What the expert says
Darren Burrett is the founder of Surf South West, the first surf school in the UK to be awarded level four status by the British Surfing Association (BSA). He has 26 years' experience and has surfed in more than 20 countries.
Keep in trim
Every board has a sweet spot, where it is stable and balanced and will move 'in trim' with the wave. If you're too far forward, the nose will sink, too far back and it will stall. When you are centred, the nose of the board will sit just above the surface of the water.
Catch a wave
Start paddling for a wave way in advance, to build up enough momentum for it to take you. When you feel it pick you up, the natural instinct is to grip the board and attempt to get up, but this is when you should put in a final two to three powerful arm strokes. Spend plenty of time practising this without trying to stand up.
Master the pop-up
The holy grail of surfing is to get from a prone position to standing in one clean motion. You need to jump to your feet and turn them simultaneously so that they are at a right angle to the board.
Perfect your paddling
Paddling - whether to get out through the waves or to catch a wave - is a key skill. The action is similar to front crawl but you need to keep your body as still as possible, just using the shoulders and arms to pull rather than twisting the body or head. Keep your feet slightly apart to aid stability.
Practise away from the beach
You may not live close enough to the beach to practise regularly but you can work on your skills. Swimming front crawl is the most useful way to practise paddling, ideally using a pull buoy so your legs aren't contributing.
Wipe out safely
Falling off and going under are par for the course. Try to relax, cover your head, curl into a ball and keep your mouth closed. Keep your head covered even after you break the surface, until you've located your board - and everyone else's.
Take it slowly
Don't go out of your depth. Stay in the white water while you perfect your skills. It's like being on the nursery slopes.
Know the etiquette
It's bad form to 'drop in' on someone. This means if a surfer is riding a wave, it 'belongs' to them and you shouldn't try to catch it. If you are paddling out and a surfer is heading towards you, they have right of way.
Getting started
Surfing has never been more popular in the UK, with an estimated 500,000 Brits surfing regularly. The best way to start is to take lessons. You need to be able to swim 50 metres and be reasonably fit. The BSA runs courses for all ages and abilities at the National Surfing Centre in Newquay, and has introduced a grading system for approved schools across the UK to help people find appropriately qualified and experienced instructors. Visit britsurf.co.uk (01637 876474).
Surf South West offers lessons from March to November, seven days a week, from half-day sessions to weekends, week-long courses and one-to-one coaching. It also offers Girls on Waves weekends, with female instructors. Or take a Surf South West learn-to-surf holiday to Lanzarote, Costa Rica, France or Portugal. See surfsouthwest.com (01271 890400).
Check out the conditions on the BSA website which gives access to a number of beach webcams in Cornwall, while Eyeball Surfcheck has four webcams on the North Devon coast (eyeball-surfcheck.co.uk).
Invest in the surfers' bible, The Stormrider Guide - Europe (£24.95, Low Pressure), which gives the lowdown on conditions and facilities.
The gear
To get going, all you need is a surfboard and a wetsuit. You should be able to hire both from the surf school.
As an absolute beginner, you'll be given a large buoyant board with a soft foam coating, so it won't hurt when it bonks you on the head. These boards are lightweight and easy to handle but not worth buying as you'll quickly grow out of them.
Most beginners start with a Mini Mal, a mini longboard, which is usually 7-8ft long, fairly wide and thick - a custom-built one should cost from around £400. A secondhand board is another good option, or you could buy a mass-produced moulded board (most are handmade), such as a Bic, for around £200 (bicsportsurfboards.com). All boards need a leash (that attaches around your ankle) of at least 6ft. A shorter leash puts you at risk of being hit by your board if you wipe out.
You'll need a wetsuit - for the UK, a 3:2 suit for late spring, summer and autumn, and a 5:3 or 5:4 for spring and the start of winter (the figures refer to the thickness of neoprene). Wetsuits range from £60-£300 plus. Try Snugg (snuggwetsuits.co.uk) for UK-made wetsuits or big brands such as O'Neill, Gul and Rip Curl. If you're heading to sunnier shores, check out Headworx Flex boardshort (£42.50, headworx.com) - it looks like a casual short but has elasticated neoprene side panels and no front fastening to get in the way when you are lying flat.
The downside
Not very accessible
It's not as if there's a beach at the end of every high street. Infrequent practice makes it difficult to get beyond that 'eternal beginner' level.
Frequent - but minor - injuries
Cuts, bruises, sprains and strains are the most common. Knee sprains and strains come top of the list, but a study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that surfers are less prone to injury than soccer or basketball players.
Disease risk
Research in conjunction with Surfers Against Sewage showed that surfers are three times more likely than the general public to contract hepatitis A. The pathogen can survive for up to 100 days in salt water.
An unpredictable environment
Jellyfish stings, a mouthful of sewage, a rogue shark, a rocky seabed or a strong rip can turn a pleasant day's surfing into something more dangerous.
