'sup Swellinfo. I'm in an interesting situation and was curious what team Swellinfo thinks. It's like this: I live about 35 miles one-way door to door from my house to my work. With traffic, my drive averages a low of 40min to a high of 1:20, depending on when I leave each place. Also, I drive a Subaru, so I'm burning about $7/day in gas round trip. Now then, there is a train that runs along the coast that I can take to work and back, and it's free because work will reimburse me for the tickets. It's two miles from my house to the train station, and the train drops me off 4 miles from work. I can take a bike on the train. Best case, giving myself a few minutes on either end for unexpected red lights, my trip would be 1:30 each way. The reason why this isn't an obvious answer for me is that I work 4 miles from a surf spot. It's an easy 15 minute drive to get in a lunchtime surf session. If I bike, though, I'm not sure a surfboard is going to work, I'll have longer to get to the surf meaning much less water time, and I'll be limited to fins and bodysurfing rather than board surfing. So to summarize: Drive: + Usually shorter commute + Lunchtime surfs - Extremely aggravating stop and go traffic, especially driving home - $35/week in gas, plus wear and tear on the car Bike: + Workout takes care of itself with 12-20 miles of biking everyday, even if I don't bodysurf + Saving money and tear on the car + The hour I'm on the train I can read or do something else productive - Potentially not enough time to surf at lunch - Even if there's time, bodysurfing instead of board surfing - By this time of year, not enough time to surf during the week after work WWJD? What would YOU do?
An obvious solution is to split the difference, drive when there's surf and train when they're isn't. But there's rideable surf just about every day. That's not to say that if the surf is epic I can't just make the executive decision to drive. Just curious how other surfers view this dilemma. Driving is probably costing me closer to $2500-$3000 a year. Multiplied by 4 years that really adds up, especially if the money is invested properly. But...I love to surf.
No brainer here, just drive and bring a surfboart when there is surf. When flat take the train if y’want to save money. But I wouldn’t save a few bucks and risk not surfing.
Recognize you probably won't surf everyday and just drive two to three days a week and surf those days.
Id just drive man. On the no brainer days it's easy to say "oh I'll drive today but not tomorrow" or whatever. But what about those days where your unsure? I know if it was me id probably say to myself "there's a slight chance of waves today but most likley not. I'll take the train"..... then there will be waves. If you drive always, it takes any potential skunking ot of the mix. You'll be used to it so you'll never make a decision based on preference (car or train) and will always be prepared if there's waves.
I'd drive, no matter what. Just remember, when you get to the beach with your board and paddle out for a nooner - no greens fees, no cart rental fees, no gym membership fees, no price of admission except maybe a parking meter. It's worth the price of gas.
I-5 Sucks. Why dont you move to Linda Vista. Lots of lower income (you still need to make $120K a year to afford anything with a yard), but give it another 10 years and that area will be all million dollar lots/homes. Close enough to OB/MB/PB/LJ
u could stash a beater board in the dunes and cover it with some sand shells leaves etc...that way itll always be there
If there's almost always something out there you can hit, are you surfing every day? If the answer is yes, then keep driving. If the answer is no, you should be training those days you don't get wet. Just find out what days that week you think will be best, plan around that, and just commit to days you're taking the train and don't kick yourself if you miss some swell. Like you said, they'll most likely be there tomorrow... You're luckier than 99% of people by having this problem! Just think of the surf trip you could take with even half of what you'd save by taking the train a few times Just my $0.02.
LOL, I was waiting for Barry's advise! First, Happy Thanksgiving. Second, I appreciate the thoughts. Unfortunately I'm committed to staying in Carlsbad until I finish my time in CA. We bought our house for a butt-ton of money, and both of my children are in schools. One of the reasons I moved out here and bought a house is so that I can provide some stability for them, or at least my 11 y/o daughter, so she can finish high school in one place. So it is what it is. You guys are pretty much aligned with my own thinking on this. While I hate the time and money I'm essentially wasting by driving, if I'm not surfing then this move is the biggest life mistake I've made. So TL;DR: I think I need to suck up the expense as an investment in my physical and mental well being. I am not sure why I expected a different response from a surfing forum LOL.
Not to get off on too much of a tangent. My son is finishing his Masters degree in Dallas,TX and has two job offers involving a move to either LA/Long Beach or Seattle. He caught the surfing bug while living in VB and recently made a trip to San Diego and did some surfing there. He loved it. The job in Seattle is much more to his preference and long range goals. He liked it a lot there too, and loves a variety of outdoor activities, but being able to surf in SoCal has become a (clouding?) factor in his decision.
Honest question, do you see that as a bad thing? My perspective... we are all diffrent and are all into surfing at various different levels. I believe surfing is super important to alot of us though. I know it is for me. It's somthing a non surfer can't understand but we do. Life without surfing would be miserable for alot of us. It's not just having fun. Im starting to go off on a tangent so I'll leave it at this. I can have fun and stay healthy doing other things. But nothing could replace surfing. There's just a whole deeper aspect to it that i have never found elsewhere. So if your son has surfing and is into it on that level, is it a bad thing that's playing into his decision? Between a job or surfing alone it's a no brainer. Go with the job. But if there's a good job in both locations, i think surfing should play into that decision. If your into it at that level. Got to stay sane somehow. That happiness and healthy lifestyle is worth it in my opinion
Surfing was the driving factor for me and my wife’s relocation and eventual job change. Agreed. Surfing has changed my life in ways no job ever could.
Job/income first. Surfing second. I did that--and I have never regretted it. Putting surfing (or any other activity) first, means you might end up being a gardener for others properties eventually. If you like soil and toil, fine. But even they do not get out surfing as much as they thought. Seattle is nice. Wimen there are loose as hell!!
I agree barry. But let's make this a non black and white situation. Good jobs in both locations. Maybe one has slightly less pay. But both would give a respectable living. Surfing would be the deciding factor all day for me. Hell i was going to college for criminal justice. Was going to be a corrections officer. Went through everything then decided eff that and went back to school and got into HVAC. Less money for sure. But im good financially and am definitely happier. Far more time to surf
I went from Marine Sciences to pharmaceutical sciences. Found out that sitting in a boat counting guppies was no way too earn a living. Never regretted the change--not for one second. Pharma gave all the income and the go surf. But surfing was never part of the decision making process. It was when a kid, but never as an adult.
