On a cold spring morning, few things can be less appealing than desperately balancing on a small board on the icy sea.

But growing numbers of people are doing just that. For while it may not boast the unspolit golden beaches and Pacific rollers of Hawaii and Australia, Sussex is burgeoning as a haven for surfing.

Although lagging behind the likes of Newquay in the British pecking order, the Brighton surfing community is still on the crest of a wave.

The number of women in particular is rising steadily, with Heather Colebrook, from Portslade, recently finishing third in the national championships.

Brighton surfers are hoping a new film Blue Crush, which records the thrills and spills of women's surfing, will help promote the sport further.

Teacher Rowena Wilson, 31, said: "I've been surfing for about four years. My boyfriend got me into it.

"I found it hard to pick up because as a kid I had never gone skateboarding. It was really, really hard but I persevered.

"I didn't even know you could surf in England. When you see clips on the television, it's always somewhere exotic."

But Brighton is popular for surfing and Rowena said the local Blue Crush crew was keen to promote it further.

The beach near the West Pier is good for beginners with its gentle slop and small waves, while towards the marina the sea becomes choppier and more suitable for hardcore surfers.

Particularly popular are the infamous "hotpipes", an area to the east of Shoreham Harbour which is heated by the outflow from the power station.

The only problem is the waves are not regularly big enough for sustained surfing. But when they do arrive, the devotees who run Brighton and Hove's handful of surf shops are straight out there.

Small Planet, on Kingsway in Hove, keeps fanatics up to date with the latest sea conditions on its web site sharkbait.co.uk.

On Monday, for example, it revealed: "Tiny waves from a small easterly swell. Dry with plenty of sunshine. Light easterly winds. How long has it been now? Surely we are well overdue a good wave. The West Country will be doing the business this week if you can bunk work."

Other parts of the world are also guaranteed more surf.

Rowena has recently returned from Sri Lanka with her partner.

She said: "It's wonderful. It's hot and there are constant waves. But it's nice to meet everyone in Brighton. It's not very sociable when you are alone out on the waves so I always look to see if there are other girls out there."

As well as solitude, surfers also have to contend with a multitude of minor illnesses.

Surfers Against Sewage have long campaigned for an end to the discharge of raw and partially-treated sewage and toxic waste into oceans and inland waters.

Two years ago, a number of surfers posed on toilets on Brighton beach to make their case.

However, ear, nose and throat infections and stomach bugs are still commonplace.

Carla Blackman, 19, from Hove suffered a nasty chest infection a few years ago while surfing in Devon.

She said: "That lasted quite a long time. I had a few weeks off school at the time.

"The sea's not very clean in Brighton but it's cleaner than a lot of other places."

Carla added: "I live at home and work through the summer to pay to go surfing during the winter. I've just returned from Australia. I was there for the last couple of months and saw some old surfing friends. I had five months out there last year.

"I went to Hawaii last year as well. It has one of the most famous breaks in the world.

"But Australia is easy to get to and everyone surfs."

Bianca Robinson, 30, was coaxed into the sport by her husband Peter.

Peter, 42, said: "I taught Bianca how to surf and she taught me how to snowboard. She had her first lesson with me in Morocco."

Bianca added: "I enjoy the whole lifestyle of being outside on the beach in the sun, meeting nice people, getting a tan and getting fit. When you're paddling out, it feels like you are getting fit and building muscles.

"I don't have a winter wetsuit, so I don't go all year but I went in a couple of weeks ago.

"It was like jumping into a tub of ice cream - but when the sun's out it doesn't matter."

Jules McDonald, 39, said: "I was really into skateboarding and roller skating in the Seventies. They are fairly similar to surfing but I prefer surfing as you don't get hurt as much when you fall off.

"I also like the surfing community. You all go down to the beach, or to Devon together. Quite a few of us are off to France and then Mexico next year."