Top 10 Surf Friendly Careers
ADMIN
- November 24 2008
- 33 comments
It’s a nasty little four letter word yet something everyone has to deal with: Work. And while work and surf mixes like oil and water, there is hope in the careers we’ve listed below…and yes, delivering pizza is a career, a greasy and thankless one, but a career nonetheless.
Scotty Stopnik mixing business with pleasure. Photo: Jack English
1. Firefighter
America’s heroes are also the recipients of some of the most surfer friendly work schedules around. Six days on, three weeks off? What is that? Is there a secret handshake? While you might miss the occasional swell because you had to work 24 hours a day for a week straight, your ability to go on two-week surf trips and not loose your job is unrivaled. Firefighters are also a prized commodity at surf camps because of their ability to handle emergency situations. Stay for free and bandage the occasional guest? Where do we sign up?
2. Commercial pilot/flight attendant
Pilots and flight attendants have cushy schedules, not to mention downtime provided by striking and other work stoppages. Airlines worth applying to include Hawaiian, Air Tahiti Nui, Air New Zealand, and Air France. Along with a nice schedule, you get tickets for damn near free. Swell scheduled to hit the north shore of Oahu next week? Time to get a free standby ticket!
3. Surf magazine editor
All you need is a junior-high diploma and you’ll be traveling the world on someone else’s tab with your new friend Kelly Slater and a quiver of free boards. Occasionally a group of locals threatens to kill you for writing something they don’t agree with, but otherwise it’s a cakewalk. Just last week we “worked” at Seaside Reef for a couple days!
4. Pizza delivery guy
The king of all surfer jobs. No experience necessary, no drug tests, free dinner, you get paid in untraceable cash, you only work nights, good tips on Super Bowl Sunday, and the beauty of hearing a slumber party of pajama-clad young ladies simultaneously squeal: “THE PIZZA GUY’S HERE!”
5. Lifeguard
Weird one. Lifeguards have seemingly unrestricted access to the surf. They sit and stare at the waves all day, so they always get the best tide-swell-wind combos. Off-season guards really score, mixing breaks with their partners until their arms are about to fall off. Other pluses include a golden tan and flirtatious beach bimbos. But lifeguards are also the cops of the ocean, and who wants to be the guy who puts the blackball flag out?
6. Surf industry broski
You don’t get a job in the surf industry if your goal is to save the whales, put a million in the bank, cure cancer, win a Nobel Peace Prize, break the four-minute mile, step foot on the moon, sing the song that makes the whole world sing, or otherwise contribute to the good of family and/or society. You do it so you can keep surfing and score free shit. Board meeting at 54th street? See you in ten, bro.
7. Doctors
This seems counterintuitive, because doctors work long hours, but how come every time you hear a story about Tavarua there’s a group of doctors there? And just like a fireman, every surf camp in the world needs a doctor. We’re still researching this one, but keep in mind that doctors have to go through a little bit more schooling than lifeguards.
8. Criminal
Though we don’t endorse their behavior or trust them any further than we can throw them, drug dealers, hookers, and scammers have pretty flexible schedules and always seem to be at the right place when it’s firing. Don’t get caught though, the only surfing in the pen is bunk surfing and that sure ain’t fun.
9. ASP big wig
The Association of Surfing Professionals is surfing’s governing body—like what the NFL is to football and FIFA is to soccer. Former World Champ Rabbit Bartholomew is the president of the ASP, and at middle age, he surfs the more than most sixteen year olds. You do the math.
10. Pro surfer
Debatable. Yes, being a pro keeps you in the water when most have to give it up to start junior college or take on more hours at the Potato Shack, but there is something dangerous about making your love your profession. The old expression goes: If you enjoy sex, don’t become a porn star. Capice? Other downsides include the downward spiraling economy, working with weird photographers, and going to the far reaches of the Earth and being welcomed by a flat ocean—then hearing Salt Creek was where this month’s cover was shot.
Other surfer friendly careers…
1. Surf photographer
Yeah you’ll miss the best days, but thing of all the days where it’s cloudy and not-so-perfect? Yep, they outnumber the perfect days 100-1.
2. Waiter
You know when you take the day off from work only to find 80 guys in the water? They’re all waiters at the Chart House.
3. Bartender
While you’ll miss a lot of dawn patrols due to serving drinks to boozers all night, you’ll have Gentleman’s Hour—that coveted 10am to noon slot—all to yourself.
What did we miss? Leave a comment below!
»
November 24th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Being a stay at home dad is rad, my kid just turned 7, now we get to surf together all the time!
November 24th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
surf videographer- You might have to sit on the beach during some of the best sessions, but the batteries don’t last forever!! NOTE: If you start to feel like your bros are taking advantage of you, just “forget” to charge one or all of the batteries at night, then it is your turn to shred.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Superhero - Surfer by day, crime fighter by night. Plus from surfing you can stay in shape and work on balance and cardio. Welp, It’s time to beat up some bad guys!
November 24th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Being a school teacher isn’t bad either. Two months off every summer, plus spring break, two weeks for christmas break, and finishing the day around 3 or 4 pm allows for quite a bit of time to catch some waves. If you dont mind getting up at 5am, you can get a dawn patrol in before the work day starts as well.
November 25th, 2008 at 12:38 am
stoked to see a school teacher going by “yo mama.”
November 25th, 2008 at 3:50 am
prostitute, i like it in the mouth
November 25th, 2008 at 5:06 am
What about commercial diver? My mates a diver & whenever the swell gets too big whatever job he’s on, gets put on hold. He still gets paid & gets to surf. Sounds pretty good to me.
