The Bitches

[Mark R]

There is nowhere like it.

http://southwestseakayaking.co.uk/2012/ ... e-bitches/

[Bards]

A great piece, and I may have a bash this Summer. In the meantime I will need to up my skill level and grow a sizeable pair of cojones; unsure whether I have the testicular fortitude required!!!

Bards

[Yakdiver]

Some great photos, but well out of my league

[tg]

A great piece, and I may have a bash this Summer. In the meantime I will need to up my skill level and grow a sizeable pair of cojones; unsure whether I have the testicular fortitude required!!!

Bards

Nearly got there last year. ... such a shame we didn't. That was to be the highlight of that little jaunt for me. I have an appointment with the Bitches .... and I'm already 21yrs late. Was it the first WW Rodeo there in '91? (oh I see it was!) Got on a plane instead and ever since circumstance and committment has derailed me. Never mind!

Bards,

We have a family thing that I have to do and we have accomodation booked for a week in June. I can't offer a place in the cottage but will be taking boat and tent so if you fancy a few days I can easily abscond, and intend to anyway. Contact if you wish or we can speak soon.

Tim

Edited.

[Mark R]

Whilst this certainly wasn't outrageous (equivalent of a Grade 3- rapid?) it was one of the biggest tides of the year. Try visiting at a smaller spring tide, or even outside springs...there is always moving water there.

[TechnoEngineer]

A great piece, and I may have a bash this Summer. In the meantime I will need to up my skill level and grow a sizeable pair of cojones; unsure whether I have the testicular fortitude required!!!

Bards

will be taking boat and tent so if you fancy a few days I can easily abscond, and intend to anyway. Contact if you wish or we can speak soon.

Tim

Gents - I'd be interested in coming along! Is there any likelihood of it being visited during (or just before/after) the West Wales Sea Kayak Meet?

[tg]

Yeah,

That's the way I figure. Go once. Check it out for myself do what is comfortable (even if that's nothing!) and go again next time.. and I suspect again and again. Whilst I love sea paddling I do miss WW and all that thrashing about. Fitness and skills are certainly considerations (I have a memoriess of daring do, is it still there, I wonder?); company too.

Tim

[tg]

Jason,

I'm going to WWM anyhow. Was hoping the Bitches might be on the menu. PM or email re June.

Tim

[Mark R]

Bitches are a loooong drive from the location of the West Wales event.

[Kayaks'N'Beer]

Delphin was made for that kind of water, Mark - how'd it feel? I'm hoping to try one out this summer.

[StoneWeasel]

I really must get up there with my Bullit, I think that the bitches in an IC surf boat would a hell of a lot of fun.

[p.r.unicycles]

I'm trying to organise a trip to the bitches on one of the days after the stackpole sea symposium.

[Mark R]

Cheese doing some soul surfing...

http://southwestseakayaking.co.uk/2012/ ... ay-cheese/

[rockhopper]

I would love to see a video of him doing that stuff....!

Rog.

[Mike Mayberry]

Bitches are a loooong drive from the location of the West Wales event.

It's about 40 minutes or so from Newport and with neap tides on the WWSKM weekend so a return trip around Ramsey could be on the cards for the second day, weather permitting, no promises though peeps :)

The tide turns at South at around 1329 in that area on the Sunday so a large group of sea kayakers would probably really annoy the car park guy at Porth Clais.

[bobt]

This must be something similar?

http://explore-mag.com/1413/adventure/t ... an-order-2

[TechnoEngineer]

Bitches are a loooong drive from the location of the West Wales event.

It's about 40 minutes or so from Newport and with neap tides on the WWSKM weekend so a return trip around Ramsey could be on the cards for the second day, weather permitting, no promises though peeps :)

The tide turns at South at around 1329 in that area on the Sunday so a large group of sea kayakers would probably really annoy the car park guy at Porth Clais.

Hi Mike

The idea I had I mind was to do this on, say, the day after (Monday)? Would that be possible?

[TechnoEngineer]

Mark's updated guide, linked via playak:
http://playak.com/news.php?idd=1826119795601

Getting across

Now for the Science Bit, pay attention. The Bitches is a tidal rapid, formed by the startling power of the rising tide…yes, the sea moves about, at speeds of up to 10 mph. For playboaters and river paddlers, the crossing can be quite a culture shock and poses a very real hazard, one which has sadly claimed a playboater’s life. Ramsey Sound is not just a wider river and some understanding of what is going on is necessary. The currents are constantly shifting and the degree of exposure and commitment is considerable. Read up on tides. Check the forecasts and in particular look out for strong winds, swell or fog. Best of all, speak to other paddlers and try to hitch along with a veteran, if it is your first crossing.

I've not seen any other references to fatalities; what happened?

[Mark R]

A playboater (squirt boat, I think?) died after starting the crossing back at dusk, early '90s. He was located alive by helicopter in the water, but did not survive. He is believed to have gotten into difficulties around Horse Rock.

[Pete C.]

C1, not squirt. It's been done, but I wouldn't fancy the paddle out or back in a squirt - much safer to take the jetboat for park and play.

[Mark R]

Thanks for the correction, Pete.

[bobt]

This must be something similar?

http://explore-mag.com/1413/adventure/t ... an-order-2

Just to clarify, I was referring to the Skookumchuck narrows, not the sliding down the rock in your best sea kayak.

[Mark R]

Skook is mindblowing.

http://southwestseakayaking.co.uk/2010/ ... forgotten/
http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/repo ... ookumchuck

Chris Wheeler and I sharing Skook, 2003.

[Mark R]

Someone asked me what the Bitches are like at neaps (my Bitches images from Easter on the blog have been viewed about 2000 times in the past week!). I only have this pic...



This shows the main wave (as above) from the far side. The big rock is where the above images were taken. This pic was early in the tide, but it didn't build up much more. Still a great rough water playground, although the kind of big surfs you see above are only really achievable on spring tides over 7m.

[Mark R]

Advertising break...

http://southwestseakayaking.co.uk/2013/ ... ever-took/

[Aled]

It's been done, but I wouldn't fancy the paddle out or back in a squirt.

It used to be a regular occurrence back in the early '90s - it was quite a giggle! I was rescued there once by Franco Ferrero who gaffer taped up a 1 inch hole in my Maestro's hull after a particularly nasty mystery move pinned me to the sea bed under the inside stopper wave. He was kind enough to let me seal launch back into the water off his rafted-up group. Chris Taudevin (who paddled a particularly low volume boat) passed inches away from the seam line at Horse Rock on one occasion - fortunately the lapel of his buoyancy aid was clipped into an escorting sea kayak via it's towline. The reasoning being, if things want wrong, he would probably get sucked down to 15 meters (the length of the tow line) and the sea kayak would act as a float, where by he could then compose himself and haul himself 'hand over hand' back to the surface - fortunately he never had to prove the theory, but we had faith in him.

The sad thing is, 20 years on, I can still fit in my squirt boat (for a few seconds before the ankle and knee pain flares up) but I no longer weigh 9 and a half stone, so the boat just sinks...

[Bazza S]

Aled I'm holding back. It isn't easy.