Surfing Waves

I've been watching endless summer 1 and 2, and I thought, what the heck, if i also had the time and money, i'd do it too.

Has anybody done it here? Care to share any tips aside from the tips I can get from the movie?

I have been trying to live an endless summer for the past 25 years....I just am having trouble committing.
I do have a friend, no kids, mid 20's, and will has been pulling it off. He doesn't have the money, but he is a hard worker, and has good construction skills. Will has traveled for years at a time, he will find a job and a place to flop, and stay in paradise till he feels it is time for a new spot.

He hooks up with people here he is at and he makes it happen. Every few years he rolls into my office looking for work...if I have it, I put him to work. He will be gone when he saves enough fo a plane ticket and a few extra bucks......then gone.


I met a guy in Panama....good surfer. He was from Texas, he told me he would go home to work about 3 month a year, and spend the rest of his time chasing waves in Central America.

Just got to do it.

This is a subject that has been on my mind a lot lately.

Since graduation I have been working in a job that suits me (photographer) working a four day week, not earning too much but it has been great having lots of time off relative to many jobs.

recently the economic downturn has dried up a lot of the work and i have had to use my web development skills to make ends meet, i dont like this work as much and i dont feel like its taking me anywhere but its ok and the people i work with are nice.

however, its got me to thinking, is there anything left here that is worth staing for? my "career" now seems more like a "job" friends and family are ace, but they would understand....i feel like i need ot LIVE again rather then just exist.

I have travelled before and a the time it made me the person I am, i would love ot do it again now that i have surfing as a core factor in my life.

I know I have enough money to start with (about £3k) and I could work and earn to keep the pot topped up.

I guess what is stopping me is the perception of how hard this type of thing it so start and the fear of passing that point of no return when you have committed to the action.

I would love ot hear other people experiences of this type of thing as I really do feel like its something I want to do.

Yeah, I think endless summer is almost every surfer's dream. And the only surfer experiencing that right now are the pros. Hehe.

I've been thinking, maybe a job with the UN or something will help me achieve that dream. I've had some Aussie friends who tell me stories when they were here, about the experiences they've had.

I'll try to contact some friends in california and australia. I'll need to make friends with guys from Indonesia and africa. That way, I'm a step closer to the goal. hehe.

watch riding giants. you could do what they did, except the breaks are packed and people will steal your stuff.

you could just get a job here

any ideas how one goes about procuring a job in another country? i am a photographer but them kinda jobs are always in high demand from locals, i would take something shop or bar related if it meant i was within walking distance of a beach

Yeah, I agree that jobs are critical if you want to do it. I wonder if there is such an organization that has different branches in different surf spots all over the world. That makes it much cheaper for those travelling, having friends around, maybe to guide them, especially with costs.

construction and food service......world wide and always surf zone needed.

Just get on a plane and go somewhere. You can live for bugger all, and earn what you need if you really want to do it, and don't care too much about living standards.

if you see a movie called "riding giant" some of the hardcore surfer were so poor that they had to hunt food by themself, ex, fish, fruit and etc. like hang11 said, its all about living standard. you really don't need to go to good college and have a good job if you like living in a cardboard.

I did 6 months living in a tent on 900 quid a few years ago, included buying a very crap vauxhall viva for transport, and pretty much ate pasta and tomato sauce for dinner every night.

Lost a bit of weight, got quite smelly, but did score some good waves

Managed a month in indo on 200 quid as well, and lived bloody well.

My two cents worth...

My very elderly father is full of wise council on this topic..., he did a similar thing - although not surfing, leaving home at 17 and returning at 43 with a wife, 3 pounds & a broken cocktail cabinet to his name.
He's travelled to & through 143 countries.

he said to me several months ago...

Son, one day you too will be staring at the ceiling having those little conversations with yourself as you feel cancer creeping through your body and you'll regret what you didn't do.
It's over before you know it & money doesn't matter a sh*t, will you look back pondering those countless wonderful days in the office?

Makes you think doesn't it?

Now, what the flesh are you waiting for...

Brent wrote:Son, one day you too will be staring at the ceiling having those little conversations with yourself as you feel cancer creeping through your body and you'll regret what you didn't do.
It's over before you know it & money doesn't matter a sh*t, will you look back pondering those countless wonderful days in the office?

Wise words. You're old man sounds like he knows the score.

I'm glad ive come to realise the same thing at a young-ish age (22). I plan on getting out there and living it. Working here in the UK 9-5, full time just to pay a mortgage is my idea of an utter nightmare! Peru and Indo, I'm coming!!!

I realized it is easy for guys from Australia, US, UK and the rest of the 1st world citizens to do the endless summer thing. The rest of us need to secure visas, which takes ridiculously long to acquire! Hahahaha, well, maybe I have to find a way around that.....

Brent,

you and your dad have really struck a chord with me, im sat here at a desk typing this and wondering why i keep coming in day after day...thing is, my job is ok...probably even "good" by others standards...but i know im not content, i dont feel like this is it for me.

think its time i did some research and made some plans....

so new question... if you had three grand in your pocket and a plane ticket anywhere where would you go?? not purely surfing, i just want a pool of good ideas... so far for me candidates include Berlin, Indo, Oz, NZ, road trip through America and possibly a reaquaintence with Asia but i would love to hear what others are dreaming.

phill

suggest you start a new thread phil. . called "£3k One Way Ticket"

Phil, drop by the Philippines. We'll give u a culture shock! hahaha.

damn that sounds good!!!! but gotta make ends meet if you want a family the Ladies dont like to rough it too much! suppose i best stick to my homeland!!!!! good luck

Phil,
Yea, for me recently it was one of those watershed moments - the essence of his message is experiences make you a man...not things.
Life is about gathering experiences - and enough material things/money to make you feel comfortable. It's up to each of us to find the happy balance between both that doesn't leave us with regret later.

The balance I've struck for myself is I have made a commitment to now travel overseas surfing for one month each year, and for me this now yearly ritual enables me to satisfy the experiences aspect also. I did it this winter - and I'm off again next year.

I had to change jobs to have a higher salary to facilitate this.

I reckon head somewhere english speaking, with a currency less valuable than yours to score more $$$. aussie or NZ would be a good start and then on to more exotic destinations - Poms are everywhere here. There's heaps of pub work, or even decent jobs if you get a work permit for 12 months. Heck, my two housemates are poms. Be like them - buy a cheap car & stuff around all over NZ in the weekends...talk to Libby, she's been here :-)

Thoughts others?