l wanna try surfing if l ever get the chance, but I am not sure I am a good enough swimmer to do so. l can swim of course, but I am not great at it. I've only swum in the ocean once (l live in Minnesota), so l do not know if l have what it takes to come up after being taken down by a wave.

um u do not have to b super good but u do need to know being it is n the ocean and if you were to fall of you'd drown and also you have to paddle out threw waves.

good enough to keep your head above water. l dont think anyone can really tell u how good. just dont drown. thats the only real answer.

Pretty good swimmer if you do not want to die

in my opinion u only need to know the basics. besides ur gonna be on ur board most of the time, unless u bail or fall off ur board. in that case knowing the basics is enuf for surfing. P.S: although sum advanced swimming techniques could be useful.

The hardest thing you will need to do is duck dive under waves. You do not really swim, because your legs are not being used to propell yourself. You will need to paddle strong.Once you wipe out, then you will need to swim back to the surface before you drown.

l surfed for about three years before l could really swim . i'm still not a good swimmer & have never had proper lessons. in surfing, you're just trying to get to the surface. not much swimming involved. even body surfing does not really entail swimming. u sort of bob. l grew up in the ocean & know how to move with it. in a pool, l must do all the work & l usually hang out close to the edge or where my feet will touch. l can swim across & tread, but l wont be racing anyone.

If you know how to dog paddle you can surf, to get the board started for surfing all surfer use the dog paddle technique.

As long as u r a decent swimmer, u should be fine. The main thing about the ocean is that it is completely different than a pool or lake. Unless the lake is large enough, u probably do not have to deal with rip-currents.
l see it every spring & summer. tons of people getting rescued out of rip-currents because they do not know what they're doing.

Your board is not a life-preserver, so if ur leash ever snaps, board breaks, whatever, u must learn to swim without it.

Relax, do not panic, & swim towards the shore. If you're stuck in a rip, swim parallel with the shore. Do not swim towards the shore as u wo not get anywhere.

As for getting hammered by a wave, as long as u can tread water & know a little bit about how to handle swimming vertically, u should be fine.

Just do not try surfing in a place that is not right for beginners.

Get surfing lessons to teach u proper technique & etiquette.

stay calm after wiping out and u need to be able to swim 75ish yards to shore

Not incredible but at least able to swim in the ocean and stay calm in a rip tide. Here is the test l took, go into a local pool, swim for 20 minutes nonstop and than just tread water for 15 minutes without hitting the bottom. It was'nt hard at all for me. Hope this helps, if you need training tips e-mail me.

l pretty much suck at swimming but when it comes to surfing, well l am awesome. Lol but seriously it does not take that much swimming to be a surfer. Just remember that the waves r unpredictable. Always be aware that the waves can turn on u & if they do, be ready. If the waves take u down, do not freak out, just be prepared. Know that the waves can take u down & that u can get away from them. A trick l used for my few first times was to take some one with me. In case the waves do take u down, make sure that y our safe my having a bud or family member with you. Kudoes for surfing!

l live in Minnesota too! l get out to the ocean about once a year and l am a fairly good swimmer. If you know how to swim already and can keep your head above the water you will be fine. When you go under you have to just stay calm and you will come to the surface. I've never tried surfing though, it could be different. I'd really like to try it as well

You should be able to swim back to shore without puking on the sand if you lose your board.

It would be better if you can swim, but not necessarily to be a good swimmer. As long as you know what is going on and not freaking out when you drop into water, you will be fine. If you want to try surfing, go for it!

You have to have a pretty strong kick, because if you get caught in a riptide, bye bye

Do sprints in a local pool, and try some arm exercises with weights. And do not eat before you go in the water. You will have a better appetite when you emerge.

You do not need to be an olumpic swimmer or anything like that, just be confident in the water. A lot of it comes with practice. When u get pulled down by a wave, do not immediately start fighting it -- just make sure to cover ur head (so it does not hit a rock or anything like that) -- & wait a few moments until the surface of the water is calm again -- then allow yourself to swim back up. Trust me u will be fine. l am a Georgia boy, & l can get by in the ocean, which means u can too. =)