As I sit here on the couch writing this, I realize that I haven't surfed in 2 weeks and also that this thread is probably redundant but I don't care, I'm writing it anyways. I have spent the majority of my last 6 years in college and the last 18 of them in school. Yet, I'm still not earning a decent or even liveable income and I wonder is there more? When will the gratuitous paychecks start coming in and then I wonder if they ever will. In that instant, I realize that I'm not doing what I want as my soul feels empty inside from lack of surfing better waves. I also realize, that no amounts of money or work will satisfy my everlonging aspiration to surf bigger and better waves. Ok... that's all I got.

So everytime, I watch a surf video I get amped to travel and surf, but then wonder how anyone can afford it? I know there must be a way as the surfers in the videos are able to somehow do it. Even if they are only scraping by it seems to me like it would be completely worth it.

Does anyone on here live this lifestyle? What do you guys do to be able to travel, live and work in exotic places, and surf better waves?

If not, what would you do differently? (My wife and I have hopes of spending a year or two traveling to Hawaii, Australia, Indo, and the Maldives.) How much cash would you need to afford traveling abroad for a year without working? I think about 50k for two people.

 

Edited: 11/20/2014 at 11:52 PM by Sector9surf

I took a big cut in pay to go from working in the private sector to working for the government. However, I went from working 50+ hour weeks and a weeks vacation if I was lucky, to having more time off than I know what to do with. Ok, I do know what to do with it, and it all involves surfing.

 

Not what you were looking for, I realize, but it is kind of the same thing in regards to figuring out what your priorities are and making it happen.

You want the ideal which can never be reality. 

^Yes, but I think some are still able to find the balance between work and leisure. Some find jobs, which fits the surfers lifestyle and allows for traveling or extended time off. While others work hard and play later. Her idea is to work abroad and mine is to work hard and save up first and then take a year off. However, it would be really cool to find that balance.

I'm always curious about the creative jobs such as videographers and surfers who seem to live that lifestyle. It might just be an illusion, but it does seem like fun. My next door neighbor is an app programmer and says he had the option of living just about anywhere.

In the long run, I feel that it's more about choosing the right path, career, and lifestyle than whether you can do it or not. I'm sure there are plenty of guys on here that are living the "ideal" lifestyle who were told the same thing about being realistic.

I'm slightly less adventurous than my wife and prefer to work hard and then travel as I believe I have better chances at earning what I want to at home and saving, but my wife who is more outgoing is ready to take that permanent surf trip at any cost. I'm still debating, but I have 1 year of school left(which I will ironically probably never use if we decide to travel), which also shows that everyone has their own thing or way of going about things.

I thought it'd be interesting to find out what some other people's sacrifices were to living this lifestyle and if they think it was worth it?

Edited: 11/21/2014 at 12:05 AM by Sector9surf

I am not chasing riches or extreme professional success, only a flexible lifestyle and mediocre income which is enough to afford surf travel. Who says it can't happen? (Laserwolf, BrettBarley, etc... I know there are at least a few of you guys out there with valuable insight)

Edited: 11/21/2014 at 12:03 AM by Sector9surf

Actually, that's really good input. I also love having the time off when the surf is pumping, but when it's not, I start wanting to work and would be busting my butt as much as you were, if I had the work and could choose my own hours.

Options:Invent something.  Start business.  Become an airline pilot.

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Trading Surfboards for Bitcoin or Ethereum.

Send me Bitcoin 1Dk8oJnprZfvXGDfZpxkuoko8SSVf5Tpp2

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In short, no.....I don't know anyone who lives that lifestyle.  I'm 42 and wonder this same question all the time.  I like what I do for work and I make a decent paycheck but everytime I see on of my buds surfing while I'm working I get bummed out.  I wonder what I can do to have more time off.

I have a great friend who ditched a good paycheck in the corporate world and moved out west and got certified as a wilderness guide.  Now he guides people on week+ adventures in the mountains.  He has even found extra money doing gear reviews for catalogs. I don't think he's getting rich but he enjoys life much more than he used to.

I would recommend the following book:

http://fourhourworkweek.com/overview/

You can pick it up on Amazon for like $12.  I'm reading it now.  He talks a lot about how to structure your life so you work less and play more without becoming a total bum.

So I have kids but I can tell you that if my wife was that pumped on travel I would def be on that bandwagon, that sounds great.

