A wanted man took his escape attempt way off-road Thursday morning … leading LAPD officers on a foot chase before diving into the Pacific Ocean and trying to swim his way out of an arrest.

Take a look at the video … the suspect is swimming off Will Rogers State Beach when L.A. County Lifeguards roll up and grapple with him in the water … eventually loading him onto a L.A. County Sheriff’s Department boat.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … LAPD officers stopped the man near Pacific Coast Highway and Sunset Boulevard around 7:20 AM after learning he was wanted on a felony warrant.

It’s unclear whether officers were responding to a radio call or initially approached him for a pedestrian stop.

We’re told the suspect took off running when officers tried to detain him … racing toward Will Rogers State Beach and diving into the water.

The man then spent more than an hour treading water hundreds of yards offshore as lifeguards on rescue boards stayed close, talking to him and waiting for an opportunity to end the salty standoff.

Authorities have not revealed what felony warrant the suspect was wanted on.

He gave cops the runaround and the swim-around … but his escape plan still went belly-up.