Behind every Lowcountry side hustle is a tide shift: Meet Robert Breger
This is the second of a multi-series of feature stories that will highlight residents in Beaufort County who balance multiple jobs to provide an insight into the economic climate and workforce of the Lowcountry region.
By the time most people are winding down their day, Robert Breger is just getting started.
He’s either hauling trash at an apartment complex or captaining a dolphin tour boat off Hilton Head Island.
Known to some locals as Captain Roby and to others as the trash guy, he’s built a patchwork career that thrives on flexibility, grit and a love of the Lowcountry.
“I was born and raised here,” Breger said. “I like to joke that I was born in a basin on an oyster bank. My dad ran a shrimp boat when I was little and I’ve been out here driving boats solo since I was 13.”
Despite his love for the water and the Lowcountry, Breger opted for a change of scenery when he decided to study aerospace engineering at The University of Alabama.
“But after moving back here from college, I got stuck working in the food and beverage industry, which led me to start drinking too much,” he said. “I hit 29 and realized I didn’t want to be 30 and still living at home with my dad.”
That realization led him to sobriety and a new career shift.
As Breger puts it, “You realize pretty quickly that bartending isn’t as fun when you’re sober,” he said.
Why the side hustle shift?
Breger set his sights on earning a U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license, a months-long process that required schooling, exams and extreme patience. But by the time he finally received his credentials, the boating season was winding down – and jobs were scarce.
With bills piling up, he turned to Craigslist.
That’s where he found his first steady post-sobriety gig: collecting trash from apartment doorsteps.
“It wasn’t glamorous,” Breger said. “At first, it was downright nasty. But it paid $50 a night, guaranteed and I could do it even in the off-season.”
That job not only helped keep him afloat, but it also secure a loan from his uncle to buy a 40-foot sailboat.
“I wanted to build equity in something,” he said. “Owning a boat of my own has been a longtime dream of mine, so I just decided to go for it.”
These days, Breger juggles an impressive roster of seasonal roles. He captains dolphin tours at places like Dolphin Seafari and Dolphin Discoveries. He also works events on the island and recently joined Sea Tow, a marine assistance franchise, along with his more frequent gig as a trash fairy.
Whether he’s steering tourists past dolphins or quietly hauling garbage at dawn, Breger embodies resilience
“I got sober and changed my life,” he said. “Now, I get to do what I love, even if it means a little trash along the way.”
‘I’ll sleep in September’
Since returning to the sea, Breger has realized his expansive background in hospitality served him more than he thought.
“As a mate, you’re basically hosting a show,” he said. “You’ve got to keep everyone entertained — dolphins or not. That was no problem for me, I love to talk.”
Darting between gigs , balance can easily go overboard, but Breger seems to handle it.
“I joke that I’ll sleep in September,” he said.
Between Sea Tow, his multiple captain roles, events and trash pick up, his weekly schedule is a masterpiece of coordination and exhaustion.
“There are days I’m on the water from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.,” he says. “Then I drive to Bluffton to do my trash route, which gives me a chance to stretch my legs and decompress with a podcast. I just stack the bags, make little piles and drive around picking them up. It’s not glamorous, but it works.”
When peak summer months hit, Breger finds himself working up to 70 hours a week, but that drops off quickly in the off-season.
”That’s why I push so hard now,” he said. “I like to keep irons in the fire. If one cools off, I’ve got another going. Plus, I always do my best I show up, I do a good job and I have people that trust me.”
Upcoming adventures
Despite the grind, Breger has a long game in mind.
“The goal is to pay things off and then use the off-seasons to travel, hopefully down to the Virgin Islands,” he says. “Although my absolute end goal is to become a delivery boat captain or all-around boat fixer.”
He’s already laying the groundwork, building a loyal following here that he hopes will someday follow him south.
For now, the plan is to keep captaining
“Once my bills get knocked out, I won’t really have anything in the way of overhead,” Breger said. “That’s when I’ll feel free, like I can take a big trip without having to stress about paying the bills.”
And as much as the work keeps him grounded, it also gives him the chance to continue doing what he enjoys.
“It’s a lot, but I love it,” he said. “My job is what most people do for fun, and I get to do it for a living. That’s the dream, right?”
Do you or someone you know have a Lowcountry side hustle? Please reach out via email to amiller@islandpacket.com for more information about this series.
Our previous feature stories can be found below:
