Wakeboarding is becoming an increasingly popular pastime in the UK, and once you get a taste it's easy to become hooked.

Although waterskiing has been around for some time now, wakeboarding – derived from snowboarding, but on water and behind a boat – is a relatively recent water sports activity.

Imagine being towed behind a boat on a calm summers day, riding a board on top of a glassy smooth surface. Then carving outside the boat's wake until you can go no further, and sharply cutting back towards it until you hit the lip of the wake, and you glide into the air...

Flat waters in the UK during the summer months provide ideal conditions to learn and master the art of wakeboarding, and there's also a host of cable parks cropping up all over the country for more experienced boarders to try out new tricks, without the need for a boat.

Wakeboarding can be difficult to learn, but once you've picked up the basics and you are prepared to keep practising, your ability can improve no end.

Unless you've got a friend with a boat and some wakeboarding equipment, your best bet is to begin learning through a wakeboard school.

If you happen to know someone who's already into wakeboarding, and has their own equipment and possibly even boat, make the most of any opportunities to accompany them on trips.

If you decide that wakeboarding is for you, equipment, such as boards and bindings, can be expensive. Borrowing and renting will be cheaper in the short term, but if you do decide to buy remember that you don't need the top of the range designs when you're just starting out. The advantage of buying your own wakeboard is that you will become accustomed to the feel of one board, and this should help you master your individual technique.

Going out on a boat wakeboarding can be more exciting than a cable park because the boat driver has the freedom to choose where he will drive. On the other hand, sea conditions can change without much notice, so a cable park offers a more reliable ride.

Wakeboarding is one of those adrenaline-fuelled activities that can get addictive very quickly. It's not for everyone, but without giving it a go, you'll never know if you're missing out.

The article Riding the wake originally appeared on 999 Today