fishing for your living

So Far I Don't see any job I'd trade mine for although I'm sure I make a pittance comparitively.

I'm a pro kayak instructor and guide extrordinaire. I own and operate Humboats Kayak Adventures in Eureka. I'm out kayaking on the water 6 days a week sometimes sun-up to sun down. I introduce the sport to beginners, coach intermediates, lead tours locally and internationaly in British columbia and Baja. I Take people kayak fishing down rivers and sea and sell kayaks and kayak gear to boot

I've got a 5 yr old daughter and 1 yr old son

No degrees or Phd, but I did serve an elistment as an airborne ranger commando. 4 years of camping out all over the world and blowin stuff up as soon as you got there. Way more fun than a desk.   

Wow, what a list!

Me, well I was a a cabinet builder during high school until I enlisted in the Marine Corps (done lots of different things there).
Later I built cabinets and filled vending machines while going to school to become a paralegal (hope was to eventually be an attorney).  Somehow I ended up being a software development team lead.

Right now my primary job is raising Omar (yep, it's not only women who are single parents) and to pay the bills I'm a software engineer for a company who tolerates my need for a very flexible schedule (Omar's TKD classes, TBall practices, sick days, etc..).

Amazing how life takes us in a very different direction than what our "life plan" says we should be going in but somehow we always end up exactly where we should be.

I am Technical Service Manager for Applied Geomechanics, manufacturer of high precision tilt meters in Santa Cruz till a few months ago, the company has moved to San Francisco and I am mostly telecommunting from Seaside.

Fishhunter, funny you work at BioRad, I did a stint there after college moving furniture and equipment in the old Ford plant in Richmond. 

I joined the Air Force right after high school and worked as a tactical aircraft maintenance specialist aka "crewchief".  Got out after 9 years to join the reserves at Travis AFB where I did 15 years and retired as an E-6.  My last tour in 2005 was in Balad, Iraq where I spent 5 months getting a nice tan in 130 degree heat .  While in the reserves and waiting in line to get a job with United Airlines, I worked as a process server/ stalker, a waiter on wheels, and a courier for Fedex.  Luckily, I didn't get the job with United coz I got a call in 1999 from the San Francisco Fire Department.  Yup, Life is good...

Willie

Amazing how life takes us in a very different direction than what our "life plan" says we should be going in but somehow we always end up exactly where we should be.

Trueness.

I was looking at the solar in this thread.  My works went NUTS with solar this year.  We have a full 2MW design rocking out about 2.4MW.  I runs our entire operation with left over juice.  In real life...its HUGE.

This set is a few hundred feet long on the levee of a wastewater pond...



Our roof and solar carport...



We have another big array at another wastewater site that pivots with the sun...very cool.

I haven't had a regular job since 1988.
I was a commercial tropical fish collector, exporter and importer in Baja Calif Mexico, Costa Rica, Tonga, Bali and the Philippines from 1988 to 2003 and evolved to become a tropical fishery consultant this past decade.
The focus is often on sustainabilty vis a vis social development issues and minimizing the pressures on the coral reefs while enabling fisherfolk to still work and care for their families. I get to tangle with anti-fisherman bureaucrats and pseudo eco-scientists often... as well as a minority of sincere ones.
I finished a gig in Nicaragua this year and am off to New Guinea soon.
 In between, I enjoy the colder ocean off the coast of Northern Calif and most recently in a kayak....much due to this website. Thank you NCKA!
Steve
This in between jobs stautus has given me the flexibility to hit it mid week when its hot!

           After a dozen different jobs, ended up getting pretty sick which led me to my final (?) career as an Emergency Dept. RN. Four days off a week gives me plenty of time for learning this kayak fishing thing! 

Amazing how life takes us in a very different direction than what our "life plan" says we should be going in but somehow we always end up exactly where we should be.

Trueness.

I was looking at the solar in this thread.  My works went NUTS with solar this year.  We have a full 2MW design rocking out about 2.4MW.  I runs our entire operation with left over juice.  In real life...its HUGE.

This set is a few hundred feet long on the levee of a wastewater pond...



Our roof and solar carport...



We have another big array at another wastewater site that pivots with the sun...very cool.

Unreal setup there scwa. Hoping to set up a solar system at my home some day. Actually works pretty well even if there isn't super strong sunlight. Offsetting energy bills would be insane!

There's a skate footwear company that filled their whole roof w/ solar and now has no energy bills and selling the extra to the energy company in SoCal. Not bad eh?

http://www.soletechnology.com/company/environmental/

Z

I work daycare in Santa Rosa. 

Actually, I'm a Correctional Deputy at the Sonoma County Jail.  Good retirement/bennies and, since they allow shift trades with other deputies, I can pretty much get a day off whenever I want.  I just have to work a shift for the other guy.

Backup middle infielder for the Giants.
(-;

 I have been a paramedic for 18 years. The last 12 have been on a helicopter as a medic/crewchief.
(explains my photo ops).
 

I work for a public Transit company as a Risk Manager. In addition, I manage the security, safety and training departments and  programs. I'm a Certified Instructor for the Department of Transportation, and an OSHA General Industry Outreach Trainer. I've been in the transportation industry for the past 20 years. For about seven years I served as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Seaside. Studies include Business Administration, Business Management, Risk Management and various other certification programs. Attended PGHS, MPC, USC and SDSU. Currently enrolled at Kaplan University taking on-line courses. Got to stay current y'know .   

For about seven years I served as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Seaside.   

I hope you were not on the commission when my remodel variance was before them.  That commission is a bunch is power crazy money grabbing egoist who want to control everything.  In my case they went against the recommendation of their own staff, took my $650 fee to go before them and berreated me in public then told me how is should design my home remodel.  Then after further painful negotiations with the Planning Dept. Staff, I was granted a deminimus variance without going before the commission again, but they kept my $650.

I liked you when I met you the other day Ben, I hope that still holds true  .  Just Kidding.  Sorry for the highjack.

i am a carpenter/general contractor. spent 4 yrs overseas in the navy. other than that i have been in construction my whole working-life. i mostly do a lot of high-end remodeling on local estates and wineries here in sonoma co.

I turn wrenches on old  Alfa Romeo sports cars.and volvos keep me employed.I also work on old motorcycles and vespa scooters new and old...I prefer  old.