East Coast Sea Kayaking Club

Having the judgement to know if it is safe or not to go into a tide race is vital and this article cannot cover all the safety aspects of paddling in races but here are a few key points: If you can have a look at any races you plan to use before hand from the land. To help you get to know them have a look at them in a variety of conditions. Check the tide times; wind strength and direction; and swell size and direction. You can arrive at a race early before it gets to big, or wait till it slows down and is smaller. If you are dropping down with the flow to a tidal race, stop in an eddy above it to make sure it is ok before you drop into it. Be aware once the flow gets too fast you won’t be able to paddle up against it till it slows down again. If the swell makes the eddies unusable the race is unusable. Don’t put yourself in a position where you have to paddle into a tidal race. You or someone in your group needs to be able to recover yourself and all the other members of the group from any foreseeable situation.

Text and pictures reproduced by kind permission of the author and copyright holder, Phil Clegg of Sea Kayaking Anglesey.