Komune, Keramas. Probably the best workplace ever for a lunchbreak surf. Photo: Grambeau

WAITER/BARKEEP

Surf time:

Assuming your shifts are evening, surf time is great. If it’s lunch rush shift, well you can always dawnie/surf between the lunch and evening shift.

Money:

Generally, you’re at the lower end of the pay spectrum, typically earning 8-10 euros/hour plus tips. In Europe, nobody really tips in bars (in America you might get a dollar a drink)… However, you might get fed/drunk for free, which all helps.

Qualifications:

Generally a good word of mouth recommendation, and perhaps a trial shift gets you in. Rather than paper qualifications or certificates, employers are usually looking for someone trustworthy, reliable and friendly, or in other words, have large, firm breasts. As the co- proprietor of one establishment not too far from the SE office once quipped, “You’ve got big tits, long hair, you speak four languages… you’re in!”

Travel Possibilities:

Barkeep can work his or her way around the world without missing too much surf. Surf towns have bars and restaurants, and part time work can keep you going financially during a season’s stay, as well as buy you a few waves from locals if you give em a sneaky free drink every now and again.

Downside:

Cash comes in kind of a trickle than a gush, thus bar work is kind of the opposite
of working offshore on an oil rig where you do a month non stop then get a month off, rather than being tied down to four hours every other day. Also, if it’s open late, your dawnie potential might be hampered somewhat.

Miscellaneous:

Bar work can be ideal for meeting people, and trying to make their face pregnant. You don’t need chat up lines, ice breakers, any of that. You just say, ‘What can I get you?’ A study once found that a young male might get up to 81% more punani working in a busy bar than if he was just drinking there with the same hair and t-shirt on.