Going surfing in your backyard means no more nasties such as sharks and practising till you get perfect. This also means not making a fool of yourself in front of the chicks when summer comes around.

The Skimboard Surfer brings all the fun of the beach considerably closer to home. With a 26 foot (7.9m) water filled slide and a 30" pro-quality plywood skim board, this kit will keep kids (and grown-ups who are young at heart) amused for hours.

Skim-boarding, if you’re new to this great sport, is a hydroplaning technique whereby the boarder runs at speed towards a thin layer of water, he/she then drops the board onto the water and mounts it with one foot (usually left foot first), the other following in one smooth movement.

The boarder will then skim along the surface of the water for as long as he/she can stay upright, and will manoeuvre the board in order to alter direction and perform tricks. The board itself is shaped like a mini surf board but is considerably thinner, as buoyancy is less critical.

The slide connects to a garden hose which fills the sides of the slide transforming them into a water-filled bumper and spray rail. A few minutes after connecting to the hose, the inner reservoir should hold a layer of water a few inches deep.