West Palm Beach

Wow man tough choice since the job market for her is real good. Never surfed West Palm but I will say being close to OBX is like a warm sunbeam shining through your window on a cold day. Just makes you feel good inside.

 

I personally wouldn't move that far South, but it can get really good down there on North Swells. Most stuff from the E / ESE / SE will get blocked, so you'll need to drive North to get it regularly. I think it's like 1hr 45 minutes to Sebastian Inlet from there. You could also hit Fort Pierce which would probably be just at about an hour. If you don't mind a little driving it could be really good. If she would compromise, I would go an hour or two North if that's in the cards at all.

 

I'm a native of WPB, my mom too. So I may be a bit prejudiced. It's a nice place to live if you can afford it. Anywhere west in suburbs is crime infested and traffic infested, but in northern Palm Beach County (Singer Island, Jupiter, Juno Beach, Tequesta) there is a high quality golf and yachting lifestyle.

Waves are good from October to April. Sometimes real good. Cheap flights to Centro and PR. Easy 2 hour no traffic drive to Brevard during the summer/early fall during our flat spell. World class fishing year round, offshore and inshore. Great snorkeling, spearfishing, scuba diving. Good days can get crowded. Nowhere near as powerful as OBX, but lots of fun waves and a good surf culture, if you can deal with an annual 3 month flat spell. PM me if you come down on recon.

 

Good point about the shorter and cheaper trips to the caribbean and other Central American locaations.

 

[QUOTE I know life isn't all about surfing, but [/QUOTE]

(huh?)

 

Do it, just remember the further North you go the more consistent it gets.

 

Marry her and let her earn.

 

Elephant in the room: Its VERY warm there. All the time. I too had to decide to go back to Delmarva for marginally better and more consistent surf, but I chose the SE where there is warm weather, warm water, palm trees and a less seasonal coastal economy. I have not been disappointed as of yet. Certainly, I see some of Mitchell's pics and I miss Maryland some, but it is what it is. The coastal lifestyle down in the SE and Florida is rather enjoyable. I actually spend more time at the beach and doing non-surf related activities than any other time in my life. And with far more consistent surf that VB an hour or so north of you, I can't really see too big of a downside for you. I looked at Central Florida for a long time, since housing down there is insanely cheap, but I really had no connections down there and nothing panned out as far as opportunities.

 

In the summer - OBX or Costa Rica. Melbourne Beach FL for quick road trip, or St. Auggie for some waves and history.

Saturday here: chest high and offhsore/79 degree water/75 degree air.

Sunday -Tuesday: head to 3 foot overhead -offshore early Sunday, then near VOS except for a few key spots that will be head high plus and semiclean, kinda drifty/79 degree water/60 to 75 degree air.

This will repeat each week for a while as the fronts push down. If they stall, we get waist to chest high windchop/80 degree water/ 85 degree air. Later, in the deepest coldest part of winter, it is 68 degree water/ 40 to 65 degree air/ clean shoulder high to DOH north swells, lasting 3 days, every week or every other week. Hope you like to go left.

 

I can dig it! There's a shortage of lefts in the world

 

If you are a pro caliber surfer who needs lots of gaping barrells, or if you are a young up and coming shredder trying to get sposnored, or if you can't stand old people, this place is not for you. If you like a nice lifestyle based around surfing/diving/fishing, this place is the tits.

 

Cocoa has dribblers from knee to waist all summer, and it is totally Lake Atlantic (you can literally waterski from here to the Bahamas from June 15 to August 15) down here. That's why all my buds are well travelled. Costa Rica, Nica, Indo, California, Jerzy, OBX, outer islands in the Bahamas, all are destinations that give us a change of pace and perspective. The cost of living is cheaper in Central FL v. PBCounty. The water here is much clearer and much warmer, as we are the closest spot to the Gulfstream on the east coast. We get 3 days a week on average for rideable surf, Central Florida probably 4-5 days a week on average. The fishing is great either area. Snook, tarpon, pompano, snapper all inshore; dolphin, wahoo, cobia, kingfish,sailfish, grouper, snapper, swordfish just offshore here in PBC, a bit further offshore CFL. Lots of sharks either place, but the water is clearer here, so there is less people getting nipped. New Smyrna and Daytona get lots of shark bites due to murky water. If you can't travel, summer here sucks. As a kid we used to jump off bridges, get thrown out of water parks, all kinds of antics to cure the summertime no wave blues. Life is a series of tradeoffs. It is always good to get as much info as possible before making a big jump. Good luck KillaKiel. If you get down here to check things out, hopefully there will be some swell and I'll show you a few good spots.

 

Definitely hit me up if you make it down here, I can show you around anywhere from Ponce Inlet down to Sebastian Inlet and anywhere in between. You're buddy is right about Cocoa, there is almost always a rideable wave, usually nothing big, but it can be. There's a few stand out spots that are lesser known that get really good too. Just let me know when you're going to be in the area. I drive over literally every weekend.