Best Colleges for Surfing

[gunnar93]

Yo everyone, Im looking for a college near some good surf. As of now im on the East Coast and was thinking the university of southern maine. Surfing would be the main thing im looking for but if skiing is in the area that would be a major bonus. Thanks everyone for the input.

[Long duc dong]

UC Santa Barbara. Right on the beach, 6 hours from Mammoth, which you can get to often if you network and plan right.

[daver]

uc santa cruz. tahoe 4 hours away.

be prepared for a lot of dirty hippies though.

edit: but tons of homegrown

[Art Shirk]

UC Santa Barbara. Right on the beach, 6 hours from Mammoth, which you can get to often if you network and plan right.

Ding. Also you could be a banana slug. Or hit my old stomping grounds at Santa Clara. 20 minutes from Santa Cruz and 3.5 hours from Tahoe.

[Brocktoon]

UCSD. On the hill above Blacks beach. The absolute shit.

If you've got dough, Point Loma Nazarene is in an UNREAL location on the bluffs above Sunset Cliffs.

University of Hawaii would be teets.

Fuck the east coast.

[willywhit]

www.uhh.hawaii.edu/

[nutcase]

UC Santa Barbara.

NOt bad at all for surfing - but you will find much better surf as UCSD or UCSC. Difference being you can easily ride your bike to some cool breaks right before and after class at santa Barbara

[Ottime]

UCSC of course.

I went to NYU, and actually it was not a bad surf school. If you know how to time your East Coast swells, it was a 1 hour subway ride to Rockaway. 90th St is a pretty consistent decent wave. And NYC really can't be beat for night life and culture.

I learned to surf in Maine - and while I love it, the surf there is really pretty slow and weak due to the gulf. I'd at least head south if not west.

[Binky]

College of Charleston, Charleston, SC

Consistent, albeit East Coast, surf out on Folly Beach. In my 5 years there I was able to surf regularly, and the water was warmer than Maine.

[Long duc dong]

NOt bad at all for surfing - but you will find much better surf as UCSD or UCSC. Difference being you can easily ride your bike to some cool breaks right before and after class at santa Barbara

Very true. You can bike everywhere in SB, you just have to really monitor the surf for the little pulses which sneak through the islands. Santa Cruz and San Diego ALWAYS have surf though.

When SB pumps though, it is all time. Campus point gets insane, Rincon, El Cap...It is a cruel joke that such a perfectly set up coastline is blocked by the channel Islands.

We used to drive to Ventura, Malibu, Jalama....All less blocked by the Islands.

[Hugh Conway]

NOt bad at all for surfing - but you will find much better surf as UCSD or UCSC. Difference being you can easily ride your bike to some cool breaks right before and after class at santa Barbara

It's pretty damn easy to ride your bike to surf after class at UCSC.....

[jayfrizzo]

What do you want to study?

Flagler in St. Augustine if you want to stay on the east coast.

J-

[tex1230]

No votes for Pepperdine?

[igBand]

I'll chime in for Pepperdine.

I loved it there. Definitely not everyone's cup o' tea, and it is (or at least was) expensive as hell, but you can't beat the location and education. Between the Malibu point stuff, Latigo, Pt. Dume, etc., there was some great breaks that made for very accessible pre-class dawn patrols and post-class evening sessions.

And for a boy who grew up in the bay area...man is that water warm in the summer and fall.

[Hugh Conway]

No votes for Pepperdine?

I love surfing Malibu!

I don't even need to bring my own board - just walk on everyone elses.

[igBand]

I love surfing Malibu!

I don't even need to bring my own board - just walk on everyone elses.

It is just occurring to me that it has been almost 10 years since I lived down there. Has it really gotten that crowded? Of course the popular places were always packed, but at least back then, there were plenty of spots that were oftentimes empty or close to it.

[Pura Vida]

UC Santa Barbara. Right on the beach, 6 hours from Mammoth, which you can get to often if you network and plan right.

Yep. As a grad of UCSB I'd have to say my time there really did not suck. The campus is literally spitting distance from the water and Mammoth is really not too bad of a trek. Beautiful girls, raging parties, and a good education. The surf around here I would call "fun" for the most part, as in the sessions with pucker factor usually come only a few times a winter, but lots of fun waves around and the vibe is mellow overall. When things come together right The Santa Barbara area can really fire, you can have some really amazing days

You can still manage to ski quite a bit for living on the beach with hot scantily clad college girls. I was part of the "ski team" while I was there. It's a club sport, no try outs, formal practice or anything. It's more just a way for like minded people to get on the snow for cheaper. There's usually quite a few solid skiers and also just some along for the party. You race GS, SL, and Skiercross, but it's pretty informal. The best part is condos paid for just about ever other weekend by the team, pooled gas money, and discount tix if you don't have a pass and the clubs sports fee was very reasonable for what you get.

I lived in Santa Cruz for 4 years as well, never was a student at UCSC though. A big difference between SB and SC is the local vibe towards UC students in and out of the water. Pull up to Stockton Ave in your new hybrid you got for high school graduation with UCSC Slugs sticker on it and your new UCSC Hoodie, be prepared to hear "Go home slug" and no way are you paddling out. Lots of good cold big surf around though. If you are not a tool who takes a party train to the break and kook arund the vibe in the water is usually not bad.

[willywhit]

No votes for Pepperdine?

how about Rollins College ? winter park, fla

[skiing-in-jackson]

East Carolina University. Greenville, North Carolina.

I made many, many trips to Cape Hatteras (4 hours in the veil of darkness). When i was there it had the reputation as being the biggest U closest to the biggest break on the East Coast. Nags Head, Corolla, Ocracoke... Wow.

Also look at UNC-Wilmington...

[road trip]

how about Rollins College ? winter park, fla

In Orlando? That's a bit of a drive to the waves, eh?

Buddy went to UNC Wilmington for surfing location... and enjoyed.

[willywhit]

In Orlando? That's a bit of a drive to the waves, eh?

Buddy went to UNC Wilmington for surfing location... and enjoyed.

it was a joke, barely. Henry Roliins, Rollins College, nevermind.....pretty sure it's in winter park, not far from crappy surf

UH Manoa !!! used to live a mile away in Oahu, Palolo.....paka lolo, brrrrah ha ha

http://www.uhm.hawaii.edu/

[peterslovo]

I'll be responsible for a moment. Think about what you want to study, too. Not just what's closest to surf/ski. That helps, but shouldn't drive the decision.

Now back to the important part.

If you are set on the Maine area, check out University of New England, College of the Atlantic, and think about UNH in Durham, NH. There's also Colby, Bates and Bowdoin colleges too.

That said, since I live just outside Portland, I think USM would be a great choice for proximity to a great, laid back yet progressive New England city good surf within 15 minutes (especially in Fall/Winter if you can bear the temps), and decent skiing (for the east) within 2-2.5 hours. You're 1 hour from night skiing at Scrawnee Peak, 1.75 hours from Sunday River, 2 hours from Wildcat and Mt. Washington, and 2.5 hours from Sugarloaf and Saddleback.

Those are basically the reasons I am here.

[willywhit]

URI in Kingston, RI
http://nesurf.com/Spots/ptjudith/index.html
http://www.uri.edu/home/visitors/Map...direction.html

[Dantheman]

Cal Poly, SLO. Good school, good town, lots of good surf spots within a half hour drive.

[road trip]

it was a joke, barely. Henry Roliins, Rollins College, nevermind.....pretty sure it's in winter park, not far from crappy surf

My bad..