The windsurfing centre in London's East End was founded by Chilvers as a philanthropic venture to promote sailing and windsurfing amongst underprivileged children of the East End in the 1970s.

Entire days can be spent lounging around the flower-fringed pool and stunning stretch of golden sand, though there's always the on-site dive and windsurfing centre if you want to get active.

South of the village there is a lake which was a former gravel pit and is now used as a windsurfing center.

Tilawa Viento Surf Center is a noted windsurfing centre, located on the northwestern shore of Lake Arenal in Guanacaste Province in northwest Costa Rica.

Windsurfing is a popular pastime, and the Hilton Dahab Resort and Swiss Inn Golden Beach Resort have good windsurfing centres.

With the growth of tourism the island has become one of the world's leading windsurfing centers.

The bay supports windsurfing centres and caters for advanced surfers at the northern end and beginners in the sheltered Makrygialos Bay lagoon at the southern end.

Club Vass (0844 463 0197; www.clubvass.com) Runs Club Vassiliki on Lefkas primarily as a windsurfing centre with other watersports and mountain biking also available.

Sportif (01273 844919; www.sportif.travel) Seven windsurfing centres in Kos, Crete, Rhodes, Samos and Karpathos - with good options for families as well as beginners.

The Playa de Sotavento is world-famous as a windsurfing center, with activity focused on the F2 school at the Sol Elite Gorriones Hotel.