I'm 50, so probably not going to make a big effort to learn. I used to surf a little bit, and skimboard a lot, when I was in my 20s. Swam in the Mediterranean (Greek Islands), which is MUCH easier, due to the salinity. Otherwise I just sink. Also got a boat license and used to run power boats fairly often, but haven't done that in a decade or two. While the ocean is very important to me, it is mostly as a soothing/calming agent. I sit and watch the waves. Feel the pulse of nature. And it feeds my soul. But I have little interest in going in. So learning to swim is not high on my list of priorities right now... maybe as I get older (70s?) I'll find it a good low-impact form of exercise, and finally learn which arm movements go with which leg movements. (Apparently I combine the wrong arm stroke with the wrong kick, and that's why I sink. Or so someone told me.)