I am always up for an activity.

Camping on a cliff? Count me in. Hiking over hills? Just say how far. Saddling a surfboard powered by a jet? Absolutely – just make sure it's November.

That was the call for me when KentOnline was invited by PSI Marine to St Andrews Lakes in Halling to try its range of jetboards.

Weirdly, when the invitation came into the office no one wanted to delve into a lake touched by the temperatures of an approaching winter so it left me as the sole member of the news team to volunteer for this relatively new craze.

Engine powered surfboards have been a thing since the 1960s but took a huge leap forward in technology and convenience in 2013 when the first electronic jet-powered boards hit the market.

Paul Smith, from Maidstone, has been a seller of the luxury aquatic items since he became interested in them two years ago.

He said: "I got involved with a love of water sports doing some wake boarding and snowboarding myself.

"I saw videos of them [the jetboards] online and wanted to get involved so I got in contact with a manufacturer in Sweden and then beyond that they wanted UK distribution so we said we'd do that."

"It's quite a new and emerging sport – not many people know about it.

"Without exception, everybody – whether they try to stand up on it or just lay on their stomach – everybody loves them.

"If you manage to get up on one, the feeling of doing that is incredible – it's a sensation akin to wakeboarding without the boat."

Paul and PSI marine usually hold taster and practice sessions on the boards in the summer months on Thursdays between 5pm and 7pm but I was offered the privilege of trying it out in the middle of November.

After the previous week's weather, with mass flooding and drops in temperature, I was expecting to be frozen to my core but luckily the sun decided to come out for the afternoon making the day, let's say, more bearable.

I was given a rather fetching wetsuit to try on and in traditional fashion of one size fits no one, I was ready to go.

Paul gave me a crash course in how to ride the boards along with the counter-intuitive advice of "the faster you go the more stable they are."

Not the most assuring words but I took it on board – if you'll pardon the pun – and wormed my way out onto the lake.

I started by laying on the board, hugging it as best I could to ensure I didn't plunge into the icy cold waters.

But after less than five minutes I was already fully opening the taps on the throttle. It's top speed is around 35 mph.

The board Paul got me on was the Radinn X-sport, a board for beginners and intermediates.

Slightly wider based than his other models, it was a good way to get use to the sensation.

Paul's words rang true and when I got the board going at full speed it became so stable that I was easily able to get to my knees within five minutes of riding.

I did try to stand up a few times but with each attempt I immediately fell into the drink, followed by a long swim back to the board.

After a couple of failed attempts I stuck to just laying down and, honestly, that was enough enjoyment alone.

Don't get me wrong this itself came with its challenges.

I was constantly fighting against the waves to keep the board planted on the surface of the water but the faster I got the more I was bounced, pummelled, and beaten – and never have I enjoyed it more.

When I finished my legs ached, my arms were tired, my ears were ringing and I had a piercing headache but it was an amazing experience and one I'd definitely do again, just when it is circa 25 degrees outside.

Anyone wanting to try out jetboarding for themselves can do so by booking their 25 minute session, which costs £50, with PSI marine on Thursdays in the summer.

The waiting list is long, with it reaching around three weeks in advance, so book when you can.

The option to purchase a board for yourself is available through PSI Marine and depending on which board you go for it could set you back somewhere between £8,000 and £18,000.

Still an expensive hobby but in comparison to other water sports they are both convenient and affordable.

Paul said: "The nice thing about them is you can pick them up, take them home, rinse them down with fresh water if you have been to the sea and put them away.

"They're easy to transport, you don't need the waves anymore and you don't need the boat.

"You can just pick it up, go to the beach and go."

I would fully endorse anyone to give it a go. They were easy to use and so much fun to skid around.

They seem daunting at first but once you're on and away, you'll be trying to get to your feet in no time – just don't do it on the fringe of winter.

If you wish to have a go yourself you can book your 25 minute session through St Andrews Lakes' website.

Now please excuse me – I am off to try and regain feeling in my frozen feet.