The Bitches

Guide by John-Paul Eatock

Nearby Paddling: The Bitches, Nyfer, Gwaun, Eastern and Western Cleddau and Pembroke River

MORE INFORMATION: www.the-bitches.co.uk

If the rivers are dry and the dams aren’t releasing, but you still want to get out paddling, there’s still a place which can offer some of Britain’s biggest and most reliable white water. This place is known to paddlers as ‘the Bitches’ and is, quite honestly, somewhere that can be described as truly awesome.

Location

The Bitches and the Whelps are a line of rocks that form a shallow reef SM709236 to the East of Ramsey Island, just offshore of Treginnis Head near St Davids, Pembrokeshire, in South Wales.

How The Bitches work

The tides through Ramsay Sound flood north for about six hours and then ebb south for the next six hours. The Bitches work best within the first three hours of the North flowing tide.

As the tide floods north at speeds of up to 18 knots, the water also rises to cover the Bitches and Whelps rocks, causing a difference in water level of between one and four feet. The speed of the tide plus the difference in the water height forms river-like features such as whirlpools, squirrely eddy lines, stoppers and, most importantly, big wave trains which offer some of the best playboating in Europe.

When to leave and paddle back

Find out the high water time for Milford Haven - you can buy a tide table from the local shops or garage or download it from TYF. Don’t forget that you may need to add an hour if it’s British Summer Time.

The flood tide starts moving north about three and a half hours before high water at Milford Haven. This is the ideal time to paddle out along the route marked on the diagram. The tide will keep flooding north until three hours after high water Milford Haven; twenty minutes after this, it’ll start to ebb south.

For playboating, the tide works best for the two hours before high water at Milford Haven. After this, it still floods north really quickly but the difference in tidal height is a lot smaller so the white water features aren’t as well defined.

Tide at Milford Haven	Level
Less than 5.7m	Introduction to white water
5.7m to 6.2m	Excellent for improver level
6.2m to 7m	Intermediate to advanced and rodeo coaching
Above 7.1m	Hold onto your hats - experts only

A tide between 5.6 and 6.2 metres is a great level to find your feet on. From 6.3 to 6.9 metres there is a guaranteed stopper and, towards the top end of this range, a good standing wave. From 7.0 metres upwards the water will be similar to a grade IV rapid, especially considering the exposure of the location. Remember to keep at least enough energy for the hard twenty minute paddle back to St. Justinians after your session.

The paddle back is done at or around high water, and is probably the most dangerous and intimidating part of a trip to the Bitches. This is because the tide’s flooding at its fastest, causing a race called the Haystacks, which forms off the final Bitches rock and flings waves at you from every direction as you paddle back across.

As you leave the final Bitch rock, stay high on your ferry glide to make sure that you miss Horse Rock. This is a shallow, steep sided pinnacle that sticks up from the sea floor and creates a vicious set of whirlpools that can suck a paddler underwater for minutes at a time. If you don’t think you’re going to make the ferry glide above Horse Rock, it’s possible to detour to the west (river left) as marked on the sketch map.

Access

The best place to paddle out from is St Justinians SM722251, just down the steps next to the Lifeboat Station. Go through St. David’s, follow the signs for Porthclais and look out for a signpost on the right to St. Justinians. There are two small car parks near the end of the road on the left. The car park area at the end of the road has spaces reserved for the lifeboat crew – please, please respect this. During summer, just after the last car park on the left, there is often a field open to park in. You may have to pay, and it’s wise to check what time the gate’s going to be closed before you park.

You can land on Ramsey Island (RSPB owned) in the harbour area, and go up to the café which is open in the tourist season. If you want to walk around the island you’ve got to check with the warden and pay a fee.

Safety Advice

This is a very exposed place to paddle, and requires a confident roll and enough fitness to happily paddle for 25 minutes at a time. It’s recommended that between your group you carry flares, a strobe, a mobile phone, splits and at least one tow line.

If there’s a northerly wind blowing at force three or stronger, you’re advised not to go out - a wave train can build up through the whole of the sound that produces swells that can break at over six feet.

If there’s a healthy swell (more than three feet at Whitesands beach), it will make the white water features at the Bitches a lot messier and less well defined. In these circumstances it’s a better idea to go surfing instead of heading out to the Bitches.

If you need a forecast, to phone the Coastguard (01646 690909) and ask for a forecast for ‘South of St. Davids Head’. You can also pop into St. Davids Adventure (the TYF Shop) and ask for some local advice. TYF also offer a coaching and guiding service to the Bitches and is recommended for your first time.

If you see no way of getting back, rest on Ramsey Island at the harbour until the tide starts to slacken off and then re-assess your situation. Also, consider the route marked ‘safest route in extreme conditions’. You’ll have to portage from the harbour to the little beach that you can see at the top of the slip and ferry out above the Bitches. Make sure that whoever you’ve given your ETA to on shore knows that you’ve got a contingency play or the Lifeboat crew may be paying you an unexpected visit!

John-Paul Eatock

Definitely biased towards the Bitches!

If you have any queries, want information about annual rodeos, wish to hire a guide or want rodeo coaching from some of the best paddlers in Britain, don’t hesitate to contact Twr-y-Felin at:

Twr-y-Felin, St David’s, Dyfed SA62 6QS
Tel: 01437 721611