Tidal Races and Major Headland Accelerations around Britain

🌊 Tidal Races & Major Headland Accelerations Around Britain

A sea-kayaker’s planning resource – clockwise from Lowestoft

This page lists tidal races, tidal rapids, and major headland acceleration zones around Britain, ordered clockwise from Lowestoft, starting by heading south down the East Coast.

It is written specifically for expedition and solo sea kayakers, not for powered craft or short-duration play sessions.

Each entry represents a decision point — somewhere you may need to wait, reroute, hug the coast, or commit only at slack water.

⸻

🧭 How to use this table

For each feature you’ll find: • Risk – an expedition-oriented assessment • Last Safe Departure – where to stop before committing • First Safe Landing – earliest sensible bail-out after • Onshore Wind flag – whether landings become hazardous • Slack flag – whether timing is critical • Notes – conservative guidance for a loaded kayak

This table does not replace charts, tide tables, forecasts, or your necessary planning and judgement.

Download this resource

📄 UK tidal races & headland accelerations – CSV (clockwise from Lowestoft)

LINK TO INTERACTIVE MAP (SHOWING LAT/LONG LOCATIONS)

https://map.goosejuice.co.uk

⸻

#	Tidal Feature	Coast Segment	Lat	Long	Risk	Last Safe Departure	First Safe Landing	Dist (nm)	No Landing Onshore Wind	Must Be at Slack	Kayak Navigation Notes
1	Selsey Bill	South Coast (E→W)	50.723	-0.790	Medium	Chichester Harbour	Pagham Harbour	5–10	Yes	Recommended	Shallow banks amplify seas; inshore near slack preferred.
2	Beachy Head	South Coast	50.742	0.199	Medium	Eastbourne	Cuckmere Haven	5–10	Maybe	Recommended	Strong rebound in swell; hug inshore at slack.
3	St Albans Head	South Coast	50.590	-2.090	Medium	Swanage Bay	Chapman’s Pool	2–5	Yes	Recommended	Headland race; avoid wind-against-tide.
4	Portland Bill / Portland Race	South Coast	50.515	-2.461	High	Portland Harbour	Chesil Cove (inside)	2–5	Yes	Yes	Major race; inside passage only at slack in settled weather.
5	Start Point	South Coast	50.214	-3.640	Medium	Salcombe	Slapton Sands	5–10	Yes	Recommended	Race builds quickly on springs; slack helps.
6	Prawle Point	South Coast	50.200	-3.740	Medium	Salcombe	Hope Cove	2–5	Yes	Recommended	Rebound/clapotis; avoid swell.
7	Bolt Tail	South Coast	50.230	-3.850	Medium	Salcombe	Hope Cove	2–5	Yes	Recommended	Overfalls form with swell; stay tight inshore.
8	Dodman Point	South Coast	50.210	-4.785	Medium	Gorran Haven	Hemmick	2–5	Yes	Recommended	Acceleration zone; confused seas in wind.
9	Lizard Point	SW England	49.950	-5.209	High	Coverack / Cadgwith	Porthleven	10–20	Yes	Yes	Very exposed; slack only, no swell.
10	Land’s End / Longships	SW England	50.068	-5.716	High	Sennen Cove	Porthcurno	2–5	Yes	Yes	Offshore race extreme; inshore only at slack.
11	Trevose Head	SW England	50.550	-5.010	Medium	Padstow	Constantine Bay	5–10	Yes	Recommended	Overfalls in swell; choose calm window.
12	Hartland Point	Bristol Channel	51.020	-4.530	Medium	Bude	Hartland Quay	5–10	Yes	Recommended	Strong acceleration; rebound off cliffs.
13	Lundy Overfalls	Bristol Channel	51.165	-4.697	High	Clovelly	Lee Bay	10–20	Yes	Recommended	Tide-against-swell hazard; neaps preferred.
14	St David’s Head	SW Wales	51.881	-5.301	Medium	Whitesands Bay	Caerfai Bay	<2	Yes	Recommended	Inshore possible near slack.
15	Ramsey Sound (incl The Bitches)	SW Wales	51.872	-5.321	High	St Brides Haven	Whitesands Bay	10–20	Yes	Yes	Serious tidal rapids; slack or weak neaps only.
16	Jack Sound	SW Wales	51.743	-5.324	Medium	St Brides Haven	Martin’s Haven	<2	Maybe	Yes	Narrow sound; turbulence increases rapidly.
17	Wild Goose Race	SW Wales	51.731	-5.345	High	Martin’s Haven	Broad Haven (N)	5–10	Yes	Yes	Open-water race; avoid swell and wind-against-tide.
18	Bardsey Sound	Wales (S→N)	52.750	-4.790	High	Aberdaron	Porth Oer	<2	Yes	Yes	Strong race; slack only; limited escape.
