BT Forum

I love California. I don't live there but I love to visit. What I think it offers over Florida is that within the state within theoretical driving distance you have a lot of different areas to see and be a part of (beaches and snow skiing in the same state). I live in Miami and while it is different at the Northern part of the state it's not all that different geographically.

That being said you can definitely train and race triathlon in Florida all year long. We now have Bone Island in Key West in January and Ironman Florida is November. It's definitely hot and humid and to be honest miserable here in the summer but we do race through it. I would say that Tampa/Clearwater/Sarasota has an active tri scene. There is a club in Sarasota called I think the Sarasota Storm - that might be a good place to start looking. I was just in St. Pete for St. Anthony's and it was great. Rev 3 does a race in Venice now which is a great race. And you're just 3 hours from Miami / Ft. Lauderdale where I do now feel like we could race every weekend between April - August.

Clermont which I think is roughly an hour from Tampa is a great training ground. It's a very friendly triathlon/cycling community. The National Training Center is nice although I'm not sure it's worth an hours drive to swim there daily.

Bingo.

But with this said, went to college in the Bay Area.  I love California.  But I'd still pick Florida, beaches are way nicer.

I grew up in San Diego and loved it. LIved 4 yrs in Pensacola, hated the humid sticky weather....no cool nights...I would go to San Diego in a instant!!! if I were in your position. I now live in north Idaho, and its nice, but if I could I would go back to San Diego...

Love the weather, the beaches, dislike how crowded it is, but there are ways around that....goody for you on the Job!!

Yup!!!

I'll give you the humidity issue, but you do get used to it.  However here is your typical OWS swim.  I don't see any fog...

Hands down if this is an OWS issue only, Florida (especially south Florida) wins. This is mostly because of the water temp and the fact that we don't (as a general rule) have great white sharks

In San Diego the "marine layer" (not called fog there) is not that big of a deal. There are two months when you can pretty much count on it every morning and then it burns off later in the day. That is why it is called May gray and June gloom.

I live in SOCAL. 

We have a lot of great outdoor stuff (many of which is off limits to ordinary citizens) but that's about it. I can't wait to "retire" from the military and leave this overregulated, overtaxed and fiscally irresponsible chithole.

I went to High School in Florida and considered moving to San Diego a few years ago when a competitor offered me a position.  The cost of living based upon housing prices was the main reason that I did not take the position.

2000 square foot house in good neighborhood in Florida $250,000-400,000.

2000 square foot house in good neighborhood in SoCal $600,000-1,000,000.

With my current position I can live anywhere that is accessible to an international airport, I have not found anyplace better to live in than in Colorado.

"Marine Layer" :-)   Ride a motorcycle over the Golden Gate Bridge through this late at night, betcha aren't thinking about it being a marine layer when your face is falling off from the cold...  

I live in SW Florida and it's hot.  Not kinda, not a little...it's AFRICA Hot.  I have been here since '94 and no matter it's still hot. However you can't beat the gulf for swimming and the beaches are amazing.  Cali has pluses also.  I would love the chance to hop on I-5 (is that the right one?) and boogie up north and chill in the mountains or maybe ski in the winter.  If I drive that far here I'm still hot  They both have the positives.  My only advise would be hop on a plane, rent a car, and cruise the areas for yourself.  If the tri community is a huge issue contact the local clubs and if you visit first join them for a run or OWS.  You would be able to ask all the locals what they like/dislike.

That said I'm staying in FL since I'm a cold water weenie and enjoy the gulf and beaches.