I'm seriously starting a new career, well 80% sure. Hoping to start by end of year.
Should be able to take an afternoon or two off during the week if wind is right. Own boss. 
Only downside is I'll be busier over summer than winter.
I work in film and Tv and went freelance about 5 years ago with a view to closing the doors as soon as it got above 15 knots!.
It didn't pan out that way and its only really been in the last year that the business has built up enough that I am confident to take a day off when it blows...
Am a freelancer these days in IT. I take contracts only when I think I'll get away with some wind-related flex time. I do extra (nights, etc.) so I get more favours from the boss for windsurfing. I wiggle out of a contract whenever I can if it gets in the way of windsurfing.
Sorta works, but less $$ that way. But who cares.
After all those w..k..s voted for NO daylight savings - I am still dark over this, who could tell 
I have organised - told -my clients that I am starting early in summer and my phone will be off if either 20Knots+ (I point them at seabreeze for reference) or warm and a breeze.
I'm also in IT and have some flexibility.
Piano Tuning got me through Harvard, and during my teaching years at Evergreen State College Windsurfing was invented, I got the bug BAD, and I really wanted my afternoons, and my brain for my own devices, etc., so I quite the Academic Industrial Complex, and went back to tuning, which much to my surprise turned into a real job, but did give me a lot of freedom to go windsurfing. Like every day for 4 years. Did I mention I sailed Div II boards a lot? A lot of light air here in the great NW- 2-3 K became a particular favorite regime. Gave me the freedom to do the Gorge in the early days- like on a yellow windsurfer with teak booms and no harness, the Straights ofJuan de ****a, and Hawaii. Made some boards, experimented with rigs, etc.
I was not alone. MD's, Dentists, Lawyers, CEO's, Carpenters, teachers, you name it, were quiting their gigs, buying a van, and moving to the Gorge. In the 80's it was an epidemic, supposedly worse than what was happening in the surfing scene at the time. We were all tired of being good, and postponing gratification, which we had all done so well for so long, and well, we had lived through the 60's and not dropped out, in the main. Windsurfing was just too good a stoke. And the amount of really accomplished athletes dropping out to do it was pretty impressive. Like all-american athletes. Heady stuff.
Wouldn't trade it for anything, even though now too decrepit. It did change the way I think about sailing in a most profound way.
Paul
regarding my hours on windy days. I also start about an hour before anyone else...clocking up the hours for spring/summer! 
About 3 months ago I did the opposite, went away from the water, now a 90min drive if I'm in a hurry 
sitting here thinking WTF did I do
but lots more money, good for career good for the family blah blah. Roll on holidays in November
regarding my hours on windy days. I also start about an hour before anyone else...clocking up the hours for spring/summer!
Im self employed as an artist so I can theoretically plan my week around the wind..I'm still finding it hard to get out.Best was 2 x a week occasionally in summer ..now its been 3 weeks since I got out.Hoping to go tomorrow if the tennis elbow survives..How did I ever get out when I was working for someone?
Problem is the income suffers from all the playing..sailboarding ,cycling , bushwalking , horseriding etc ..but what a life! Mind you after 15 years in a ##@#$[}:)] job its payback time! ...
I love my work ( art) so it feels like play too!
Well I had to go through chemo a cpl of years ago so I was forced to re-evaluate my working life a little. Decided I wanted to give windsurfing a go. So now I work 3 days a week so I can get out an do all the things I love - ie windsurfing. Also pick up other IT work when I need the extra cash (all after hours so it doesnt interfere with sailing). Eventually I intend on only doing my art (sculpture) for an income, so I will be totally flexible with time.
When i lived and worked in the uk all i wanted to to was windsurf. Being a sparky by trade i set up on my own, drove everywhere with my kit on the van and when the wind blew,of i went.
I hope to do the same here once things pick up again although its a little harder these days with the financial strains of modern living and owning an expensive girlfirend who refuses to get into windsurfing
Probably a lot off topic but sometimes you can just do something simple like change hours to get more TOW.
I also changed my hours from normal crappy office hours to early start and finish.
In summer if it looks good for a sea breeze I dont take a lunch hour and get out of work at 3pm. With DLS that gives you quite a few hours on the water.
It seems these day most employers have a relaxed attitude to work hours so it doesnt hurt to ask.
Definitely!
In my job it's normal to take one day off per week, but I have re-arranged it so that I only take two half-days off per month, and then take ALL of December & January, plus a few weeks through winter.
Surely nothing is more important than windsurfing?!
My approach......work hard when there's no wind......
don't let your boss know you're windsurfer.....or pretend u quitted from seabreeze long time ago
Aggressive approach...minimize daily expense......set a target for early retirement
I can't suffer those days blowing 20 knot outside, but I stilll stuck in office.....
I plan to be a full time windsurfer in 5 yrs.......I'll be still young to break some limit in 50.....ha.ha.ha [
I "retired" from being a self employed chippy to become govement employee. Half the pay,half the hours,flexible rdo,s and home by 4.30 . Down side....have to chase bushfires over summer 
Well i now work when i want, for myself when i get jobs also do work for a company that is fully into windsurf and the whole staff leave when it's windy to go sailing, To "Test" Gear..
O well someone has to do it..
All the above^^^ sounds much too complicated
I found a women with a s*#t load of money went and lived with her rent me own house out live off the rent and simply sail every day
welllllll
I would if there was wind everyday
We paid off the mortgage in 93 so I went on 1/2 time (fortnight on fortnight off), and bought a beach shack at Avalon.
I didn't change my career but I did choose my career. School holidays in WA are windy season.
Sorta changed once getting back into windsurfing. Moved from inland where the local dam dried out and there was no where to windsurf. Changed jobs where I go from getting a month off over summer to having 4 weeks leave a year. However currently studying to have a pleasant job with good holidays. As long as I submit reasonable essays over then next couple of years I should look forward to getting holidays from the first week of December to the last week of January plus another seven weeks off during the year. The trade off will be working on every fourth Saturday afternoon.
I have just resigned from a great truck driving job where I knocked off at 3ish every day to going back to being self employed after 7 years. This time though, no staff, no overdrafts, no leases, so if it's windy the tools go back in the trailer and the kit is already in the van!! No matter what time of day it is!
