surf's up

[PriorityMed]

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My classmate, cf, is posting in regards to the DMC program. I am inclined to take a look at it as well, but I'd really really like to get out of Michigan if at all possible. I'd also like to take up surfing on a regular basis. I've been a couple of times(Hawaii - Lahaina Harbor, Waikiki, other low grade spots, and the outer banks of NC), and it's amazing. Obviously I'm no expert, but I'd like to relocate to a spot where I could become reasonably proficient. With Cali programs comes sky high COL, and I don't know much about Florida. All things considered i.e. academic reputation, fellowship placements, training environment, patient populations, etc., what are the best residencies within striking distance of decent surfing opportunities? Any cali surfers or Florida wave riders out there that can weigh in? What about other east coast spots? Thanks.

 

[coprolalia]

Surfing in Florida generally sucks, unless you are near Sebastian's Inlet and have a good storm brewing nearby. You can try more north on the east coast, like Hatteras. If you're going to surf, you gotta be in souther Cal where there are a lot of programs. But, I've spent a lotta time in SoCal and, to me, the disadvantages of living there far outweigh the benefits. (Did you see the "why SoCal sucks" thread sometime back?)

As far as I know, most people in Hawaii simply just tolerate non-local (especially white) people. Do you know what a "haole" is? And, IIRC, there's no gas training program there. You could do an internship for a year there, but then you're probably gonna be so busy that you'll never see the beach let alone your surfboard.

Good luck.

-cop

 

[PriorityMed]

That's kind of what I was assuming, but I thought I'd ask anyways. I know first hand the contraindications to surfing with native Hawaiians, and had coral embedded in the bottom of my foot for quite some time after my visit. Socal is uber expensive, and I'm not sure I like the mentality of cali. I was hoping Florida had better surfing than that. The carolina programs aren't that far from the outer banks I guess.

 

[climbingdocs]

Surfing in Florida generally sucks, unless you are near Sebastian's Inlet and have a good storm brewing nearby. You can try more north on the east coast, like Hatteras. If you're going to surf, you gotta be in souther Cal where there are a lot of programs. But, I've spent a lotta time in SoCal and, to me, the disadvantages of living there far outweigh the benefits. (Did you see the "why SoCal sucks" thread sometime back?)

As far as I know, most people in Hawaii simply just tolerate non-local (especially white) people. Do you know what a "haole" is? And, IIRC, there's no gas training program there. You could do an internship for a year there, but then you're probably gonna be so busy that you'll never see the beach let alone your surfboard.

Good luck.

-cop

I tried to surf in Texas hehe (the worse side of Gulf of Mexico), good waves happened only during a storm, and it's not fun to surf when it's raining.... But I agree that living in South Cali would suck.... so I am guessing you are in FL then....?

 

[PriorityMed]

No, I'm in Michigan. I had heard that Florida can actually be pretty decent. I mean, I haven't done that much surfing so I don't really need a banzai pipeline or Maverick's, just a nice 3-5 foot set on any given day would be very choice.

 

[coprolalia]

No, I'm in Michigan. I had heard that Florida can actually be pretty decent. I mean, I haven't done that much surfing so I don't really need a banzai pipeline or Maverick's, just a nice 3-5 foot set on any given day would be very choice.

VCU is 1.5 hours from Va Beach. That would fit the bill between late April to early October, especially if you have a wetsuit.

-copro

 

[kraphtymac]

Drop out of medicine and open a bar in Costa Rica. There, you will learn to surf, my friend.

 

[videolectures]

Grew up in sothern cali...O.C. to be exact
in high school days I surfed nearly every major beach from huntington beach all the way down to mexico. My local spots were newport beach and trustles.

Cali has great places to surf..although to choose a residency place based on taking up surfing may not be the best decision. Reason is...during residency you really will not have much free time to hit the waves.

