Meghan Hindley takes up an invite to head to the Dorset coast and try paddleboarding. Here's how she got on.

LOOKING out over the beach at West Bay, the chances are you will spot a talented paddleboarder, gliding along the water.

To be honest, you will probably see a number of paddleboarders – but none like this one.

Sally Newman's silhouette is very distinctive as at the front of her board stands her Jack Russell, Tally, riding the waves in her own lifejacket.

(If you don't believe me, head down to West Bay and see for yourself).

Sally, who is in her 50s, took up stand up paddle boarding about six years ago and instantly fell in love with it. And after one session with Sally, I can see why.

After meeting Sally through work as a reporter, myself and my friend headed down to West Bay one evening to meet her on the waves.

When telling people that's what I was doing that night, they laughed saying 'alright Meghan, let us know how that goes'. Well, I sure showed them!

Heading into the sea (I'm so glad it's been a warm summer) and with Sally close by, we paddled across the water down West Bay along the cliffs, getting washed into shore once or twice in a few mishaps, before we finally plucked up the courage to stand up.

For myself I got the hang of it quite easily and was able to stay standing (the same could not be said for my friend Jennie). But I am exceptionally proud of both of us. The trick, Sally said, was to always look ahead.

With the winds picking up we decided to head back along the shore – but things weren’t so easy with the wind against us. We paddled and paddled… and paddled and paddled and I don’t think we managed to cover much distance – much to the amusement of a number of couples trying to enjoy the sunset on the beach.

But with a bit of support (and manpower) from Sally we both made it back to shore in time for us to pose for some photos before the sun went down.

Before the night was over we toasted to our success in our first attempt at paddleboarding with a glass of red – with the promise that we will definitely be returning for more.

Paddleboarding has become more and more popular over the years and I can see why. You get a real sense of achievement standing up on the board.

But I think people don't understand how much core strength is needed in paddle boarding.

It takes having a good balance and a very strong core to do - and a bit of arm muscle wouldn't hurt.

You wouldn’t think it, but paddleboarding it a great work out. You see these people out at sea and think 'that looks easy', and yes it's not the most challenging activity, but it's harder than what you think. I definitely had a sensitive core the following day and paddleboarding would most definitely keep those bingo wings at bay. I hope when I am in my 50s I look just half as good as Sally does.

One thing that Sally was very clear on during the session was that we always had our leash to our paddleboard attached to our ankle - and we knew exactly how to take it off in case of an emergency.

She said that with the activity becoming more and more popular, more and more people are risking their lives by not taking a moment to examine the risks. She said there has been countless times when she has spotted people out on their paddleboards with the leash not attached to them.

For any paddler, this little item can literally mean the difference between life or death, especially if you become exhausted while out in suddenly windy or stormy conditions.

If you are tired, lost and/or far from shore, the leash will keep your lifesaving board tethered to you. Even in a light breeze, your board, if not attached to your body by a leash, will travel out of your grasp in mere seconds.

So if you're ever out paddling, remember the leash is there for a reason.

If you have never tried paddleboarding, I strongly recommend it. There is just something special about being out at sea. You forget everything else that's on your mind – that terrible day you’ve just had at work is simply washed away. And what better place to do it than West Bay? I sometimes forget about how beautiful Dorset is and how easy it can become to take it for granted, but doing things like this definitely hit home.

So next time you see a woman and a dog riding the waves on a paddleboard – you’ll know exactly who they are.