yalding.html

YALDING WEIR

(a rough guide)

Directions to Yalding

If coming past Bewl water on the A21

Take a right at the top of the hill in Lamberhurst, the B2162, this road will take you all the way to Yalding through Horsmonden.

If coming from from the direction of Crowborough or Tunbridge Wells

Take the A264 out of Tunbridge Wells, straight over at the roundabout that joins the A21, The road becomes the A228, Continue going straight at the next three roundabouts, at the fourth turn right towards Yalding, Take the next road on the right signpost to Yalding the B2162. When you reach the Anchor pub on the right you have reached the weir.

You can park on the side of the Anchor pub for free, but it can sometimes be a little difficult to find parking spaces. In the summer months the car park on the other side of the river is open (for a small fee of about a £1). From the car park access to the river can be made directly from a concrete slope. If you have managed to get a park near the Anchor pub access to the river is best down some steps on that side of the river, If your parked quite far from the weir launch off the wall into the river that runs parallel with the road and shoot down the weir slope to the weir pool.

The weir slope

The slope is great for just sliding down (if you don't mind getting a few scratches in the bottom of your boat), but also forms a small stopper and sometimes a wave, but these depend on the water level flowing over the slope and the level at the bottom of the slope.

It is an ideal place for beginners to learn their side surfing skills. At the right levels it forms a reasonable wave, where it is possible to front/back surf and flat spin.

The main gates

There are two gates that open in relation to the water levels, so its best to go to Yalding after there has been a period of rain. Warning, the gates can open quite suddenly forming a wave, this is great if you are ready to surf it out towards the bridge, but not so great if you are a beginner sitting in front of the gate.

The stopper or wave formed by the gates varies quite considerably, so if you are not sure if it is friendly keep away. It usually starts as a stopper and turns into a wave, this is the time to get on it. If you get on it when it is a stopper and the gates don't open any further, you could be sitting in a side surf for a long time, this is because the stopper is sandwiched between two walls with no easy exit at each side (although it is usually less sticky at the walls). If you get stuck, and you have nice mates, they can present you with the front of their boats and pull you out, if not I guess they will sit around laughing, if your lucky they might check on you after a pint in the Anchor.

The eddy to the wave is quite small so you will have to hug the wall, it also gets quite swirly and bouncy on large openings.

Warning, the water level sometimes is not very high by the gates so if you are going to Yalding to practice your front loops be aware you may bang your head on the bottom. I recommend checking the depth of the water with your paddle first.

Below the bridge

If you paddle down below the bridge, there are good eddy lines formed by the bridge arches. This is the best place to introduce boaters to moving water, learning skills like break-ins, break-outs and ferry gliding. It is also a great place for learning squirts and eddy-line cartwheels. Also occasionally a wave forms in or behind the bridge arches, this is a great place to learn your surfing skills and also a lot less comitting than being between the two walls by the weir gate.

Happy playing!