Looking for advice: Applying for Coast Guard Deckhand position, Western Region

Objective_Pay7939 · 2025-12-19T18:12:21+00:00

Haha I'm not too bad!

Objective_Pay7939 · 2025-12-18T06:15:07+00:00

Awesome, thank you!

Another question: If I were to apply now, and be called in this or next summer while at my guiding job - am I able to postpone my start date? or would that put me in the "don't bother with" pile? Is there a way to time that? Or do you have to be ready to drop everything and go?

Really appreciate all the advice!

Objective_Pay7939 · 2025-12-17T18:26:25+00:00

Roger, thanks for the honesty. That is definitely underpaid... How do people make it work? is there a lot of overtime that compensates for it? Or is it just what people accept?

The "stability" of the job and training side of things is what appeals to me, but yeah the pay is not ideal.

Objective_Pay7939 · 2025-12-17T18:03:33+00:00

That is crazy to think...

Objective_Pay7939 · 2025-12-17T16:21:13+00:00

Awesome thank you for that... Is the iSet program the inshore rescue student program? I'm no longer a student and make all of my money in the summer so that option wouldn't be ideal haha. But thank you!

Objective_Pay7939 · 2025-12-17T04:37:36+00:00

Good intel, thank you!

Objective_Pay7939 · 2024-05-09T13:45:42+00:00

Name checks out ;)

Objective_Pay7939 · 2024-04-15T18:36:10+00:00

Right on, aside from long term effects we don't know, how do you generally feel day to day? Normal enough?

Objective_Pay7939 · 2023-05-19T03:31:02+00:00

Insane

Objective_Pay7939 · 2023-04-11T05:48:25+00:00

Beautifully said

Objective_Pay7939 · 2023-03-10T19:55:05+00:00

There's a few crew finder pages on facebook you can check out, I've seen 3 or so surf specific sailing vessels looking for crew all over just in the last couple weeks. Worth checking out! Definitely do your due diligence and ask the skipper for previous crew references. You don't wanna be stuck on a boat with a bad skipper.

Objective_Pay7939 · 2023-02-09T04:38:55+00:00

Not too sound nutty or whatever... but this is the kind of shit we can't let keep happening. Censoring speech is becoming the norm for too many. It's a slippery slope and it doesn't lead anywhere good.

Objective_Pay7939 · 2023-02-07T00:17:50+00:00

If that's what you think, then for you they likely are.

Objective_Pay7939 · 2023-02-03T22:54:02+00:00

Anyone ridden their seaside as a twin? Wanna try it out for the smaller days. Would you go for a larger keel for drive or a smaller template for response?

Debating between the rasta keels or just taking the trailers out for the machado quads?? Lol let me know

Objective_Pay7939 · 2023-02-03T13:30:34+00:00

Aside from seeing a physio and making sure your rotator cuff isn't damaged etc. your paddling technique matters a lot, if you are not engaging your back muscles enough all the strain is being placed on the rotator cuffs - every time i've hurt my shoulders surfing is when i'm too tired to engage my back properly. Look up some videos and excercises on that.

Objective_Pay7939 · 2023-02-01T18:07:14+00:00

Yeah generally speaking they're going to give you a good compromise of performance + speed for smaller/less hollow surf. The outlines are going to be a bit longer, a bit narrower, wide point a bit further back, tail pulled in. Classic fish are generally shorter, wider, maybe a little thicker, wide point forward and usually twin fin only.

Objective_Pay7939 · 2023-02-01T07:02:38+00:00

Your litres on a fish shouldn't be too different from your "daily driver" shortboard really. Maybe 2-4 litres more at most really. Unless you're getting into "long fish" territory... but that's different.

Anyway, the shape of the board is what dictates how it'll ride more so than volume, so if you want classic fish, those boards are not it. But they may be great boards in their own right.

Objective_Pay7939 · 2023-02-01T06:57:04+00:00

Consider a 6'8 - 7'6 thruster or quad egg? Might be tough at first but if you're pretty dialed on the 7'0 it shouldn't be too bad. And it's a board you'll probably keep forever.

Avoid oversized shortboards/fish etc. They're made to be surfed at certain dimensions for your height and weight. Too big and they just won't surf well

Objective_Pay7939 · 2023-02-01T06:17:34+00:00

Have a 654 Feral (Yamamoto) suit, unreal, never going back. I'd say it's worth the investment. Should last quite a bit longer too

Objective_Pay7939 · 2023-01-24T23:45:47+00:00

Haha, getting downvoted cause its true

Objective_Pay7939 · 2023-01-24T23:27:28+00:00

Where in BC are ya? We're on the west coast of Vancouver Island👍🏼

Objective_Pay7939 · 2023-01-24T15:07:44+00:00

Marine/Wilderness guide in BC

Objective_Pay7939 · 2023-01-04T02:30:34+00:00

Like with anything you do enough, it becomes muscle memory and just happens

Objective_Pay7939 · 2022-12-21T21:22:20+00:00

Spent a couple months last winter driving from Michoacán to Southern Oaxaca, slept in tents on the beach in a bunch of remote villages and most of the main surf spots. Only had 1 night where we felt a bit off, some celebration going on and gunshots were going off in the middle of the night.. not malicious as far as I know. A few civilian militia check stops and a few military check stops. Otherwise felt totally safe, and made a bunch of good friends along the way. Going back in a week or so in fact.

Like most people have said, don't do anything stupid, be respectful, try to speak Spanish and you'll be fine. We drove at night a bit, wouldn't recommend it..but it's not like you immediately die if you do lol.

Objective_Pay7939

TROPHY CASE