Understand the tides
Make your paddling easier by getting to grips with tidal flow
Top paddling advice for kayakers.
Many kayak anglers start out as shore anglers and, on purchasing their first kayak and getting afloat, they soon realise they have tidal flows to contend with in the seas around the British Isles.
In areas where there is very little difference between high and low water, like the Mediterranean, tides are of little concern, but in our own waters the fluctuating levels can pose more challenges.
Many kayak anglers are not familiar with boat fishing, and some of their first trips are made with little or no knowledge of tides and how they work.
Tidal flows are governed by the rule of twelfths, a topic that I have covered previously in Sea Angler issue 518. To summarise: in a six-hour tidal cycle from low to high (or high to low) the flow is going to be at its strongest during the third and fourth hour. The first and sixth hours will have the weakest flow and create the least amount of resistance when paddling.
Efficient paddlers learn this rule and, consequently, when the better times for paddling and anchoring.
One query that I receive regularly is newer paddlers asking not only about tidal flow but also tidal range. It plays a huge part in paddling, probably as much as the rule of twelfths. The range of a tide is the difference between low water and high water and is usually measured in feet or metres.
Using rounded figures for simplicity, if your water level is zero metres at low tide and five metres at high tide, then the tidal range is five metres; the water is five metres deeper at high water than at low water. Unfortunately, there are fluctuations through the monthly cycle, which mean the range never stays the same.
TIDAL RANGE
The tidal range is determined by the gravitational pull of the moon, and a full lunar cycle is roughly 28 days. During a full lunar cycle, two spring and neap tides can be observed. The spring tide refers to the tide with the highest range in that cycle; the neap tide refers to the tide with the lowest range.
A common misconception is that spring tides only occur during spring, but actually they happen far more frequently.
The importance of understanding this tidal cycle will give the kayak angler an idea of how much movement of water will occur within each rising or dropping tide.
It should be clear to see that during the neap tide there is far less water flow and, as a result, the paddling effort required during this ‘weaker’ tide will be a lot lower.
With a far greater range observed during spring tides, it stands to reason that flows will be stronger and will require more effort to paddle against the tide; very handy information for planning prospective kayak angling excursions.
The neap tides are the best starting times for less experienced paddlers. Beginners should use neap tides to familiarise themselves with paddling techniques and some of the more potentially difficult tasks like anchoring or setting a drogue.
When starting out, working with neap tides is also an excellent opportunity to become acquainted with the act of fishing from a kayak. For anglers who are new to the sport of kayak angling, but do have experience with fishing from boats, it still makes sense to use the neap tides to your advantage in this way.
There are a lot of elements to kayak fishing that are quite different to boat fishing; landing your catch into your lap is an obvious one. It’s a necessity because you have no other available space into which a fish can be landed.
As an angler you become more comfortable with what you are doing when, coupled with the rule of twelfths, you understand tidal ranges and when spring and neaps are occurring. This breeds confidence, and the number one weapon for targeting fish should be confidence in your own ability.