© Matt O'Brien


SAFETY


Be Safe - it's not just a big river.

There are plenty of fishermen's tales about The Bitches and some which misrepresent what is out there - for better or worse. It is rare for a first time Bitcher to come back having experienced what they were expecting. For those dragged along 'because it's good for you', eyes may still be out on stalks, whilst hardened big water paddlers maybe relieved at the lack of mermaids snatching at their decks.

Take time to understand what the water in Ramsey Sound is doing and how it will change over the few hours that you are there. As well as your usual paddling kit, make sure that you have:

First aid kit | Compass | Split paddle | Flares & whistle | Tow line | Water & energy food

Cutting corners on kit has left well-respected paddlers with epics on their hands. Mist and fog can set in rapidly and accidents do happen. Leave word of where you are going and when you expect to get back with someone that cares!

Three is a safe minimum number of people to have in your group. If this is not possible, then try and hook up with others through the message board to arrange paddle out times together. With decent tides easy to predict, there’ll probably be others in the same boat as you – so to speak – and it could be the start of a beautiful thing!

Predict the best tides to go using The Bitches tide table.
Join The Bitches message board. Click Here.

Further advice
Unless you are paddling with others that know the water, and have experienced it under a range of conditions it is worth considering hiring a guide for your first trip: it can save a lot of tears and they can teach you a lot about this weird & wacky place. Check out the links section for a list of local & regular paddlers that know the water and are prepared to look after others. Most will require some form of payment - but not always money ;-).

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