Nothing can compare to riding waves IMO, bottom line.

 

Hey guy, perhaps there is more to the story you do not know. Perhaps I would be willing to explain were it not for pretentious "dude I'm so rad and live near the waves" attitude I see here. Those of us who live within earshot of the waves are very blessed. Enjoy that. There's no need to be a jerk.

Okay, screw it, I'll just share anyway. I was very fortunate over several years to live near the ocean, in Hawaii, CA, and internationally. Then my dad died. They found Stage 4 cancer and he was gone in less than 2 months. I moved back to Baltimore to help with the family. Then I met my wife, with whom I have gone through a much-harder-than-normal pregnancy. Due to those and other reasons, I haven't surfed much this year. We are hoping to score a move to the Northwest next year and find big uncrowded surf out there. Do I 'love surfing less than you'? Okay sure, if you mean by not wanting to abandon the people I love, then I suppose. Have you charged big Hawaiian surf? Have you hung out with locals in the South Pacific and learned that the ocean is not a recreational spot but, even more, a source of life and spirituality? Those among us who have learned to love the ocean only to be pulled away are equally aware (and sometimes more) of such things. So, what I am saying is, please do not 'rub it in' because you get to surf way more often than some other people. By your logic, I could say "If you really loved surfing, then you would go live on the West Coast where they actually have consistent swell." You would offer some perfectly reasonable argument as to why that is not true, and you would be correct.

 

I hear what you are saying, and perhaps I was a bit harsh. You must have mistaken me for someone who lives on the beach. Dude, I drive 2.5hrs each way EVERY WEEK to ride whatever rideable wave is out there. I have a fiance who does not surf, who can't even really be in the sun for extended periods of time due to meds, but you know what? She gets in the car and rides along with me because we enjoy the time together. She gets to have her quiet time under a canopy tent, but she gets in the water sometimes to catch a quick wave or just to have some fun and then back to her spot in the shade, while I get to surf my brains out and come back refreshed and a happier person for her to go home with.

I have a buddy of mine who when I met him he didn't have any kids, he surfed pretty regularly, but now? Can't get him in the water but a couple times per year, when it's "worth it", now it's not smart to abandon your family for surf (although you should be able to from time to time without guilt), and moreso, the wife should be encouraging her man to surf, cause that what he loves to do. Kids love the beach! I know if my dad surfed (which he didn't) and he wanted to hit the road every weekend or every other weekend I would have been more stoked than ever. My point is this, you don't stop living your life and doing the things you love because you have a wife and kids, that's just being lazy and using them as an excuse IMO. Sure, maybe there are some serious life pitfalls that may keep you from the ocean for a while, but to say you simply can't make it because you have a family is total BS. Family should share things together, unless of course you are selfish and only want surf to be something YOU can enjoy, then in that case, do your thing.

 

If you don't like living in DC, leave. DC is a great city and there are a lot of surfers who enjoy living here and will make the drive surf on a moments notice. With that kind of attitude you have I doubt any of the guys I know would want to spend 3 hours each way in a car with you.

 

"Never understood this mentality, either you love surfing or you don't. Don't use family as an excuse to NOT drive an hour or two to the beach. Why not bring the family along? Why not try to instill the same stoke in your kids as you have... oh wait.... "

just shut your hole man.

tommyh is one of the few REAL CHARGERS on the Delmarva. Like FReezing Balls well over head FEB/MAR Bomb swells, when most of you turds are far away tucked into your beds at 7am

Of course you would not know this since you Live so fing Far Away, Kook

 

I can sympathize. I consider myself very lucky to be working and living within a 15 minute drive to the break (some people are luckier). I have been guilty of turning down better job opportunities because it would take me away from the coast. And I'm talking about just the East Coast, with whom I have a love/hate relationship due to the inconsistent crappy waves.

Do what you need to do.

 

yeah, a 5 year old and a 7 month old don't really lend too well to making day trips considering the 5-6 hour round trip. I used to think the same way, then I moved away from the ocean and opened my eyes. If I hadn't moved I would still have this close minded view as well. I still prefer surfing to anything, but my current reality doesn't permit me to partake as much as I used to or would like.

 

Seriously, you can smell the Kook through the LCD. >>>>DawnPatrolSUP<<<<< the name says it all, especially when you add in the? 2.5 hour drive to the Beach? What a Joke

 

born and raised in SD, I took a job that sends me to all corners of the country for extended periods of time. I know how much it sucks to not be able to surf at a moment's notice. I've been doing this job for 18 years, and I'm getting ready to "pull the plug" in 2 years when I'm eligible for my pension. I'm still relatively young, and have purchased beachfront property in the Pacific Northwest as my retirement property.

FWIW, I spent 6 months in DC during the wintertime, and had no issues driving out to OCMD and Outer Banks on my spare days....during the dead of winter, 40 degree water. One of the best times of my life, along with the time I was sent out to Charleston SC and stayed at Folly. Being a Left Coast guy, I was surprised at the quality of surf you guys get out there.

In other words, don't pity yourself....get on it and GO.

 

Kid Rock, when were you in DC? I remember meeting a guy from California, staying in DC one epic swell in December, I think in 2004 or something. Some of the best barrels I have ever had, including over seas, still have the pictures in my head.

 

Wow, can I have his autograph? seeing as he's a REAL CHARGER and all. And what does living 2.5hrs away from the E. Coast have to do with being a kook? By that logic your boy here is a REAL KOOK (i mean charger) seeing as he's what 5-6hrs away. I may live inland (by Florida standards) but I still make it to the water on a weekly basis, as a matter of fact, I tend to get 2-3 days per week in, so the way I see it, it's called dedication, not being a kook. I use to make excuses all the time for why I couldn't make the trip over, but these days it's different, and I have realized the error of my ways. Only thing that kept me from the water was ME, nobody else.

 

Tommyh, sorry I came at you like that, don't believe we've never spoken before, so it was a bit out of line. My comment was really just to bust some balls, but I realize how it may have come across from someone you don't know. You are 5-6hrs inland, that sux, sorry you can't get to the coast as often as you'd like. I'm sure things will change, but I just thought I'd throw it out there, that kids / family should never keep a man from doing what he loves the most.

 

Not sure what you are getting at here kid. My screenname? That's all you have, man i'm so offended. And oh man, add in 2.5hrs of driving to the beach, that's just so stupid right, i mean, why would anybody every drive that far to catch a stupid wave? At least I'm actually surfing regularly, yeah, that's such a joke!

 

I feel dumber just reading this thread.