 

I wil also say if you really want to surf and work and not worry about travel. go to Cali. I decided to scrap my Cali dream until may 2016 as that will be my 5 year anniversiary at my company and i am fully vested in pension and 401k, so i said F it and wait to see.

 

Just go though man, if you have no kids and both of you have personality just geet out there and entwork travel around the state, find a place you like get some income and then just get better and better incomes.

 

On the flip note, Karma and I were takling about this the other day and he is wanting to get his own thing going in PR and I woudl loe to have somethign in the Bahamas ( Eleuthera, Abacos )..... 

 

If you find the right golden ticket just be a good guy and share with us

 

Good Luck

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SURFERS SUCK 

SHOOT THEM ONSITE

BICE CREW

I strongly suggest you jump on the corporate bandwagon

and take a job in DC or NYC or Chicago for a couple dozen years.

Then you'll be able to afford to travel; and, as a bonus,

you'll appreciated the time you've had in CFL.

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add a signature since I'm here in profile anyway

I met a guy while surfing overseas that said he was a nurse, which at that time raised afew eyebrows, naturally. But then he added that as a nurse he could work anywhere in the world, which a doctor could not, legally! Bingo, meal ticket to surf all over the planet and get a paycheck while doing it, when needed!

Some professions lend that, online jobs, pilots, merchant mariners, fishermen fish when relatively calm, stay in when surfs up? Sounds good...

You get it, depending on your degree depends on what you choose. No degree you wait tables nights surf days... any skill such as an electrician or mechanic helps, being an artist or chef even at the touristy spots.

Being a translator is golden if you even partially speak another language.

Writing articles while traveling pays the way for many out there, plus so many more.

A good nest egg will help, of course, but just enough to get there works as well and keeps you hungry to make it happen. Always a great motivator...

Dont let anyone stop you or talk you out of if, go explore and make it happen!

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I've decided to accept the fact - I'll always be a big kid!

Why not do a corp gig in LA, San Fran, or San diego?

 

Ive got kids so I didnt see a guaranteed 150 with an opp to do 200 as that great considering cost of housing and based on what I make here, at a company like salesforce if i could get in im 250 + all day and gone, Oracle, IBM, SAP, Cisco all these companies have gigs out there, no kids = go get it and have kids out west or really anywhere in the world.

 

Im only 32 but am already on the "if I knew what I know now back then  bandwagon" old folks know what im talking.

 

If your talking living in NYC thats gonna be uber expensive too, may aswell get to surf for those 2 decades which are not even guaranteed.

 

So this is what my struggle is, I know were all gonna die and no one knows when, thats why I hate puttign things off, yor 1st chance could ultimately be your last chance.

 

Anyhow, I really came back to drop a track on ya.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5PESJgUHx4

Internal mental battles / debates always require good music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n330nnFzvHM

 

And if all else fails

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeYsTmIzjkw

and dont forget. the flipside of that one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8AuMOGx_KY

 

Bottom line, make a plan, to follow your dream and stick to it.

 

The crazier people tell you that you sound, the better you are doing to succeeding

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SURFERS SUCK 

SHOOT THEM ONSITE

BICE CREW

It all depends. I graduated college at 22 worked in a good paying job (about $50K) for about 2-3 years and quit. When I quit I had no debt. All CC, student loans, and car was paid off. The only obligation I had was a cell phone bill. My car insurance I transferred to a family member who used my then paid off car. At this point I went and traveled for 8-9 months. I would of stayed long but I broke my hand in Thailand. I went to India, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand. Including flights, food, lodging, diving a ton, surfing, and doing what ever I wanted I spent about $10K. That included a little gear before hand. Yes it could be done cheaper or more expensive depending how you look at it. I have been back in the working "real life" for 2 years making decent money again. I get a generous vacation policy of 4 weeks. Most say I should be ecstatic. For me it isn't enough and I always yearn for what I did in the past. It is a give and take and some days all I want to do is quit and re-live those 8-9 months over and over again. Let me know if you have any questions. Justin

I got this, but I realize I am part of the fortunate few. Education and luck got me there. I also never got comfortable...as I was able to score a masters in engineering paid for by my company. It can definitely be tough to find that balance, but if you are committed to your dreams and values, you can make it happen. Now if only Florida had better surf...but then I'd probably be dreaming. I've looked around for jobs in other locations, but nothing has hit.

