East Coast Sea Kayaking Club

This race is a little slower and tends to form smaller waves than the other three. Although the tide flows all around Rhoscolyn Head the most consistent surfable waves form in the races off the Beacon Rocks, which is where this guide looks at. This area works on both the flood and the ebb. Four knots at springs, 2.5 knots at neaps. Both the flood and the ebb start and finish about 45 minutes before low and high water Holyhead. The flood flow direction is north-westerly and the ebb south-easterly. It is exposed from the south and west. The flood flow is stronger, the ebb flows against the prevailing conditions. NB The tide flow at Rhoscolyn can be a little unpredictable, because of the way the tide streams have to bend to follow the coast, sometimes on the bigger spring tides there can be very little flow there.

The Sound: This wide area of flow is relatively sheltered making it an easier race to warm up in. The flow tends to be fastest close to the beacon rocks.
The Inner races: These flows are narrower than the sound and more sheltered so tend to be smaller, but they are shallow so swell can have a greater affect.
The Outer race: This is the most exposed of this set of races. In moderate conditions it forms surfable waves close into the rocks on the flood and in a spot 100 meters out south-westerly on the ebb. On the ebb, with the wind against you it can be a hard paddle back in.
Eddies: There are eddies behind every exposed rock.

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