19	The Swellies (Menai Strait)	North Wales	53.219	-4.178	High	Beaumaris	Menai Bridge	2–5	No	Yes	Advanced water; strict slack timing required.
20	South Stack / Holyhead	Anglesey	53.312	-4.689	High	Holyhead Harbour	Trearddur Bay	5–10	Maybe	Yes	Turbulent headland race; slack only if solo.
21	The Skerries	Anglesey	53.420	-4.605	High	Cemaes Bay	Church Bay	5–10	Yes	Recommended	Powerful open-water streams; avoid swell.
22	Carmel Head	Anglesey	53.410	-4.560	High	Cemaes Bay	Church Bay	5–10	Yes	Recommended	Offshore race strong; inshore line preferred.
23	Bull Bay	Anglesey	53.430	-4.380	Medium	Moelfre	Cemaes	5–10	Yes	Recommended	Confused seas in swell.
24	Point Lynas	Anglesey	53.410	-4.350	Medium	Moelfre	Bull Bay	2–5	Yes	Recommended	Headland acceleration; rebound effects.
25	Calf Sound (Isle of Man – optional)	Irish Sea	54.057	-4.793	High	Port St Mary	Castletown	<2	Maybe	Yes	Very fast flow; slack only in settled weather.
26	Mull of Galloway	North Channel	54.633	-4.858	Medium	Port Logan	Drummore	5–10	Maybe	Recommended	Headland acceleration; swell sensitive.
27	Sanda Sound	North Channel	55.240	-5.600	Medium	Southend (Kintyre)	Carradale	5–10	Maybe	Recommended	Strong streams near island.
28	Mull of Kintyre	North Channel	55.320	-5.730	High	Southend (Campbeltown)	Keil / Westport Bay	5–10	Maybe	Yes	Atlantic/North Channel convergence; hug inshore.
29	Gulf of Corryvreckan	West Scotland	56.154	-5.707	Extreme	Ardfern / Craobh Haven	Loch Melfort	5–10	No	Yes	Violent whirlpool system; avoid completely.
30	Grey Dogs	West Scotland	56.220	-5.700	High	Puilladobhrain	Ardmaddy Bay	2–5	Maybe	Recommended	Open-water race; calm neaps only.
31	Cuan Sound	West Scotland	56.290	-5.630	High	Ellenabeich	Ardmaddy Bay	5–10	Maybe	Yes	Narrow sound; slack only.
32	Sound of Seil (Clachan)	West Scotland	56.310	-5.620	Medium	Ellenabeich	Shuna	<2	Maybe	Recommended	Bridge narrows; local turbulence.
33	Sound of Luing	West Scotland	56.300	-5.600	High	Ardfern	Shuna Sound	2–5	Maybe	Yes	Powerful narrows; timing essential.
34	Falls of Lora	West Scotland	56.456	-5.392	High	Oban	Inner Loch Etive	10–20	No	Yes	Major tidal rapids; slack only.
35	Sound of Sleat (South)	West Scotland	57.000	-5.800	Medium	Armadale	Loch Nevis	5–10	Maybe	Recommended	Long acceleration zones.
36	Kyle Rhea	West Scotland	57.235	-5.662	High	Glenelg Ferry	Kylerhea slip	<2	No	Yes	Extremely fast narrows; slack only.
37	Cape Wrath	North Coast (W→E)	58.627	-4.998	High	Loch Eriboll	Kyle of Durness	10–20	Maybe	Recommended	Extremely exposed; cliffs limit escape.
38	Kyle of Tongue (Outer)	North Coast	58.480	-4.430	Medium	Tongue Bay	Farr Bay	5–10	Maybe	Recommended	Ebb jets with swell interaction.
39	Holborn Head	North Coast	58.590	-3.520	High	Scrabster	Dunnet Bay	5–10	Maybe	Recommended	Acceleration west of Thurso.
40	Merry Men of Mey	Pentland Firth (W→E)	58.700	-3.400	Extreme	Sinclair’s Bay	Thurso Bay	10–20	Maybe	Yes	Major race; avoid main flow.
41	The Swelkie (Stroma)	Pentland Firth	58.690	-3.120	Extreme	Sinclair’s Bay	Gills Bay	10–20	Maybe	Yes	Violent whirlpool; avoid completely.
42	Inner Sound (Stroma–Mainland)	Pentland Firth	58.670	-3.180	Extreme	Sinclair’s Bay	Gills Bay	10–20	Maybe	Yes	Fast streams; mainland-hugging only at slack.
43	Boars of Duncansby	Pentland Firth	58.648	-3.054	High	Duncansby Head	John O’Groats	2–5	Maybe	Yes	Overfalls form rapidly offshore.
44	Duncansby Ness (Inner)	Pentland Firth	58.640	-3.040	High	Duncansby Head	John O’Groats	2–5	Maybe	Yes	Inner race distinct; timing critical.
45	Rattray Head	East Scotland (N→S)	57.690	-1.780	Medium	Peterhead	Cruden Bay	5–10	Yes	Recommended	Overfalls in wind-against-tide.
46	Farne Islands	NE England	55.640	-1.620	Medium	Seahouses	Bamburgh	<2	Yes	Recommended	Complex eddies between islands.
47	Flamborough Head	East England	54.116	-0.080	Medium	Bridlington	Filey Bay	5–10	Yes	Recommended	Headland acceleration; swell wraps fast.
48	Gibraltar Point / The Wash	East Coast	53.100	0.350	Low	Skegness	Boston Deeps shoreline	5–10	Maybe	No	Minor acceleration only; manageable close inshore.