Now these are the kinds of sports that give you an instant cool factor. Surfing, riding the waves, taking charge of the ocean and mastering it. Effortlessly drifting onto shore in your wetsuit, hair dripping with the salty remnants of adventure and bravery. Don’t tell us you aren’t imagining the sun on your back as you lazily bob across the water in wait of that achingly high wave, the sun pastel yellow in a perfect, empty sky.

Unfortunately, you can’t exactly go windsurfing on your ironing board with a bed sheet precariously attached to a broom handle by a length of string. Ruins the image a bit, doesn’t it? On the plus side, all you really need is a surf board, or a surfboard and a kite, to get you started. A wetsuit is a plus – it also makes you look like you know what you’re doing, whether you do or not.