want to move out to sea, anyone done it

[salt creepette]

I want to reside by the sea. I hope to be able to make a modest living and raise my boy by the sea and be able to dive or snorkel and be close to nice beaches. I know its a dream, but I want to live it. How would a landlubber go about researching and working towards this? any good books out there? I remember seeing a book like that when I visited the keys and I kick myself for not picking it up. Anyone who is living the dream, please share your advice.

[Little Luey]

wouldn't that be nice!
Is Austin Texas close to the gulf of Mexico?
I knew a guy from Florida, his family had a charter fishing boat and he left Fl to go to Chicago, I could not believe he could do shuch a thing but he said he could not make a living out there because the fishing was so dependent on turism.
I guess it can be done if you have the right profession out there. Doctors, nurses, accountants, lawyers are needed everywhere.

[salt creepette]

I think taking one small step at a time might be the way to do it. If I get dive certified and go visit and hob-nob with people who have travelled I might develop some connections and maybe someday gradually migrate out there (nto picky about where 'there' is). I gotta figure out how I can do it with my son. he's 15 mos now and Id need to figure out how to work and either have him in school, or daycare or whatever. this may be a few years in the making but I definitely want to do it. I know there's a few peeps on this board who live in the Keys and other places. What do you guys do? no matter how 'non glamourous.' My mom and stepdad lived on a boat in the Keys (stepdad still does). I know the price of land is insane, even a trailer lot on the water runs more than 300,000. But I refuse to let stuff like living on boats or having a hard time finding housing scare me.....Lets hear your stories....

[tdwyatt]

landescaper...

[tdwyatt]

go to work for NOAA...


pay sux but the beni's are GREAT!

[kwjones]

Uh....join the Navy or Coast Guard?

[tims]

get your dive papers and work for a dive school on marathon key.

[RWD]

Well if you want to dive on a coral reef in the USA, the Keys would be the place. I had semi-serious dreams about moving there but, as you know, housing is sky high. I don't see how someone making 35k-50k could survive but there are lots of people doing it. If you were serious about this then I'd go and visit for at least a week and scope out the area. Talk to the locals. Get the inside info from talking the waiters, etc and see how they do it. Oh, check out All of the Keys. The upper, middle, and lower keys seem a little different to me anyways.
Good luck, bob

[salt creepette]

yeah it was visiting the keys that really got me thinking about moving. would love to work in a dive shop or something like that. will have to check out NOAA and see if I would fit in there. I dont have no edjumacashun. I just dug out all my travel brochures and mags from the keys, I can see if I can find that silly book! Tims, Marathon was where I stayed when I was visiting the keys! where we went snorkeling off sombrero reef. very pretty.

[tdwyatt]

Originally Posted by salt creepette

... I dont have no edjumacashun. I just dug out all my travel brochures and mags from the keys, I can see if I can find that silly book! Tims, Marathon was where I stayed when I was visiting the keys! where we went snorkeling off sombrero reef. very pretty.

so, you have the time now, get what you need so that part of your employment package is your board... (heh, ON board! )

[ReelFreak]

There will be a job opening here when I pack my things and move to Costa Rica!! Seriously though, there still are some affordable places to live in Florida and be close to the water. I somehow manage on lowly Captains pay, and I live within a mile of the Ocean, a huge river and the ICW......

The old saying sometimes 'actually' hold some truth..... Where there's a will there's a way. Good Luck, and don't stop dreaming!

[salt creepette]

tom what is it that I need (as far as schooling, how would I find out what kind of training is needed and what part of noaa I would enjoy working in most? (by the way i saw that video they got of the underwater vent, that was cool)

what is it like working there? I am watching the intro video now, it seems like a huge agency. what do you do personally?

reelfreak, where do you work? tell me about it.

i was watching the imax film dolphins and that guy dean bernal, the naturalist,....now that is the kind of life im talking about! I am not sure what a naturalist is exactly or in detail though.

[salt creepette]

well after the video, the part that interested me most was the marine sanctuary program and the dive program (based out of seattle).

[Doug1]

Originally Posted by salt creepette

well after the video, the part that interested me most was the marine sanctuary program and the dive program (based out of seattle).

The water in Puget Sound(Seattle) is COLD even colder than the average temp. trust me i am here and going outside is cold, forget the water.
Keep after it tho, you can get there if you want it bad enough, I walked away from a decent job in Cal 30 yrs ago and I am happy where I am at now on m acreage. it wasnt easy but I did it

[ReelFreak]

I work as a boat captain, a salvage diver and a commercial spearfisher. I also teach p/t at a local maritime school. While I have many friends who make more money, they are stuck in an office 50 hours a week and almost never see the sun.....Most of my buddies would trade jobs with me in a heartbeat (although they only see the good sides of it!)

I don't know what kind of postion you are in to further your education, but the Marine Sciences will put you on a good path to a career in Florida.

As for the diving industry, it can be hard to make much money depending on what you do. Dive masters work for tips on charter boats (but dive for free).....An instructor can make some decent money for a part time side job depending on season/location.

The more you research and ask questions, the more likely you are to find your niche in the "water world" that many people live in. I love what I do for a living, and hope to continue for many years to come.