Surfing Waves

I used to like surfing in the Cocoa Beach/Melbourne area and thinking about looking for a job there (used to live in Orlando but now VA beach), does anyone know what the nightlife is like? Is there a decent population of 20 somethings? I don't want to end up in a retirement community or anything.

Melbourne has more nightclubs and pubs, and more capacity, per head of population than any other city in the world. I have been just about everywhere searching for a city that it compares to, but nowhere else can match it. New York isn't even close. No matter what your taste in music is, no matter what your age, or how you want to dress, you will find it in Melbourne. There is also a fair chance you will find it any night of the week, and usually right the way through to day-break and even beyond.
In Melbourne, the legal drinking age is 18. As such, the crowds are younger than in many other parts of the world, but if you know where to look, you will find something catering for your age group too.
Many cities have no clubs in the downtown or city area. You often have to travel out to somewhere to find a club area. Melbourne is a little different. There are venues scattered throughout the city, but also some areas that are hot-spots, but even decent venues out in the suburbs. A good public transport network makes most fairly easy to get to.
The city area has everything from house to RnB to jazz to techno to retro and anything else you can think of. The area with the most clubs is around King St. Some of these clubs have dubious reputations, but some are okay. If you are looking for a classier lounge bar, try clubs like Amber Lounge on Lonsdale St between Elizabeth St and Queen St. There are also a few trendy bars at the top of Bourke St.
There are a few generally good clubs on Flinders Lane between Exhibition and Russel St. Velour is a little less mainstream, and Icon is very good fun. If you are younger and want something mainstream, don't mess around, just go straight to Metro at the Parliament end of Bourke St (hopefully it will be open for the Commonwealth Games after renovations). It is one of the world's greatest venues.
Melbourne generally is crawling with restaurants, bars, cafes and clubs. Its rare to walk a block without finding a bar.