November 25th, 2008 at 8:39 am
Teacher- AFternoons off with/ summer
November 25th, 2008 at 11:18 am
Trustafarian. You get to surf when you want, where you want and on some one else’s dime (usually great grand daddy’s-who worked his keister off so you lazy ass bastards could score the best drugs, shag the hottest chicks and drive the nicest whips) and you can do it all under the guise of a independant film maker. It’s kind of like being a pro surfer with all the travel, yet none of the accountability that goes along with actually having to be good. C’mon, what’s not to love?!
November 25th, 2008 at 11:23 am
You got it backwards for firefighters. Most work an average of 10 days a month with a 24 on 24 off for 3 shifts with 4 days off. Yes they do have the best schedule to be a surfer. I lived it for 17 years.
November 25th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
you missed student life, doss as much as you like, free money, best parties, just have to pay back the debt in a few years
November 25th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
self employed - we work our asses off but if the surf is firing we can go without being fired.
November 26th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Private practice dentist- work 3.5 days a week. never on call like a doctor, make your own schedule, your own boss, and make good money. yeah four years of school during which there will be pretty much zero time for surfing, but ah the glorious thing called graduation comes and after that…..you pay the price somewhere, 4 years for a life time of surf…….
November 27th, 2008 at 6:45 am
A private music instructor(guitar/bass) works for me. Most students are jr. high and high school age, so my day doesn’t really start till 3ish and is done by 9 or 10. Can surf most of the day while everyone else is at school or work. I can play clubs at night afterwards (free drinks, hot chicks),and do some recording here and there. My rates make it possible to only “have” to work 4 days out of the week if I want. Gets tough with some of the hot divorced moms or unhappily married ones (I keep it professional)but I guess every job has it’s down side. Surf all day play music at night. I may not have the bank account of a doctor or lawyer but I am cooler.
November 27th, 2008 at 10:06 am
And don’t forget, if the surf was good and you went to work; you’re not a surfer anymore.
November 27th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
tried to submit a subsription - may have clicked three times!! How sad!! Magazine to be sent to Matt Mcgill in New zealand . Please Please ensure only send one - do not charge for three!! thanks, adrianna hyde
November 27th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
advertising sales…yeah, i’ve got a “meeting”.
November 29th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Self-employed lawn & landscape. Work around the tides and flatspells then surf when its good. Plus you can travel in the winter when work gets slow. Cheers!
November 29th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Being a pro-team Physical Therapist sounds good (I’m down with that one for myself in a near future).
Also met a few guys working oil rigs: Pays thousands, you work for 2 weeks - have 2 weeks off, the oil company pays for your traveling expenses. Sounds good, eh?
November 29th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
while all these are great jobs for surfing, i still find the best job being a 16 year old kid with nothing to worry about except school and the one day a week i work for a local surf shop. i get all the waves i could ask for. and not to mention those waves are breaking at beautiful huntington beach
November 30th, 2008 at 3:40 am
Cop. I only work 7 dayshifts (8am-4pm) during a 7 week rotating schedule. The other shifts are 4pm-12am and 12am-8am. Plenty of time to surf. Won’t get fired no matter how bad the economy gets. Retire when I’m 48 years old. Don’t get the respect firefighters get cause there are some prick cops that give us good ones a bad rep.
November 30th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
COAST GUARD Im in the US Coast Guard i work from 0700(7:00am) to 1300 (1:00pm) Mon. through Thurs. not to metion the free 2 month trips round the Caribbean to port calls like San Juan PR., DomRep, Cuba, Hattie, Coasta Rica, Mexico….ect and 30 days of leave a year good pay health care and they pay for your schooling
December 2nd, 2008 at 6:45 pm
I agreeee being 16 is greeeat! we got no worries
December 2nd, 2008 at 6:48 pm
yeahh these are all surf friendly jobs but the best job of all is being a 16 year old on the beach. sleep eat school and sleep some more then go home eat and surf till dark chill with friends when ever got no hours to work just chillax and SHREDD!!! yeah its a good life:)
December 2nd, 2008 at 6:49 pm
bahahahahaha you arte the best cop ever youe name is shiznit!!!!! your the shiz!!!
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Narcotics cop….you are pursuing suspects in the line-up…If they drop in on you, you drop cuffs on them. IF it’s too crowded, call the paddy wagon and conduct a raid.
January 21st, 2009 at 8:21 am
How about marine meteorologist ?
You got to watch after the sea weather, so you’re the first one to know what’s coming on. plus you got good chances to work in some place close to the sea.
January 29th, 2009 at 7:45 am
ramp rat…..work for a major airline no public contact….sweet……
bags don’t complain like customers….very flexible hours…
good benefits….fly for free or almost free…don’t have to pay surfboard charges…sweet….make sure its with an airline that goes to good surf destinations….and hot flight attendents are there and up for tropical trips…..
March 6th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
i gotta say being a teen is the best job for surfing i dont have to do anything but school and i work as a bus boy at night and i make bank and my moms the manager so i get wat ever shifts i want and i get the ones i want off haha love it and i live in santa cruz wat more could i ask for. east side pleasure point SC
March 18th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
thats the shit!
April 27th, 2009 at 11:23 am
Doesn’t that necessitate a sugar mamma?
September 25th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
professional beggar. that's right, self employed. I work with anyone I choose to and pick my own office hours. with my dashing good looks I fill the sack any day, no taxes nor a lot of paperwork, administration and shit. when the surfs good I tend to loose sight of my career a bit, so sometimes I don't have that extra slice of cheese between my bread that I like so much BUT…. I trade that in any day for some buttery ass waves…
yours truly
February 5th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
trust fund baby … what the f@&ks work? surf till you black out go home nap. party till you black out then repeat.