Settling in an Ideal Surf Location

[Liammtl]

Hey guys,

I'm from Montreal Canada where the winters are blistering cold. The often -22 F temperatures cause a lot of Montrealers to escape at some point during the winter, which happens to be around 4 months long. On top of the cold winters, there is no decent surfing to be found in or anywhere close to Montreal. I went to Costa Rica this year, Hawaii last and I made a big effort to learn the basics of surfing just because it was something that really interested me. After trying it a few times, I've become hooked and hungry to find more time to surf. It's not just the actual surfing itself, it's the lifestyle that comes along with it; staying fit while doing something that feels really good. This is why i'm taking the next step in making my dream a reality. I'd like to move to a spot that I can surf anytime that I want, at least for a few months. I'm tired of Montreal Winters! I checked out all the "Top 10" or "Best Surf Towns" on Google and I spotted a few possible options, but i figured that I'd hit the forums and dig a little deeper before I take the next step.

I don't have a lot of hands on experience/knowledge about surfing so hopefully there's some people out there who can fill me in. Here are a few factors that i've been thinking of:

Waves

I'm looking for a spot that has a constant flow of waves, so that I can surf basically anytime that I want. I guess that's what every surfer is looking for, but what's the reality? Are there any locations where great waves just never stop coming? If yes, i'm assuming that may raise the price in rent which brings me to the next point...

Budget/City Vibe

I'm a 25 year old from Montreal, where the rent is RIDICULOUSLY cheap. I know that the rent will be more expensive than here no matter where I go; i accept that. I work online, so I have the luxury of being able to do what I do from wherever, which means that i won't have to find work to afford rent and surf. That being said, i'm not loaded. I know that living close to/in a city makes things more expensive. For instance I looked at a few places in California, where the rent is 1.5-2k a month for one bedroom. I just can't afford that, especially with the US/Canadian exchange rate the way it is now. Whereas a much cheaper place to live in like New Smyrna, Florida is said to be a great surf spot, but what else is there to do around there? Would I be surrounded by people who are on family vacations? I guess i'm looking for then best of both worlds, an urban place that's not too expensive but is close to great surf spots! I'm dreaming, so I am prepared to compromise!

Distance from Montreal

In making this move, I would be leaving all of my family and friends behind, at least for a few months. That being said, i don't want to limit myself to where this adventure will take me...my budget kind of keeps things in reality though. :-/ I'm trying to avoid excessively expensive plane tickets as I will probably be returning back to Montreal at some point. An ideal situation, though, would be for the cost of living in this far away location to be so low that it compromises for the expensive plane ticket.

And there you have it! Hopefully you got all the way to the end of this post! I'm excited to hear suggestions from you guys!



Liam

[oldmansurfer]

Ah yes the perfect surf spot... I know where it is..... Just send $5000 to
Oldmansurfer
Bessurfspot #1
Hawaii, 96666
Then I will let you know the secret spot........(just kidding)

[Surf Hound]

Sounds like you are going on a really long vacation more than changing lifestyles or living arrangements. Going after a new home/lifestyle would require, for most, to pack their things, change jobs and move forward. Sounds like you are not prepared for anything life changing, rather going away on an extended surf vacation. Destinations ??? Many of them, all over the world and decent prices are to be found thanks to WWW. My suggestion: use the WWW to find exactly what YOU are looking for and book it. Many years ago, after a ruthless divorce and custody battle I wanted to go back to the island lifestyle. I quit everything and booked a one way ticket to Maui, HI and within the week was gone..... No job, no family, nothing but 2 pieces of luggage, $5000, a laptop computer and the desire to have surfing in my life again. That was one of the better decisions I have made over the years (many bad ones as well). My point of this response is that if you really are looking for a certain life style, go for it. It takes more desire than skill or money to make it work. You are young, hopefully no commitments (kids) so the world is your oyster. If you want to make it work, you will. Don't over analyze and go. Eddie would. lol

[RinkyDink]

I think you should move to Hossegor, France and hit the surf there every morning. You might even find somebody to settle down with. The French love Canadians I've been told.

https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Tourism-g425 ... tions.html

[oldmansurfer]

The way things spread on the internet, if someone knew where the perfect surf spot was and broadcast it on the internet, it wouldn't be the perfect spot for long.

