Page 26 - Ceufad Autumn 2022

he Bitches is one of nine ‘notable tidal races’ in the world,
according to the world-famous Wikipedia. It also says it's
Ta popular tourist destination and playspot for extreme
waterboarding enthusiasts, but I can assure you I haven’t seen the
latter! Welsh kayakers know the Bitches comes out on top of the
tidal races across the world, despite Canadians and Scots claiming
Skookumchuck Narrows and Falls of Lora are better respectively. The
Welsh know we’re right and it means we don’t have to share the waves
with them, more ride time for us!
The Bitches are formed by the fast-moving tide being constricted
between Ramsey Island and the most westerly point of mainland
Wales, just 2 miles from St Davids, Pembrokeshire. On the biggest
tides of the year the waves, eddies and whirlpools here are a
spectacle for whitewater kayakers, finding themselves out in the
ocean to play. On smaller tides you’ll find the true sea goers and locals
ripping the wave up in all types of craft, when it’s less crowded by the
flocks of whitewater tourists on the spring tides.
This summer the August full moon brought some of the biggest
tides of the year, mixed with the warm temperatures of the Atlantic
Ocean and a heat wave this brought together paddlers from all
over Wales and parts of England, who came to share the joy of this
beautiful place and pristine waves. Although not for the fainthearted
or inexperienced; even a small error from experienced paddlers
here has led to many near misses they didn’t see coming. Sharing
experiences out at sea, in the eddy, on the wave or on ‘the rock’ brings
those together that share such passions, it’s as pure and simple as it
gets. The shared drive for the early starts to catch the wave before
dawn or paddle back at dusk draws us together as friends more than
ever, creating memories that’ll last a lifetime.
Until the next howl from a werewolf (or a Canadian), we’ll come back
searching for peace once again in Ramsey Sound.

26 | CEUFAD