All the best in your endeavors

 

[RickKane]

I think the obvious choices for gas programs in proximity to surf spots would definitely be SoCal with UCSD and UCI being your best bets with UCLA, USC, then Loma Linda rounding out the top 5. In Florida I would rank Mayo-Jax above Miami with UF coming in 3rd. People joke about Texas but I have caught Galveston on a couple really good days(chest high gentle off-shore and clean) not to mention it is an awesome program and place you will actually have extra time on your hands to spend at the beach...even if that beach is brown. If you are a little more adventurious I would consider Maine. Sounds crazy but Maine has arguably the best waves on the east coast as long as you don't mind sporting a dry suit in near freazing water. No Joke... (maybe not the most consistent but it can produce some huge sets). Finally, I have to plug U of Arizona. Obviously not a surf mecca but you are less than 5 hours to either OC or San Diego which makes for a perfect weekend trip. I try and do the turn-around about every other month. Plus you don't have to put up with all the headaches and high cost of living that come with life in SoCal. My vote U of A!

 

[PriorityMed]

I guess I figured there might be at least one golden weekend a month with anesthesiology residency. I ascribe to the work hard play hard motto so I recognize that it's definitely more of the former for residency purposes, but to be in close proximity of that would be great. Maine sounds intense, I can handle the cold, but freezing temp. water? I dunno if I wanna surf that bad. I guess it depends on whether or not my gf is my wife at that point as well. Thanks for the input everyone!

 

[fakin' the funk]

Grew up in sothern cali...O.C. to be exact
in high school days I surfed nearly every major beach from huntington beach all the way down to mexico. My local spots were newport beach and trustles.

Uhh...isn't it Trestles? Sounds like in your experience you woulda known that.

 

[cfdavid]

Priority,

Hasn't anybody ever told you that surfers look just like seals to sharks....lol

Good to see you posting dude.

cf

 

[OB1🤙]

I don't surf here in SoCal because I grew up in Hawaii and I'm spoiled.

Gotta wear a wetsuit to get in the water? Can't see the bottom? No hellllllllllllll no.

I'll wait till winter and go snowboarding instead.

That said, of anywhere in the country with anesthesia programs, SoCal has to be the obvious best bet for quality and consistency of surf.

 

[coprolalia]

Gotta wear a wetsuit to get in the water? Can't see the bottom? No hellllllllllllll no.

I'll wait till winter and go snowboarding instead.

Well, that's why I suggested Richmond as a possibility. You are in the middle of the state. There's decent snowboarding that's not too far away in the winter time (Wintergreen, Snowshoe) and you're not too far from Va Beach and the outer banks in more temperate periods of the year.

-copro

 

[PriorityMed]

I don't surf here in SoCal because I grew up in Hawaii and I'm spoiled.

Gotta wear a wetsuit to get in the water? Can't see the bottom? No hellllllllllllll no.

I'll wait till winter and go snowboarding instead.

That said, of anywhere in the country with anesthesia programs, SoCal has to be the obvious best bet for quality and consistency of surf.

As in, you can't see if there's sharks/sharp rocks etc? I like clear water too, but those reef breaks in Hawaii are really painful if you fall. Is that you in your avatar? That's a ridiculous wave. And copro, as far as the outer banks go, I think you can access them from Chapel Hill/Durham in like 4 hours too right? But I agree, Richmond would be a decent option as well.

 

[dbiddy808]

I surfed and lived in Hawaii 12 years and did residency in Miami, where the waves suck 364 days per year. Rick Kane pretty much summed it up. Jacksonville has good waves. Galveston better than you'd think. Obviously Cali programs would be your best bet.

 

[OB1🤙]

As in, you can't see if there's sharks/sharp rocks etc? I like clear water too, but those reef breaks in Hawaii are really painful if you fall. Is that you in your avatar? That's a ridiculous wave. And copro, as far as the outer banks go, I think you can access them from Chapel Hill/Durham in like 4 hours too right? But I agree, Richmond would be a decent option as well.

