Surfing Pointers for Beginners - Prep

While watching the episode of professional surfer Anastasia Ashley on World of Jenks, I had to remind myself that it's probably not as easy as she was making it look.  There's many factors that a surfer must be aware of, for instance, water conditions.  Another big factor that must be addressed before surfing is to ask yourself the question:  Am I a good swimmer?

I would consider myself a decent swimmer, but mind you, I'm talking about in a pool.  Swimming in the ocean is an entirely different beast that can be quite unpredictable.  I would imagine one would have to be a great swimmer if they're going to be swimming out to deep parts of the ocean, but Camp Surf, a program in California that teaches surfing to all ages and levels, said a gold medal in Olympic swimming is not needed to surf.  However, they advise to novice surfers it would be a good idea to be a decent swimmer before taking lessons.  As long as the waves aren't like the ones Jenks encountered on the day of his surf lesson with Anastasia, I'd like to strap on my wetsuit and give it a swirl!  Below are some pointers for beginner surfers.  Enjoy!