Ebb tide warning system

 The PLA use flags to inform river users about the flow rate of the river during ebb tides - i.e. when fluvial and tidal flow are in the same direction. It is based on measurements taken at Richmond Lock. The flag status is displayed on the PLA website, relayed in real-time on the right-hand side of the FSC website and hoisted on PLA launches.

There are 3 main flag statuses: green, yellow and red. The flags are advisory and not mandatory. However, clubs are strongly encouraged by the TRRC to abide by the advice given by the flag status.

FSC expects and requires its members (including those using privately owned equipment if displaying an FSC BR ID number) to comply as follows:

Green Flag* 

  • normal club rules apply.

*and Yellow / Red flags DURING FLOOD tides:

 Yellow Flag

  • No novice crews (see below) may go out DURING EBB tides

  • No singles/doubles/pairs may go out alone DURING EBB tides

  • No crew may go above UL or below Barn Elms DURING EBB tides

Red Flag

No FSC member is allowed on the river DURING EBB tides, save that non-novice quads, fours and eights may go out during an ebb tide, IN DAYLIGHT, WITH THE EXPRESS PRIOR PERMISSION, on an outing by outing basis, of either the Club Captain, the Club Water Safety Adviser (CWSA) or their appointed deputies.

Such permission must be obtained not more than 24 hours prior to the intended outing and does NOT in anyway abrogate the responsibility of every crew member and coach to continually risk assess the prevailing conditions and their crew's ability.

In deciding whether to grant permission for a crew to boat notwithstanding a red flag, the Club Captain and CWSA will expect to know: (1) the intended crew composition, (2) who will cox or steer, (3) the boat which will be used, (4) details of any coach or other supervision and (5) the intended outing plan.

NOTES: A 'novice crew' is, for the purpose of this policy only, (1) any crew in which more than 49% of the crew has rowed for less than 1 year; (2) any crew in which the cox or steer has been an approved steer for less than 1 year.

Any member who cannot recognize the tide state or who does not know how to find out forecasts or measurements of the tide state should not be on the river unsupervised whatever the flag status."

History of the ebb tide warning system: the heavy rainfall during the winter of 2013/14 caused the Thames to flow at more than 4 times its usual rate. There were a number of incidents in which the RNLI Chiswick lifeboat had to rescue rowers from the water and a number of boats were destroyed. These incidents all had the potential for fatalities.

The vast majority of these incidents were attributable to crews under-estimating the power of the stream and/or over-estimating their own competence. The Port of London ("PLA"), in conjunction with the Thames Regional Rowing Council ("TRRC") wanted to reduce the number of such incidents. To that end, in February 2014, they initiated a system of warning flags.