Hire a board and a wetsuit, get an hour's instruction to learn the basics of technique and etiquette, and catch that wave!

Not so much a day out as a whole week or at least a weekend. And this is a good time of year to get started: the spring tides produce reliable surf and the weather is starting to warm up, even if the sea isn't (which is why wetsuits were invented).

While you can surf on any beach where there is a swell, it's a good idea to get some tuition because each beach has its own tidal idiosyncracies that could see you whipped out to sea before you've even got your hair wet. Another thing to keep in mind is other surfers: you don't want to end up floating through a pack of local boarders, blocking their access to the perfect wave while cheerily asking "Is it Pimm's o'clock?" A simple lesson will give you the dos and don'ts.

Most of the good beaches have a choice of schools where you can get some tuition, learn the rules of the surf and then head off on your own for the rest of the day reasonably confident you're not going to need to be rescued by helicopter.

And once you're into it, the great thing about surfing is that you're not weighed down by huge amounts of gear - perfect if you have a large family because it's pretty easy to move everyone and everything around. A board and a wetsuit is all you need and you can usually rent these by the hour, day or week. Prices obviously vary but you're not looking at an arm and a leg for a day's hire.

You can choose between shorter body boards - good for smaller children - that you lie on and use to ride waves close to the beach, and the much longer (7ft plus) "Hawaiian" type you stand up on to surf further out from the beach.

But once everyone is kitted out and reasonably competent and safe, just let them dive in. They'll be off your hands for most of the day, you'll know where they are and that they are getting plenty of hardcore exercise. And best of all it can turn into something that will be a lifelong passion.

- The British Surfing Association lists 54 approved surf schools at beaches in the UK, including in Kent, Cleveland and Argyll in Scotland, at britsurf.co.uk. Go to fluidconcept.co.uk for a list of the 10 main surfing regions. It also has details of the best beaches in each one. However, most surfers would say the top five surfing beaches to learn are:

· Fistral Beach, Newquay, Cornwall: The English Surf Federation School (01637 879571) englishsurfschool.com.

· Croyde Bay, Croyde, Devon: Surf South West (01271 890400) surfsouthwest.com.

· Gower Coast, Llangennith, Swansea, Wales: The Welsh Surfing Federation Surf School (01792 386426) wsfsurfschool.co.uk.

· Cornwall, Sennen Beach, Penzance: Sennen Surfing Centre (01736 871227) sennensurfingcentre.com.

· Freshwater West, Pembroke, Pembrokeshire: Preseli Venture (01348 837709) preseliventure.com.