Useful Planning Info
We’re serious about safety at Paddle North Wales! We love the adventure and challenge of wind, waves and tides, but also have a humble attitude to nature’s power. It’s never possible to eliminate the risks - and for many, a degree of hazard adds excitement to the moment. We’re also responsible to ourselves and our buddies, and should take a considered approach each time we go afloat. It’s satisfying to learn useful skills, gain new knowledge, and to take an informed approach to managing risk. This way, a world of (safer) adventure awaits!
The internet is awash with endless water safety and planning information - it can be overwhelming to find reliable information. Here we recommend a few options to set you on your way. Apps are also available for most info sources.
Water-based activities have inherent risks that must be managed, and can never be eliminated. Paddle sports often take place in hazardous environments, where risks are governed by factors outside our control. We take great care to provide reliable advice - all participants, however, are ultimately responsible for their own safety afloat for which we can accept no liability. See our terms and conditions page for further details.
The Met Office
The UK Meteorological Office produces UK weather information useful to anyone involved in outdoor activities. There are reliable, simple to use forecasts for all UK coastal venues, with more detailed resources for advanced use. The Met Office website also displays tide times for coastal venues, and has a wealth of downloadable resources for further learning.
Wind Guru
This website provides detailed weather forecasts for UK coastal areas, including a range of north Wales venues. Some spots are freely available; others require the paid-for Pro version. Forecasts contain bi-hourly breakdowns of wind speed & direction, with selectable units of measurement. Wave height, period and direction is also presented, along with air temperature, cloud cover and precipitation.
Windy
This website provides similar information for coastal venues, with the added feature of a visual wind strength & direction overview.
Easy Tide
https://easytide.admiralty.co.uk/
Easy Tide is the UK Hydrographic Office website for all UK tide times, providing reliable tidal information for specific coastal venues. Information is freely available for seven days in advance, with a paid-for option for future dates. It is an excellent way to establish the time and height of high water / low water times each day.
Surfline
Formerly Magic Seaweed, this website provides detailed surf forecasts along the north Wales coastline. Specific venues feature predicted wave height & period, direction, plus primary & secondary swell patterns. Long-range forecasts are available via Surfline’s ‘premium’ subscription service.
