The magazines tend to be full of pro's ripping it up in exotic places, so it's refreshing sometimes to see how your average 9-5er gets on when he goes on Holiday.

Scott McDowall is a self-employed builder from Troon, Scotland. Sometimes competing in the amateur fleet of the UK Wave Tour, he decided to use his holiday time to take a trip to South Africa this winter. Whilst out there, he had the opportunity to stay with seasoned pro's Ben Proffitt, Andy Chambers, Chris Murray and George Shillito who made this cool little video of his trip.

Photos by: Richard Whitson

How long did you go to South Africa for?

I went for 10 days in March.

Why did you choose to go there?

It's got the best chance of wind and waves of most locations World-wide. It's also Port tack jumping like I get at home

How does it compare with sailing in the UK?

The fact that you sail day after day means that you learn quicker and seeing good sailors on the water also helps.

It's also a lot warmer, so you can sail for longer without being tired!

What was the best thing about the trip?

Sailing with Ben and the other pro's helps you learn. They were really helpful and gave me loads of tips.

Also drawing the short straw and sleeping on the sofa!

What sacrifices did you have to make to go out there?

I can only get so much time off work, so had to make the decision not to go to the BWA in Ireland this year. With such rubbish conditions in the UK this winter, I decided SA was the best option to get some sailing in.

What was it like staying with the pro's - does it make you jealous of their lifestyle?

It was good as they took video footage etc and were really helpful, but I don't mind having a proper job. Doing work makes you appreciate the sailing time more I think.

Do you have to be good to sail out there?

You have to be a half decent standard as the waves are pretty heavy out there.

Would you recommend it to others?

Definitely, and I will be going again!