6. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, WILMINGTON


Photo: Lusk

PROXIMITY AND ACCESS TO SURF: Welcome to Mid-Atlantic surfing's most-happening epicenter. Although Ben Bourgeois was never a student, the former WCT pro raised the bar for all the surf-hungry students who flock to UNCW, turning the area's warm, inconsistent and crowded coastline into a serious talent pool just 10 minutes from campus; a soul-filled weekend of Hatteras barrels waits four hours away.

SURF CLASS(ES): Not unless you're skipping.

SURF TEAM: No team, but former president Jason Carlisi says the once defunct Surf Club is recovering from funding problems with "a lot of beginners showing interest." Check out the link: http://student.uncw.edu/org/surfclub/.

SURFING PROFESSORS: Dr. John Bennett, Physical Education; Bill Atwell, English professor; Wade Watanabe, Marine Aquaculture research professor.

SURFING ALUMNI: Matt Beacham, Outer Banks charger and photo pro; Johnny McDanel, uses his MBA as a Mid-Atlantic surf rep; Surfrider Foundation's National Environmental Programs Manager Mark Rauscher; Research Associate and diver for Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology Katie Lang; Marine Geologist Chris Freeman; East Coast surf journos Matt Pruett (ESM) and Anne Beasley-Weber; plus a slew of renowned NC rippers like Dean and Pat McManus, Ben Szafron, Tony Butler and Cameron Pearson, Mitch Baker; John Dodson; Pete Viele; Trent Barkley; Jed Galloway; Justin Brown; Brian Braithwaite; plus surf photog D.J. Struntz was there to record all the action.

HOW HARD TO GET IN: Just like Masonboro Inlet: lots of people fighting for space, but if you got the goods, you'll make the cut. Average GPA: 3.75.

KNOWN CURRICULUM: Marine Biology department is world-renowned; Environmental Science and Recreation are popular with surfers; Cameron School of Business is noteworthy. "We [Surfers] all start as Marine Biology majors and then after a week we realize how smart you have to be and how long you have to go to school and then we switch to PE or something really weak like English or Journalism." -- Matt Pruett, ESM

ANIMAL HOUSE/PARTY FACTOR: Although UNCW has outgrown its party reputation in many cases, there's still plenty of bar-brewed debauchery, mostly polarized between downtown Wilmington -- which provides celebrity sightings courtesy of the local movie studio -- and the beach strip's separate block of favorites for the surfing populace.

MALE/FEMALE RATIO: 42/58 ("The most beautiful girls in the world live in Wilmington." -- Matt Pruett)

COST (in-state/out-of-state): $4,527/$14,694

EXTRA CREDIT: "UNCW has everything -- a beach, a killer downtown, an artsy side and dance clubs, and a large group of young people. Plus, there's all kinds of girls surfing there." -- Anne Beasley-Weber.

DEMERITS: "Crowds are a problem in the warmer months, and it's expensive to live right on the beach." -- Jason Carlisi

ADDRESS/CONTACT: 601 South College Rd., Wilmington, NC 28403; Phone: 910 962-3000; www.uncwil.edu

7. UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND


Photo: Marcus Sanders

PROXIMITY AND ACCESS TO SURF: When there's swell, you're looking at a 25-minute drive to Ruggles, one of the best righthand points on the East Coast.

SURF CLASS(ES): Sorry, you're on your own.

SURF TEAM: There's a surf club consisting of 30 surfers who meet, watch videos when it's flat and take a spring break trip to Hatteras. Check out this link: http://www.urisurfclub.com/.

SURFING PROFESSORS: Gerry Krause, Marine Affairs.

SURFING ALUMNI: Mark Sackett, San Diego KUSI news camera guy; Tim Swart, Marketing Director, Zoo York; Charlie Donadio, founder of URI surf club and owner of the Block Island High Speed Ferry; John Capobianco, Manhattan real-estate agent, Henry Payne; Jay Brown; Nick Papa.

HOW HARD TO GET IN: Comparable to a head-high day at Point Judith: not free, but easy. Average high school GPA: 3.36.

KNOWN CURRICULUM: Excellent pre-professional programs. Psychology, Pharmacology, and Human Development/Family Studies are most common.

