A casual school bus driver,work 7:15 - 9:30 am then 2:30 -500 pm and 12 weeks off a year ( no pay)
You get abused by the parents for running late,they want you to babysit while they go to work.
You get abused by the kids,called a pediphile," don't tell me to sit down or stop the noise just drive the freakin bus.
You finish the morning shift to go for a surf great
You get abused by short boarders,longboarders,ski riders,surf school people,and go to Lennox and your abused by mat riders.
Afternoon shift same as morning shift,maybe worse,depends on how much red drink and sugar consumed that day.
Get home and abused by the wife because you forgot to mow the lawn,take something out for dinner,or anything else she can think of.
Give me the crazy Queensland drivers on the M1 any day.

Self funded retiree- but well deserved due to years of work planning for it.

No job

i have a few mates who are firefighters, they do a 1on 1of 1on 5off roster, pretty good for their surfing time

Jarryd

Langers said..

MickChard said..
Im a dj fri sat night .... So can surf every day ... love it ..

What are you riding now Mick

That should be a new thread - "What's Mick riding now" (Not that I can talk...)

My answer is to run your own business. It has only taken me 17 years to get to the point where I am able to surf most days. Easy.

working from home is great if you have the self-discipline and the skills for it. ive been working remotely for a couple of years now and kite/surf/sup whenever the conditions are good and plan my work schedule around that. it does get old being at home all day sometimes (especially since i'm in a small apartment) but you can plan your sessions in the middle of the day to break the work day up and keep you motivated. its working out very well for me personally.

Hey interesting post, first off stay away from any 9-5 office jobs, bank clerks, real estate, insurance.
Here are my list according to the people I see in the surf most days up the coast.
Caravan park owner (Seasonal) but out of school holiday time surfs a bucket load.
Baker often see the baker out.
Chef, usually for the mid day surf,
Any trade out after around 3-3.30 pm. roofers, then chippes, tilers, plumbers and sparkies.
Pizza cooks, retail staff, seem to get a lot of days off where I am.

Here are 5 I cant recommend you would think would be great.
Surf instructors, seem to be either teaching on a small wave at the worst beach spot in town or drinking at the pub.
Lifeguard, you have to watch everyone else surf. ('Unless you are a pro surfer like the bondi boys).
Nightclub worker/bar staff too tired to surf on the good days. Depends on how close the job is to the beach.
Surf shop employee, very rarely out in the surf. Usually too busy with reps and talking about the epic days.
Board shaper. Always working shaping or talking to customers.

Five sneaky jobs that surfing can fit around.
Specific fitness instructor, Yoga etc, bootcamp. You can choose your hours and surf in between. Have your classes at the beach.
Landscapers. Always seem to be able to get more time off than any other tradies, The skilled the better. (Arbourist/stone mason etc).
Ambulance/Firefighter. Ambo get more beach time but fire fighters have better work/life balance.
Cleaner. Probably the best job if u want to surf in the morning.
Contest organiser rather than contestant. Also contest judge or promoter.
Before and after school care. You get to surf between 9-3pm. Pay not great.
Nurse if you can get the night shift, doctors-specialised medicos work too hard and cant get the time off.
Air bnb manager, great gig if there are a lot of rentals in your town.
Professional student. Great holidays, government doesn't pay well these days though.
(thats more than 5).

I agree with fitzsup the bus drivers here tend to drive a fricking long way in one trip. But they do get a few hours off in the middle.

I made a career out of avoiding day jobs.

Started in restaurants, eventually to bartender.
Great job to travel the world, work at night, meet people and surf all day.
when everyone else is spending money.... you are making it.

You are the sober one, so nights are fun!

Then..... got tired of traveling and looking for jobs, so I opened my own bar.

Surf is the priority.... everything else has to flow around it.

Note: I had 2 kids, 2 houses, 2 businesses and a wife.
I had every day off to be with my family, so surfing never got in the way of that.
Everything else could wait. Everything got done.... but always on my schedule.

Surfing lifestyle is a choice and a commitment.
So far, so good.

cantSUPenough said..

Langers said..

MickChard said..
Im a dj fri sat night .... So can surf every day ... love it ..

What are you riding now Mick

That should be a new thread - "What's Mick riding now" (Not that I can talk...)

My answer is to run your own business. It has only taken me 17 years to get to the point where I am able to surf most days. Easy.

What are you thoughts on running your own business after all the years experience? Would you do it again of it was 17 years ago?

JosephBetts said..

cantSUPenough said..

Langers said..

MickChard said..
Im a dj fri sat night .... So can surf every day ... love it ..

