I'm just finishing my second year at university, and I'm definitely taking a year out when I finish (after next year). I was thinking of going and kitesurfing for a season somewhere cool like south america (so I'd need to learn spanish/portuguese to start with), but seeing the buried life has really inspired me.
Does anyone have any ideas for what I should do? Anything you've done that you can look back on and say 'that was one of the best things I could have ever thought to do'? Anything you'd like to do but haven't found the time?
If you love Kite Surfing you must go to Cumbuca in Brazil. The best place on earth for the sport. Learning a language is also great - Portuguese is tricky if your first language is English (although not impossible) - but I would learn Spanish for the trip - everyone understands it AND it will help you travel the rest of South America and some parts of Europe too.
Make sure you hire a beach buggy with some mates and travel up the coast from cumbuca - there are loads of lagunas with flat water for tricks and the sea has great waves you can play on away from the crowds.