East Coast Sea Kayaking Club

Works on the ebb, not the flood. Six knots at springs, four knots at neaps. Due to a back eddy that forms in Holyhead Bay during the flood, the ebb flow starts two hours early on springs and one hour early on neaps. The ebb flow direction is east to west. It is exposed from the north and west. If you are dropping down on to it from above keep close to the cliffs well before you get to it. The high speed ferries, particularly the Stena Explorer on its way into port, cause a double wake that can wipe out all but the deepest parts of the eddies a few minutes after passing. The top of the race is formed by shallow rocks which tend to be most surfable early on. Later on the better waves tend to be further back in the race but only if there are conditions to generate them.

Eddies: There is an eddy running alongside the cliff all the way to but not beyond the very top of the race.

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