River Arun tide times
The Arun is tidal for about 14 miles, from the sea at Littlehampton up to Pulborough. One tide enters at the coast and high water travels upstream, arriving later the further inland you go.
Tidal points along the Arun
High water reaches each point on the river at a predictable lag after Littlehampton. These are the high-water offsets, working upstream from the sea:
| Point on the river | High water vs Littlehampton |
|---|---|
|
Littlehampton River mouth · tide reference |
HW — |
| Ford / Ship & Anchor | HW +25–30 min |
| Arundel | HW +50 min |
|
Houghton Bridge For Amberley |
HW +1 hr 30 min |
| Amberley | HW ~+2 hrs |
|
Pulborough Near the tidal limit |
HW +4 hrs NEXT 06:08 |
Offsets are for high water (the crest). Pulborough has full live high and low water times on its own page; Arundel and Amberley have their own high water pages.
How the River Arun's tide works
One tide, travelling inland
The whole river is fed by a single tide entering at Littlehampton. The high-water crest then moves upstream, so each point has its own time: about 50 minutes behind the coast at Arundel, 2 hours at Amberley, 4 hours at Pulborough.
Fills fast, drains slow
The Arun is strongly flood-dominant. It fills on a quick flood of about 4 hours, then empties over a long ebb of about 8 hours. Low water upstream lags much further behind the coast than high water does, and shifts with how much water the river is carrying.
Fast below, gentle above
The strength of the current varies hugely along the river: the lower reaches towards Arundel are among the fastest tidal water in the country, while up near Pulborough there is little flow in summer. And a flooding tide is not an incoming current straight away: the surface keeps running out for up to about 3 hours after low water. Work with the tide, not against it.
Getting on the water?
Local guides who paddle the whole Arun
From Arundel up to Pulborough, the Arun is a beautiful paddle when you read the tide right. The lower river runs fast, so we plan trips around it. We hire kayaks, canoes and paddleboards and run guided trips along the river.
Hire & trips at Fluid Adventures →
Kayak · canoe · SUP hire
Questions about River Arun tides
What time is high water on the River Arun?
It depends where on the river you are. The tide is driven from the sea at Littlehampton, and high water then travels upstream, arriving later the further inland you go: roughly 50 minutes later at Arundel, about 2 hours at Amberley, and about 4 hours at Pulborough. Use the Pulborough page for live high and low water times near the tidal limit.
Why are tide times different along the River Arun?
The Arun is a tidal river, not the open coast. One tide enters from the sea at Littlehampton and the high-water crest moves upstream over several hours, so each point along the river has its own timing. The river is also strongly flood-dominant, filling in about 4 hours and draining over about 8, which generic coastal tide sites do not account for.
How far up the River Arun does the tide reach?
The tidal influence runs up to around Pulborough and the Pallingham area, roughly 14 miles from the sea. Above there the river is no longer tidal. Pulborough sits near that limit, which is why its high water lags the coast by about 4 hours.
Is the current strong on the River Arun?
It varies hugely along the river. In its lower reaches, from Arundel down towards the sea, the Arun is one of the fastest tidal rivers in the country: on a running tide the current can outpace a paddler, so you can be going flat out and still travel backwards. Up near Pulborough, by contrast, there is little flow in normal summer conditions and it is gentle. Wherever you are, work with the tide rather than against it, and remember that a flooding tide does not mean an incoming current straight away: the surface water keeps running out for up to about 3 hours after low water. After heavy rain or through the winter the whole river runs faster and higher.