[Big H]

New Smyrna, Florida is good for shark fishing.....


Look at Central America....I have heard good things esp. concerning lack of crowds and on beach accommodation as well as decent waves, if not spectacular which for your level should be enough. I've never been there to surf so it's all second hand info. Here (Bali) there is surf every day somewhere (west, south and east coasts....something is always working) and isn't that expensive but is crowded in and out of the ocean....maybe that appeals.

[dtc]

Keep in mind visa requirements. You can't just move anywhere to live, and working while there can be an issue (although working completely online raises interesting issues).

Anywhere with an unprotected beach will offer surf; there isn't anywhere that always has great waves due to the seasons, but plenty of places that either have at least ok waves or are within easy reach of good waves (eg swapping coastlines in Costa Rica or Bali).

And anywhere with a surf beach will have a surf culture. It may not be full on like Hawaii or California, but it will be there.

You will also need good internet and perhaps need to be in a similar time zone to your clients (??). Which may rule out a few places - wouldn't rely on Central America for reliable internet, for example.

[Tudeo]

Just travel around a bit and see for urself where to settle in time. I left my house in Amsterdam for a surfing life in Bali at age 48. My only regret is I should've done it much earlier..

[JuanPardo]

Sounds like you are going on a really long vacation more than changing lifestyles or living arrangements. Going after a new home/lifestyle would require, for most, to pack their things, change jobs and move forward. Sounds like you are not prepared for anything life changing, rather going away on an extended surf vacation. Destinations ??? Many of them, all over the world and decent prices are to be found thanks to WWW. My suggestion: use the WWW to find exactly what YOU are looking for and book it. Many years ago, after a ruthless divorce and custody battle I wanted to go back to the island lifestyle. I quit everything and booked a one way ticket to Maui, HI and within the week was gone..... No job, no family, nothing but 2 pieces of luggage, $5000, a laptop computer and the desire to have surfing in my life again. That was one of the better decisions I have made over the years (many bad ones as well). My point of this response is that if you really are looking for a certain life style, go for it. It takes more desire than skill or money to make it work. You are young, hopefully no commitments (kids) so the world is your oyster. If you want to make it work, you will. Don't over analyze and go. Eddie would. lol

I was reading about Hawaii.. just general info about the islands, demographic, economic facts.. it seems like a really expensive place to live, just based on averages... reality might be different but.. is property that expensive? if these facts below are right, renting also may be super expensive, as rent prices are directly related to property prices:

"The median home value in Hawaii in the 2000 U.S. Census was US$272,700, while the national median home value was US$119,600. Hawaii home values were the highest of all states, including California with a median home value of US$211,500.[142] Research from the National Association of Realtors places the 2010 median sale price of a single family home in Honolulu, Hawaii, at US$607,600 and the U.S. median sales price at US$173,200. The sale price of single family homes in Hawaii was the highest of any U.S. city in 2010, just above that of the Silicon Valley area of California (US$602,000).[143]

One of the most significant contributors to the high cost of living in Hawaii is the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (also known as the Jones Act), which prevents foreign-flagged ships from carrying cargo between two American ports—a practice known as cabotage. Most U.S. consumer goods are manufactured in East Asia; because of the Jones Act, foreign ships inbound with those goods cannot stop in Honolulu, offload Hawaii-bound goods, load mainland-bound Hawaii-manufactured goods, and continue to West Coast ports. Instead, they must proceed directly to the West Coast, where distributors break bulk and ship Hawaiian-bound, Asian-manufactured goods back across the ocean by U.S.-flagged ships.[144][145]"

[waikikikichan]

$272,000 to buy a home in Hawaii, no way ! Then I saw that was info 16 years old from 2000. My 2 bedroom apartment costed $300,000 5 years ago. Two years ago i moved to Tokyo, Japan. It is cheaper here to live than in Hawaii. Crazy. Want proof ?

slide_352021_3807423_free.jpg (51.38 KiB) Viewed 502 times

But for surfing, there is no place better. That's the price you pay for paradise.