ANIMAL HOUSE/PARTY FACTOR: In the early '90's, URI was ranked by Playboy as the second best party school in the States, but now it's a dry campus. But when asked, an anonymous sophomore deadpans "Yeah, we party here."

MALE/FEMALE RATIO: 34/66

COST (in-state/out-of-state): $7,454/$23,552

EXTRA CREDIT: The East Coast's best pointbreaks are within easy striking distance, and it's not bogged down in academia. "If you're an average student who wants to live and surf on the East Coast, URI's not a bad choice," says Tim Swart.

DEMERITS: "Some of the older Narragansett locals don't like college blow-ins so much," says Warm Winds surf shop's Brian Kelley. And if the locals aren't icy enough, the mid-winter water temps will certainly do the trick. Can you say, "brain freeze"?

ADDRESS/CONTACT: 8 Ranger Road, Suite 1 Kingston, RI 02881-2020; Phone: 401-874-1000; www.uri.edu

8. PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY


Photo: Chris Burkard

PROXIMITY AND ACCESS TO SURF: Perched on the hill between Malibu and Zuma, Pepperdine is a private "Christian institution" and central headquarters for Los Angeles' good side. You're a five-minute drive from Third Point, a five-minute run up the PCH from the bonecrunchers at Westward and Zuma and -- since many northwest swells ignore the immediate area -- you're only 30 minutes from Ventura County beachbreaks and 40 minutes away from Rincon.

SURF CLASS(ES): Surfing classes offered as physical education

SURF TEAM: Like most things in LA, the team has seen its ups and downs; it was up in the '90, down towards the early 2000s, and brought back to life by Jacob Boone and Brian Dapelo in 2003. Check the link: http://www.pepperdine.edu/campusrecreation/clubsports/surfing/.

SURFING PROFESSORS: The soccer coach, Tim Ward, is a surfer.

SURFING ALUMNI: Richard Woolcott, founder and CEO of Volcom clothing; Paul White, International Sales Manager for Volcom clothing; Allen Sarlo, Real Estate agent (Sarlo transferred after two years); John LaLane, pool cleaner; Takuji Masuda, Japanese artist/longboarder/surf magazine publisher; Mika Rutiz; Graham Monroe; Zack Nielsen; Austin Trujillo; Matt Ryan; Larry Birnbaum; Jeremy Black.

HOW HARD TO GET IN: Comparable to an Oxnard beachbreak on a strong Santa Ana day. Average high school GPA: 3.79; Average SAT: 1252; Ranked 49th in the U.S. News and World Report's Top 50 National Universities.

KNOWN CURRICULUM: They get down to business at Pepperdine. With its reputable law school, Pepperdine also is famous for churning out a lot of lawyers.

ANIMAL HOUSE/PARTY FACTOR: "Compared to UCLA or USC, we're pretty quiet," says Pepperdine alum/surfer Mika Rutiz. "But we had our parties. The girls get sick of all the frat guys and came to us."

MALE/FEMALE RATIO: 45/55

COST (in-state/out-of-state): $18,325 flat-rate per semester (Gulp)

EXTRA CREDIT: If you have an affinity for the birthplace of California high-performance surfing, there isn't a better school. Plus, with few breaks during the academic year, your summer vacation starts on April 25.

DEMERITS: A frequently polluted Santa Monica Bay and three required religion courses are definite buzz kills, but the price tag tends to be the biggest downer. "A lot of kids will contact me, asking about the school and its surf team," says Hahn. "But as soon as I tell them about the tuition, they're, like, 'Uhhh, never mind.'"

ADDRESS/CONTACT: 24255 PCH, Malibu, CA 90263-4392; Phone: 310.506.4000; www.pepperdine.edu or e-mail at admission-seaver@pepperdine.com

9. HUMBOLDT STATE UNIVERSITY


Photo: Chris Burkard

PROXIMITY AND ACCESS TO SURF: You can see the ocean from campus, but you have to drive a half-hour either north or south to score coldwater pits.

SURF CLASS(ES): Yep. The new surfing class has become the Center Activities' most popular time slot.

