"It’s a sport like no other," says Richard Gowers, chairman of the British Kite Surfing Association. "It’s cheap, easy to transport and easy to learn. Getting out in the wind and the waves with a couple of mates – there’s nothing like it."

Although it may well have its roots in 13th century China where kites were used as a mode of transport, kite surfing sprang to prominence in its present guise as the latest fix for adrenalin junkies in the late 1990s. Watersport pioneers had been experimenting with the combination of kites and boards since the 1980s, but it wasn’t until 1999 when a French company invented the revolutionary “inflatable kite” that the sport, so to speak, took off.

Kite surfing is now one of the world’s fastest growing watersports, with an estimated 100,000 followers around the globe. And it’s rapidly gaining popularity in the UK. In 1999, when the BKSA was formed, there were reckoned to be only 12 dedicated kite surfers in this country. Now the BKSA estimates around 7,000 people in the UK are harnessing up and taking to the surf. It’s also highly accessible, with around 25 per cent of kite surfers in this country believed to be women and children.

Apart from its rugged image, kite surfing has other more practical attractions, says Gowers. For a start it involves less bulky equipment than other watersports, meaning it’s easy to transport the gear if you’re going on holiday. Cost-wise it’s also less prohibitive than other sports, with a second-hand rig coming in at around £500-600. New, Gowers reckons you could probably get kitted out for £800-£1200.

It’s also comparatively easy to learn, though this comes with a word of caution. "It’s not something you could teach yourself," Gowers says. "I always say, would you let someone who can’t ride a motorbike out on a 600cc machine first time round? No. Well, the same is true of kite surfing. There are certain rudimentary safety factors you need to know before going out on the water."

But this is no obstacle for would-be kite surfers, for the sport’s growing popularity in the UK means a number of training centres have sprung up around the country. The BKSA’s website lists around 25 registered and licensed training centres, offering full insurance and properly qualified staff.

Another of the sport’s attractions is its flexibility, with a variety of kite/board combinations on offer to suit all abilities and interests. "You can really choose your gear to suit your style," says Gowers.

As with windsurfing, the rule of thumb is that the better you get, the smaller your kite becomes; the bigger the kite, the weaker the breeze needed to pull you along. The size of kite also affects what you can do, so the BKSA advises that once you master the basics and look to progress, you should buy a variety of different kites for different conditions and different stunts.

There are plenty of different styles of riding to get to grips with. Among the most awe-inspiring of these is the ‘hang time’, where the aim is to pull off a jump and, quite literally, hang in air for as long as possible. The world record for this is a staggering 13 seconds. Then, for experienced riders there’s ‘kickers and sliders’ where combinations of ramps and rails are placed in the water, which competitors must then ride in a similar way to skateboarders.

One of the latest disciplines – and the most dangerous according to the BKSA – is ‘boardercross’, where competitors must negotiate their way around and over various inflatable obstacles whilst performing air-borne stunts. The nearest land-based equivalent is motorcross.

But of course, kite surfing is by no means limited to water. A fast growing derivative of kite surfing is the land-based version, where you can hook up your kite to a board with wheels and head off across the beach. And if you can’t wait all winter for summer to come so you can hit the waves, there’s also the option of trying your hand at kite snowboarding.

The real attraction of kite surfing is its buzz factor, especially if the sun’s shining. Gowers says: "For me getting out in waves is the real buzz – the bigger the better, and the windier the better as far as I’m concerned."

"I love going out in a wind of about 25 knots with waves of six to eight feet. There’s nothing better."