My avatar is the granddaddy of tow-in surfing, Laird Hamilton, at Teahupo'o in Tahiti, on one of the gnarliest waves ever surfed to that point (and to this point, for that matter).

Video excerpt from "Riding Giants," the best movie on the history of big-wave surfing I've ever seen:

[YOUTUBE]http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=NcaZarxilJQ&eurl=http://regnirts.blogspot.com/2008/04/laird-hamilton-v-teahupoo-best-big-wave.html[/YOUTUBE]

 

[PriorityMed]

That's the craziest thing I've ever seen. Hamilton is nuts. How long would you presumably have to hold your breath if you fell of a wave like that? I think something head high is already intense enough, man that guy's got some huge cajones.

 

[RickKane]

How long would you presumably have to hold your breath if you fell of a wave like that?

I'm afraid if you eat it on a wave like that, you never have to breath again!

 

[fakin' the funk]

That's the craziest thing I've ever seen. Hamilton is nuts. How long would you presumably have to hold your breath if you fell of a wave like that? I think something head high is already intense enough, man that guy's got some huge cajones.

Correct me if I'm wrong HB, but I seem to remember that the water at that break is super-shallow like 3-4 feet?

 

[OB1🤙]

Yep, 2-3 feet deep on the inside, probably a little deeper where this wave is breaking but not by much.

The medical term for what happens if you eat it on a wave like this is "hamburger."

 

[boratgas]

hey man I am from Florida but matched in NE about 2 hours away from the ocean ( wasn't a stellar student). If you chose UF, you about an hour away from St' Augustine great place to surf, MayJax will be the best, and if you chose UM you can always drive up to west palm. I hope this helps

 

[RickKane]

While we got a thread about surf going right now, anyone want to chime in about there favorite or "home" break.

As for me...

Hawaii: All time favorite:Kawela Bay NS Oahu.
-Nothing beats a long empty left. Even if you got to hike to get there.
(going on 2 years without going back and it still gives me chicken skin)

Most frequented: Log Cabins/Rock Piles NS Oahu.
-Gets most of the juice pumping through Pipeline but 1/10 the crowd.
(as long as you don't mind dodging the occasional volcanic rock.)

Cali:
Salt Creek. Currently my home away from home. Just started surfing it about a year ago but it already has a special place in my heart.
(What can I say, I love lefts. Don't love crowds but you take the good with the bad)

Oceanside Pier. Honestly, not the best spot but I for some reason I'm still all about it.

 

[OB1🤙]

Hawaii: All time favorite:Kawela Bay NS Oahu.
-Nothing beats a long empty left. Even if you got to hike to get there.
(going on 2 years without going back and it still gives me chicken skin)

Most frequented: Log Cabins/Rock Piles NS Oahu.
-Gets most of the juice pumping through Pipeline but 1/10 the crowd.
(as long as you don't mind dodging the occasional volcanic rock.)

Ya know, I never in all my life surfed Kawela. I'll put that on my to do list.

Definitely like Logs. Good call. I like those less crowded inside reef breaks. Pupukea is another spot I really like over there, and I've always had a thing for Laniakea.

I'm getting lazy in my old age- I like getting barreled, and I don't like battling crowds. So most of my time in the water these days is spent bodysurfing- Waimea Shorebreak in the winter, Sandy's in the summer.

I have some water camera pics in a box somewhere that I'll post if I get motivated to look for them.

 

[deleted162650]

I'm gonna have to 2nd Salt Creek. Been paddling out there since high school. I prefer 11th hole to left at the point though. It gets cookin on a NW, little meat grinders that'll permanently part ur hair. During my college days at UCSB depressions was my favorite break. Kinda like Creek but a lttile softer. As for right now, I'm stuck surfing crap VA Beach hoping the current string of tropical storms/hurricanes will sling us a few waves. The new pier they're puttin in at 79th street has been my go to break for the last 4-5 months. Just hopin the West Coast gas programs take pity on me and let me come back home this July.