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Where do you think 2 hours a day for 3 months would get me? I'm considering a summer somewhere just to surf.
If you went nearly every day for three months you'd get your pop-up down and probably wean yourself off the longboard. On a fun shape or fish you'd probably be able to manage rudimentary pumps and be able to angle down the wave on least your front side. You'd be comfortable in head high surf and could handle a little bit of a drop. You won't be hanging with the good guys but you'll know how and when to stay out of the way. At three months your frustration would be much lower. You'll be able to read waves, know the right spot to be and possess the strength to surf non stop for 3-4 hrs. If the fever hits you, begin to see the spiritual aspects of it. You will loose most of your insecurity as a beginner. You'll be in excellent mental and physical shape and your abs, chest and upper back will be much better defined than they are now.
Being free from the entangles of a schedule the routine you establish is incredibly satisfying. Wake up a little early catching the morning session before it gets too bright. Eat a massive breakfast, find shade and a hammock to read, write, (toke) and nap till late afternoon. In between sessions you'll have time for email, Yoga, Guitar, or whatever suits you. The evening session would call and I'd surf till dusk while while chatting up a few girls and making plans for later. If its a happening night I'll grab a bite, a beer and wait till the music starts. You should have no problem pulling at least one new quality bang per week on this routine. Months will melt away like days.
I spent numerous chunks of my 20's this way. Although I live on one of the best stretches of California (CC), my travel expeditions are limited to 3-4 weeks at a time .... but I'll be back at it soon enough. I've had escapades like being dropped off from a boat 100 yards from shore with all my stuff in a thick plastic bag atop my boards, swimming in and making camp for a week living on rice, canned meats and fish we caught - praying those guys in the boat come back to pick us up as promised! (Santa Rosa Nat'l Park) Or sleeping in my board bag in the town square because we were unable to hitch a ride back to town quick enough to make the last bus out. (Cuyagua, VE). Or directing the boatman to an odd shaped feature of land based on nothing more than the tell-tale whisp of mist off the back of a wave and finding a quality break.
The world of travel and experiences it opens up to a person with circumstances to follow it is invaluable. You'll find yourself jaunting to parts of the world you'd otherwise not consider while meeting truly interesting characters. Although a secondary pursuit, you'd most likely be fucking some of the nicest looking babes on the planet along the way.
Roosh, I mentioned this to you about a year or so ago. You should definitely explore it.
Two beginner friendly spots you should consider that are great summer (May-Sept) destinations are:
Nosara, Costa Rica
This spot is nice for a few reasons. First off it is one of the most consistent spots in Central America -it's almost never flat. Summer time especially is good with swells from the roaring 40's keeping things interesting this time of year. The very few times it is flat you will probably welcome as a nice break for your arms. Most times it will be shoulder high to overhead and the bay is typically kind to beginners yet challenging too in places. It's a beach break too so you don't need to worry about rocks or reefs. There are amble quality rentals so you can get a nice longboard to start and experiment with fun shapes, fish and performance shortboards depending on your progress.
I've stayed for months at a time there on many occasions over the past 10 years. Word has started to get out on this place and I fear it will become like Tamarindo or Jaco. It's still a small town and it can be a little slow but it does perk up and parties occur weekly among the transplants and locals alike. There's a Yoga institute where chicks come for 30 days to receive an instructor certification. They're away from home, in great shape and easy to engage. yoga is a great compliment to surfing too so for me this is a plus. The nightlife is decent. It's not big city but there a mix of spots that are usually hopping with tourists (American, European and a few Aussies), semi locals who come down for a few months (teachers, yogees and college students) as well as local girls who like North Americans and are typically slim young and delightful.
There are other spots in Costa Rica that offer similar surf quality, are not too crowded and retain a friendly vibe surf. Dominical and Mal Pais/Santa Theresa come to mind. They might be a little cheaper too however I like Nosara because of the mix of local and foreign chicks it attracts on a semi-long term basis.
Florianopolis, Brazil
It too has an excellent swell window this time of year. For wave quality it probably edges Nosara because there are a wide variety of quality breaks within a relatively shot distance. In Nosara you have to catch a ride (which is usually no problem when it's pumping). If you're new though this isn't going to be an issue either way. It's a popular beach destination for Brazilians too so you'll get a lot of them on vacation too.
One downside is Brazilians, in my experience, are annoying to surf with, often not respecting universally accepted surf etiquette. If you're not good a pack of two or three can shut you out of a spot. If you are good you'll have to get aggro just to catch your share. This only applies to the quality breaks. Beginner breaks shouldn't be an issue so I wouldn't let it stop you.
Other summer spots that come to mind are:
Boca's Del Toro, Panama - Sleepy but exotic.
Azuero Peninsula, Panama - Out there!
San Juan Del Sur area, Nicaragua - Sleepy but Cheap!
Gold Coast, Australia - Modern and lots of slender beach blondes.
Personally I'd stay far away from Mexico. I stopped going to Baja when they beheaded the chief of police of Tijuana, Rosarita and 6 of their deputies the week I was down there. It has
changed for the worse in the past 5 years.