My initial plan today was another trip around Ramsey Island, but on reaching St John's Point the northerly flood tide was already flowing very fast and it was quite a struggle to get around the next headland of Penrhyn dalar as the tide flows right up to the rocks.
Just managing to get around I am now almost sure I have left it too late to do the island but I thought I would carry on and give it a try. If I didn't make it I always have the option of going over to the Bitches and checking them out as they should be quite interesting due to the 7.1 metre tide.
Paddling on I stay quite close to the cliffs to stay out of the main tide flow which doesn't really kick in till I reach Penmaen Melyn by the disused copper mines, this is also where I get a good view of and also can hear the Bitches, they already sound quite intimidating.
It is another quite hard paddle from here again staying close into the cliffs until I am about 100yards from Pen Dal-aderyn when a counter eddy aids my progress to the southerly end of the sound. I meet the full force of the tide flooding from St Brides Bay in through the narrow entrance of Ramsey Sound.
I paddle as far up to the tide flow as I can and then paddle as fast as I can into it. Straight away I am swung around 90 degrees towards the island. For a while I think I am making progress across but in a cruel twist, the tide seems to pick up again and I finally give in and let the tide take me down towards the Bitches, very very rapidly, where another counter eddy takes me in the opposite direction into the outermost rock of the Bitches.
It is then a matter of paddling across the foaming white water from rock to rock to the large rock by the top wave to the relative slack water where I can have a well deserved break and take some photos.
By here I must paddle like crazy against the flow and hopefully get above the wave and drop back down onto it for a play or, if you don't you get dragged into the white messy stuff behind!
Today there is no swell and little or no wind which is ideal conditions, it really is an awesome sight. I then have a leisurely paddle back through the Sound with the tide in my favour.
Only a short paddle of 5 nautical miles (approximately 5.5m or just over 9km) with a maximum speed of 10 knots, but a very exciting, adrenaline pumping journey. It is then a quick change of kayak and more kayak practice for the boys in the mill pond conditions.
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