[crcarlson]

Sorry, I am not really a surf guru. I do know some people who used to surf off of the Sunset, but I think they were beginners so I have no idea of the quality. I do hear that the Sunset is essentially covered in fog for most of the year though.

You might try padmapper to get a sense of what things cost to rent by area in SF. You can always guess a location, find a job, and then move later once you have more first hand experience with the location.

I personally like the mid Peninsula. It is warmer and sunnier year round than SF and centrally located for work in the north and south bay so I don't have to move around so much. Most of my single friends prefer to live in SF.

There are a ton of kite surfers and wind surfers in the bay and on the north edge of the city if you are in to that sort of thing.