SURF TEAM: Nope. "If you want to wear a jersey and hang out on the cliff with all your bros, you might as well stay in Santa Cruz," remarks one anonymous source. "It's the NorCal code of silence."

SURFING PROFESSORS: Richard Langford, Psychology.

SURFING ALUMNI: Marcos Cortez, teacher, SF Bay Area; Anders Olson, UC Santa Cruz employee; Mike Kew, freelance surf journalist; James Harkins.

HOW HARD TO GET IN: Comparable to a sunny, shoulder-high, offshore Fall day at an unnamed NorCal beachbreak. Average high school GPA: 3.2.

KNOWN CURRICULUM: Known primarily for Natural Resources, Forestries and Fisheries.

ANIMAL HOUSE/PARTY FACTOR: "Hello," laughs alumnus Vibeke Seymour. "I mean, HIGH..." One local who wishes to remain anonymous adds, "Everybody's pretty low key up here, because everybody grows dope. Really good dope."

MALE/FEMALE RATIO: 47/53

COST(in-state/out-of-state): $2073/$2073 + $339 per unit (per semester)

EXTRA CREDIT: "When there's no swell or it's too big, you can just go for a walk through one of the redwood forests -- they're amazing," says Seymour.

DEMERITS: "When I was there, I heard about people getting chased out of the water by white sharks -- WEEKLY," says Cortez.

ADDRESS/CONTACT: 1 Harpst Street, Arcata CA, 95521-8299; Phone: (707) 826-3011; www.humboldt.edu

10. FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY


Photo: C. Wilson

PROXIMITY AND ACCESS TO SURF: You're only 20 minutes away from the most recognized break in East Coast surfing, Sebastian Inlet. (Actually, catching a wave at First Peak may take significantly longer.)

SURF CLASS(ES): No accredited classes on campus, but there are plenty of informal lessons going down at Sebastian.

SURF TEAM: FIT's surf team competes in the NSSA South/NE conference but has had two lackluster seasons since making Nationals in 1999; best performances remain their annual fundraising party, the Shugga Dugga.

SURFING PROFESSORS: Most of the Ocean Engineering faculty, including Drs. Lee Harris, Geoff Swain and Eric Thosteson; plus Dr. David Hott, PhD (Business).

SURFING ALUMNI: Three-time US National Team Member Albert Munoz, Chris Harmon, Matt Vecere, Jesse Spooner, Pat Rafter, Sander Banta, former East Coast Champion Barry Pasonski; surf photographer Donald Cresitello.

HOW HARD TO GET IN: Not quite a First Peak bomb, but you'll still have to show some skills -- and some dough. Average GPA: 3.0.

KNOWN CURRICULUM: Aviation management; electrical engineering and computer engineering are most popular. Ocean Engineering is a favorite among surfers with lots of classes in waves and wave theory.

ANIMAL HOUSE/PARTY FACTOR: "There's a huge international community, so there's a lot of small French and Spanish parties, a few off-campus bar scenes, and the Shugga Dugga. You basically end up meeting a close group of friends and hanging with them for a long time." -- Donald Cresitello

MALE/FEMALE RATIO: 65/35 ("Freshman year, you still think you have a chance with the girls, but you wake up pretty quick." -- Albert Munoz.)

COST (in-state/out-of-state): $27,280 & $29,940 (add flight fees if aeronautical student.)

EXTRA CREDIT: If you're still determined on scoring a surfing career past the age of 18, Sebastian's the best spot on the East Coast to make a name for yourself. And if that fails, you can always -- eeek! -- fall back on your education since most of FIT's students find quality jobs, especially in the coastal engineering and oceanography departments.

DEMERITS:"There's a lot to go in the anti column: the amount of time you spend looking at a book is one, but it's mostly the party scene. There's only 3000 people here, so we've narrowed it down to getting all the kids into a single room so they can have fun." -- Albert Munoz.

ADDRESS /CONTACT: 150 West University Boulevard, Melbourne, FL 32901-6975 ; Phone: 321-674-8000; www.fit.edu

Want to take your surf education one step further? Study abroad at your favorite world-class wave. Check out some more helpful info to keep you wet while earning your degree.