The single most important element of kayaking in Glacier Bay is knowing at any given moment what the tides are doing. It is important to learn how to read a tide table.
Tide tables list a morning high and low and an evening high and low.
There are four tide cycles every day. From the AM low, the water will flow into Glacier Bay for approximately 6 hours, then reverse and flow out of the bay for the next 6 hours until the PM low is reached. Then the PM ebb and flow cycles begin. You should plan your kayaking progress every day according to the direction of the tide currents. To maximize your traveling speed and distances, you will try to catch middle hours of the tide flow in the direction you want to travel.