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If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.

Sector, you sound like a planner which means 2 things:

Option 1. If you don't go now, you will never go for more than a 1 week vaca.

Option 2. You could devise a work / life plan that gets you far enough up the coporate ladder to afford a house a block or so from the ocean and a work from home lifestyle. 

Once you have kid or kids your surf trip potential is shot (unless you're a hardcore gypsy lifestyle type). 

My path was #2, I worked my ass off and missed out on tons of good waves over the past 6 years but now I'm 33, a work from home COO and have 2 kids. Own my home and cars out right, very few bills which leave a lot of money for boards, baggies, etc...  When there is surf, I surf 3-4 days a week (when in town) and go on 1 surf trip per year, generally in the winter to PR, CR, Nica...  I surf 3-4 times more than my friends but still get jealous when I miss a swell because I'm out of town and they text me reports. 

I think I'm winning at this game but always wondered what it would be like being a vag-a-bond surf junkie... 

No path is right, No path is wrong.

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Peddle over, paddle out, paddle in, peddle home!

Lets see, No Trust Found, And I take it you don't want to do the whole "Point Break Movie" bank Robbery thing. A reallt silly stupid movie but I digress.  Now you have to get cleaver. First is this really what you want? There are some big down sides to this.  One is for the most part you will be really lonely. It's hard to maintain a realationship if you are going to be on the road part of the year.  Realationships cost money and time.  Just something to think about.  Many of those surfers finance their life by dealing in Drugs . Many of them also find hemsleves in third world prisions for many , many years. 

Do you have math skills? One of the most sucessful Travling surfers I ever met wasa commodities broker in Calif. He was up early when the markets opened in the east and done by around 1pm He made tons of money and when things were not going his way he hit the road.  Mexico , France, Hawaii,  Indo and more he had a very nice home in Del Mar over looking the Ocean.  Last I heard he was Financing surf resorts and eco tourist resorts with a nice home in Costa Rica. Oh he had a a master degree in Math from Stanford so yeah he was smart  My point is find your talent and passion use it and if you play your card right havea little luck you can have that life.  I had that life in my own way for many years. I will once again.  Right now family obligations are keeping me here in Florida, I have lived in Califorina and Hawaii traveled to El Salvador, Costa Rica, Mexico.   France and of all places England. Don't go to England to surf. Fun Place love the people but now I know wha so many Brits are on the road.  France if you ahve the money is really great. I would love to do Spain and Portugal then down to Morocco.  Oh if you really want this stop watching vidio and get to work get a passport pick a spot and then make a plan. set a budget so you can put money away for your trip. 

marry $$$

What is your degree, that will determine everything from grad day on... Next is kids/no kids.  My advice go West, a good day there is like a Hurricane swell here.  They have many, many good days.  FL is for those who like a slower pace, and homes closer to the beach than you willl ever get out West.

 

Only Surfer lifestyle success story I know is a FIT grad who became a Austrailian citizen, took him almost a year of red tape and had to give up US citizenship.  Surfs insane waves and get paid well.  Indo is few hours away by plane, etc. 

Also today and forever more you will need to work harder, longer than what was required a decade ago, not gonna get any better just the new norm.  This applies here, out west, almost everywhere now.

 

It is a dog-eat-dog world that is only getting harder. 

 

Or open a Yoga certifcation school in Central America that seems to atttract $$$ (students from all over the globe) if you can market it to the right consumers.

Edited: 11/21/2014 at 08:13 AM by SurferMic

Work hard, long hours when you're young so you can surf alot when your too old to do it well. Unfortunately that is the main stream lifestyle. We should not allow anyone to work until they are 40 and then put them in the workforce until they croak.

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Replace turf grass with native plants that don't need irrigation and synthetic fertilizers or chemicals that can go into our waterways and ocean

Some type of sales job. When the waves are good you say you have to see a potential client.

I know a girl who makes 100k selling copiers.

Me Im a nerdy insurance agent that gets paid on commision only. i punch no time clock or am i tied to the desk. When the waves come i just pick up and leave. I closed my biggest account on the phone in Tamarindo. The client had no idea I was in wet baggies and holding an imperial.  The money is good enough to send two kids to private schools and take a family of 4 on vacations.

Money seemes to come with age. I didnt make two nickel until 30+ yrs old