Iron Dog wannabe at Cherating beach - Episode II

Day 2 and the waves were back, nicely set up for some real surfing. This must rank amongst the most extreme dog sports ever. Lost count of the number of times I fell off my board, got wiped out by the surf and took in salty seawater. With my life vest on, I had nothing to loose but pride. After being knocked silly by the waves. I couldn’t really tell whether this activity was dangerous or exhilarating, so I guess I must have lost my sixth sense as well.

Towards the end of the evening, after many attempts and fine tuning on body posture and positioning, I mostly got the hang of it and could actually ride the waves for 10 - 15 meters up to the shoreline, radical dude! Still only a novice at conquering the waves though. Now if only the waves were faster but smaller.

Surfer tips: best to try this when it’s the beginning of low tide and waves are manageable. Also, unless you have a body mass of a St Bernard, if you see a large wave approaching, abort ship and swim to shore immediately … no point hanging onto the board as I can guarantee that you’ll be wiped out in no time, and you’ll still have to swim to shore.

Day 3 and the waves were really back now courtesy of the windy gusts. Mr Owner chose an inopportune time to try out canoeing and he put up a grand struggle to paddle out over the incoming waves. Sea was fairly choppy and he must have spent a good 15 minutes just to paddle out and when he managed to turn around, the waves brought him back to shore within seconds. He was soon exhausted and thought that maybe I would like to have go as well … he told me that it was a walk in the park.

He took out my fav biggie ball to tempt me to go for the ride and I fell for it hook, line and sinker. Before I knew what I was doing, I was already on the canoe and heading out to the treacherous sea. The heavy waves kept pounding on the hull, lifting the front end of the canoe a couple of feet in the air and then dropping it amidst the spray of rumbling waves. Felt like a roller coaster ride and the sensation was heightened by the low level of vision by being that close to sea level. At times, I could only see the pounding waves and the drop after that, and not much in between.

This was even harder than surfing, and I had to jump ship or got thrown off way too many times. On rare occasions, when we managed to turn around in time to catch the right wave, it was a rather invigorating ride back to shore but over in a matter of seconds. Canoeing tips: do not try this on heavy waves or windy days or after a heavy meal and always put on a life vest. Do not believe your owner when he/she says that it’s a walk in the park.

At the end of the 3rd day, I was absolutely exhausted and couldn’t wait to get into bed for much needed snooze time. Packed to leave the next morning and Ruby allowed us to autograph her wooden chalet wall, nice.

I rate this holiday as 3 1/2 paws and would recommend Ruby’s Resort in Cherating if you are looking for a tranquil and relaxing holiday beside a cool and sweeping beach setting, all within a 3 hr drive from KL. Simple, serene and just ideal for getting away from it all.

By the way, Ruby is looking out for a Lab to set up the resident Lifeguard Association. So if you are a Lab and can swim well, do send your resume to Ruby’s Resort and you may just earn yourself a permanent holiday by the beach.

Am going to miss those lovely walks by the beach …