[Big H]

You get a lot more for your money here in Bali.......check this out for USD 212,000.....visa is a different story, but if you can work that out.....

http://www.elitehavenssales.com/id/prop ... ity-Nyanyi

[RinkyDink]

$272,000 to buy a home in Hawaii, no way ! Then I saw that was info 16 years old from 2000. My 2 bedroom apartment costed $300,000 5 years ago. Two years ago i moved to Tokyo, Japan. It is cheaper here to live than in Hawaii. Crazy. Want proof ?

slide_352021_3807423_free.jpg

But for surfing, there is no place better. That's the price you pay for paradise.

Yeah, but what's the price of Kona coffee? I would imagine it's cheap over there. When you get down to it all you really need to survive are waves, decent coffee, and macadamia nuts. Hawaii is paradise when it comes to essentials.

[oldmansurfer]

http://konacoffee.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=21

[Big H]

The cost of paradise......

[JuanPardo]

[quote="waikikikichan"]$272,000 to buy a home in Hawaii, no way ! Then I saw that was info 16 years old from 2000. My 2 bedroom apartment costed $300,000 5 years ago. Two years ago i moved to Tokyo, Japan. It is cheaper here to live than in Hawaii. Crazy. Want proof ?

it's crazy that Hawaii is more expensive than Tokyo, unless salaries are very high in Hawaii or there are tons of international money flowing into the islands by retired people for instance...

[JuanPardo]

You get a lot more for your money here in Bali.......check this out for USD 212,000.....visa is a different story, but if you can work that out.....

http://www.elitehavenssales.com/id/prop ... ity-Nyanyi

That looks like a very nice place to live, a beautiful house indeed. If I wasnt decades away from retirement, I would buy something like that and relocate for good...

what I have heard is that property prices rocketed in Bali at a certain point in the last years.. is that true? I mean, property prices went up like crazy in Europe until 2008 and then went down over the last 7 years, peaking down sharply in 2013-2014 (except for certain locations)... could that price evolution apply to Bali too?

[Tudeo]

what I have heard is that property prices rocketed in Bali at a certain point in the last years.. is that true?

It's true, land prices are going up like crazy in Bali, but foreigners cannot own property in Indonesia..

[Big H]

Its a bubble now for sure.....inflated prices but still better than a lot of the world....


.....and there are ways around foreign ownership laws.....

[JuanPardo]

what I have heard is that property prices rocketed in Bali at a certain point in the last years.. is that true?

It's true, land prices are going up like crazy in Bali, but foreigners cannot own property in Indonesia..

At 35, I am thinking of purchasing a second property abroad.. not too sure about it but giving it a thought.. maybe it is a crazy idea. Maybe it would be worth exploring the real estate market in a surf-related destination. Bali may be too far away from Spain (I would be able to spend there like 2 months a year the most)... I imagine foreigners purcharse property through a company in Indonesia? I think there is the same problem in Thailand (foreigners cannot own property there) but there are ways around it, some of them more risky than others..

The Canary Islands were never among my favourites, and property is more expensive that it should (people from all over Europe retire there).. maybe it would be worth to have a look at property near surfing spots in France or Portugal..

By the way, it seems that doctors in Hawaii are rich, if the figures on the link below are right:

http://city-salaries.careertrends.com/d/a/Hawaii

[Tudeo]

I imagine foreigners purcharse property through a company in Indonesia?

Yes, companies here offer all the paperwork, a lot of foreigners use these constructions. The property market here is so dynamic I've seen foreigners buy and sell land with good profit, even before any paperwork was done. But then there also are the horror stories of people losing serious money in scams..

Often foreigners seek help from fellow countryman, that's no guarantee though..: http://indosurflife.com/2016/02/austral ... d-in-bali/