"Surfing, alone among sports, generates laughter at its very suggestion, and this is because it turns not a skill into an art, but an inexplicable and useless urge into a vital way of life."

Matt Warshaw, (surfer and writer)

Surfing as a way of life has for long been an elusive, almost derisory, concept; a quasi-cultural pastime for kids with too much money and nothing better to do. Charlie don't surf and neither do the Irish. Well, in the past 15 years that perception has certainly changed, a fact celebrated by Waveriders, Joel Conroy's acclaimed documentary feature film on the sport in Ireland last year. But if it still seems a little out there, you will be pleased to discover that it's never been easier or more reasonable, to find out if it's for you.

Now, if the prospect of six-foot swells off the chilly coast of Sligo or Donegal sounds a bit too much like jumping in at the deep end, there are plenty of options around Europe where you and your friends or family can turn an ordinary sun holiday into the adventure of a lifetime.

To find out how it's all done, the Sunday Tribune was taken to beautiful Ericeira, a 45-minute drive from Lisbon, and home to some of Europe's best surf for all levels. And where did the people of Surfholidays.com put us up? In a shack of course, dude.

Actually that's not fair. The Ecolodges, as they are known, are anything but ramshackle. Six large wooden cabins with balconies situated around a large pool that is in fact a living ecosystem. Water lilies gather on the surface and frogs scamper around the edges, scurrying away anytime you get too close.

The six wooden lodges are clean and simply laid out, with a kitchen and dining area. And there are hammocks on each balcony, of course. The whole complex is solar-powered and each lodge sleeps four people in two twin rooms.

The beauty of the Ecolodge concept is its emphasis on the laid-back nature of the surfer. There's no reception, bell hop or room service. Instead there is a communal bar-cum-games room which operates on an honesty system. Take a beer, replace it. Simple. There are books left by previous residents, a barbecue if you are too pooped to go into town, a fussball table, giant TV, pool table and wine cellar – all surrounded by huge cushions to melt into after a day's surfing.

Ah yes, the surfing. Whenever I put myself forward for adventure holidays, there is always a moment when I think: Oh no, can I really do this? In terms of adrenaline, surfing is much like skiing or parachute jumping.

Tobi, an Austrian beach bum who runs the surf school that will look after all your needs, takes a long look at me and asks some basic questions about how I live my life. I'll be fine, he says, but I'm not sure he really means it. I try to remember the last time I tried to surf, almost 20 years ago in the US. I even managed to stand up once. Once, mind. It's like riding a bike, right?

Our first lesson takes place on the water's edge. Where to position the board; where never to position it; how to paddle out to sea; how to stand up. How not to die. Easy. We haven't even gone into the water yet and I'm ready for a beer. We paddle out and spend the next hour or more trying to catch waves but the waves catch me most of the time. About 90% of surfing is just hanging out in the water waiting for the right wave. There's a curious camaraderie among surfers; an unspoken language of empathy. As long as you don't get in front of someone who has decided this is his wave and you are in the way. I find that there is also a cool way to 'wipe out'. I become particularly good at this technique. I get to practise it a lot.

There are nine surf beaches that stretch along the four kilometres of Ericeira, a quaint fishing village raised high above breathtaking cliffs. The beginners' beach has a newly-constructed promenade dotted with bars, restaurants, cafes and surf shops – perfect if you just want to lounge around. Tobi tells me if I progress with the surfing he can take me to more challenging beaches with bigger waves. I feel like a character in The Beach.

The next day and the bones hurt. Well everything that covers the bones hurts. Tobi informs me that everyone's surf schedule is determined by the tide and the swell. Thankfully, today the swell is not conducive to beginners so, pretending I'm disappointed, I take the five-minute walk from the lodge into the old town.

Up a side street I chance upon what looks like a restaurant but could just be someone's house. No, it's definitely open for business. A small room crammed with Benfica scarves, assorted trinkets and huge fish tanks greets me. It's full of elderly locals who all seem to be eating the same thing. The owner is a gentle, smiling man for whom you might think time always stands still. I just gesture: 'I'll have whatever everyone else is having'. A little while passes and out comes a plate of half-cold boiled potatoes, another plate of lettuce, onion and tomatoes followed by a steel platter of giant sardines encrusted in salt. I cannot tell you how good this meal is. There is no way I am going to surf today. Not after that.

Ericeira is not the kind of place you stress about what to do next. Sure, in summer it's lively, with bars and clubs and plenty to do but it is distinctly Portuguese. There is no McDonald's. The town's central piazza is littered with cafes and gorgeous overhanging trees where the local folk sit all day as the birds flit en masse from branch to branch, chattering in tandem with the humans. The cobblestone lanes are completely pedestrianised and there's almost no English spoken, particularly among the older generation, which is just fine.

On our last morning Tobi puts me through the drills again. And once you manage to catch a wave it all changes. Or as nine-time world champion Kelly Slater said: "Once you're a surfer you're done. It's like the mob or something. You're never getting out."

Maybe I just needed more time.

Fact file

Set up in 2007, Surfholidays.com operates surf packages to a variety of destinations in Europe and Ireland year round.

An Ecolodge in Ericeira for six nights for two people starts at €348 per person, including six days of surf lessons. Four people (with six days' lessons) is €268 per person per week in low season; €323 in June and September; and €378 in July and August. Flights are not included.

Aer Lingus flies from Cork and Dublin to Lisbon.

www.surfholidays.com