l hear that surfing is a lot more physical that it looks.What kind of work outs should l do to prepare for my vacation???

have a warm up

TRY AND TOUCH YOUR TOES, AND JUMPING JACKS

Swimming in the ocean is the best. Other than that, squat thrusts and wood choppers. With weights: dead lifts, dumbbell bench and seated military press work most of the critical muscle groups. Pool swimming is better than no swimming, but believe me, l have seen lots of great pool swimmers get rescued in the ocean.

In the week before you go, but not the day before you go, do pullups, pushups and situps everyday. If you have the time and access to a pool, great, but realistically most people only have time for a few simple exercises. Pullups are the most significant exercise. They will give you power paddling for waves.

Check out the DVD Surfer Stronger. It really helps build your core strength, and therefore your stability. Lots of tricep, chest, back, and abdominal work.

l am fully behind John F especially on the dumbbell workouts.
If you live near a river like l do, swim against the current.
We would always go right after a storm because the river was way up and very fast.
PS this is not a smart thing to do, but you will get faster.
Also, drag something when you swim, preferably a small inflateable boat (can be used when you fatigue)

Definitely do squats because you have to be able to pop up quickly onto your board when you catch a wave. Look into getting a balancing ball to improve your balance and of course, swimming. Also, stretch before you head out on your board; the calf muscles especially.