What are you riding now Mick

That should be a new thread - "What's Mick riding now" (Not that I can talk...)

My answer is to run your own business. It has only taken me 17 years to get to the point where I am able to surf most days. Easy.

What are you thoughts on running your own business after all the years experience? Would you do it again of it was 17 years ago?

Absolutely! I would always recommend working for yourself. But you have to be very disciplined, happy with risk, confident enough in your own abilities, and willing to work very hard (unless you are one of the 1% that either gets lucky early or invents something mind blowing or you are OK with crime ).

FWIW I worked for two years for a very good large company (HP) then ran my own business for 5 years and sold it to a US company. Had a boss for 6 years (but was in a senior role) and was endlessly frustrated. Then consulted for 3 years - was still frustrated, then started my current business (17 years ago). Lots of responsibilities and still work pretty hard, but I would not have it any other way.

JosephBetts said..

supthecreek said..
I made a career out of avoiding day jobs.

Started in restaurants, eventually to bartender.
Great job to travel the world, work at night, meet people and surf all day.
when everyone else is spending money.... you are making it.

You are the sober one, so nights are fun!

Then..... got tired of traveling and looking for jobs, so I opened my own bar.

Surf is the priority.... everything else has to flow around it.

Note: I had 2 kids, 2 houses, 2 businesses and a wife.
I had every day off to be with my family, so surfing never got in the way of that.
Everything else could wait. Everything got done.... but always on my schedule.

Surfing lifestyle is a choice and a commitment.
So far, so good.

How did you handle the wife's expectations around not having a permanent job? (Business instead of permanent work) and what was it like running a business compared to working for someone else?

IMO, The only way to have a "permanent job" is to work for yourself.
Bosses can fire you, cut overhead, reduce workforce... all during economic slow downs..... which will happen repeatedly during your working life.

When it's your business, you dig deeper, work smarter and control your own destiny (and income)

Working for myself was always the only answer. I love it.
Businesses I started, all grew from frustration of working for others or simply acting on opportunity when it presents itself.

I never had a partner.... decisions are not decisions, they are compromises.
Many decisions I made in 30 years of business would have been impossible to fully relay to a partner..... many times it's more just your internal "gut" feeling that resets the sails during rough weather. That doesn't happen as effectively if you have to "prove" your case.

When you work for yourself, you unlock your creative juices.... it ceases to become work.

My wife never worried about my businesses, she knew I was a surfbum when she married me

Life isn't about the money.... it's about what you do with the time you are given.
Follow your heart and the money will work itself out...... unless you put the money first.

Opportunity brushes you throughout your life....
it's a shame to let it pass you by, because you have someone else's schedule to keep.

cantSUPenough said..

JosephBetts said..

cantSUPenough said..

Langers said..

MickChard said..
Im a dj fri sat night .... So can surf every day ... love it ..

What are you riding now Mick

That should be a new thread - "What's Mick riding now" (Not that I can talk...)

My answer is to run your own business. It has only taken me 17 years to get to the point where I am able to surf most days. Easy.

What are you thoughts on running your own business after all the years experience? Would you do it again of it was 17 years ago?

Absolutely! I would always recommend working for yourself. But you have to be very disciplined, happy with risk, confident enough in your own abilities, and willing to work very hard (unless you are one of the 1% that either gets lucky early or invents something mind blowing or you are OK with crime ).

FWIW I worked for two years for a very good large company (HP) then ran my own business for 5 years and sold it to a US company. Had a boss for 6 years (but was in a senior role) and was endlessly frustrated. Then consulted for 3 years - was still frustrated, then started my current business (17 years ago). Lots of responsibilities and still work pretty hard, but I would not have it any other way.

Sounds like the rewards make up for the difficulties, thanks for the response.

MickChard said..
Im a dj fri sat night .... So can surf every day ... love it ..

the blue light discos must really pay well these days.... As soon as I saw this thread I though of you..... Get a real job....

Langers said..

MickChard said..
Im a dj fri sat night .... So can surf every day ... love it ..

What are you riding now Mick

Langers .. been on the smiks .... Hence why I'm selling all my other boards sticking with them now i love them .. got the new Hipsta twin and its off tap ...

Joseph.
:I think starting your own business also has a lot to do with timing. At the moment rates are low and they are not moving. Establish your business in the next 5 years and you should have a profitable enterprise that will rise with the economy. Zero interest rates will not survive for ever. I have a friend in the landscaping game.
He set up 5 years ago, then business was slow until the economy zeroed out and now everyone is pumping money into their houses and gardens. His business is booming. Great timing.
Good luck with it.