How to find tide current direction?

[SanderO]

I find that Reeds and Eldridges are not always 100% accurate and certainly miss a lot of local currents and eddies as well. I would think that real time data could improve this.

jef
sv shiva

[btrayfors]

A problem with many tide programs is that they only give you part of the information you need.

For example, while it's nice to know the time of high or low tide, sometimes what you really want to know is the time of slack water (no tidal current), and this may vary quite a bit from the time of high or low tide.

Example: today, August 25, 2007, here are the predicted times of high and low tides, and the corresponding local times (EDT) of slack water for the Washington Channel:

High Water...............0551
Slack Water.............0700

Low Water...............1321
Slack Water.............1424

High Water...............1835
Slack Water.............1855

While it doesn't much matter in this particular location, it could matter A LOT in places like the C&D Canal or the Cape May Canal or The Race or Hell Gate. In these places, and many others, it's the CURRENT you care about, not the height of the tide.

Bill

[camaraderie]

Sometimes height of tide is important too! (G)

[sailaway21]

Let us not get overly obsessed with real time data (where's the funding for that?) and on line availability. The nature of the beast is that the tide and current tables are accurate as far as they go. But a couple of days of 20 kt plus on shore winds is going to effect them and you're going to have to know how it will.
It is best to treat such tables as good estimates, subject to a lot of variables. Otherwise you might find yourself declaring the tide on the ebb, only to have your AB seaman flick a butt over the side and proclaim, "looks like she's floodin' to me, mate."

[xort]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

Nah...just take this URL and download your own windows tides and current predictor for anywhere. FREE!
http://www.wxtide32.com/

Cam
Did the download of wxtide32, I don't see the current predictor, only the tide. What am I missing?

[camaraderie]

Only current stations show currents. In the locator window you must chek "show current stations" . Then they will show up with a LARGE C or a small c in parentheses in the listing. Try looking for Massachusetts/Cape Cod Canal for an example of one. Hope that is understandable.

currents.GIF

[xort]

Thanks Cam
It appears, from a quick scan, that there are many more tide stations than current stations. There were only a few currents for all of Florida.
Moving from fresh water to salt will be a treat!

[eamnesia]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

From the Wxtide32 website:



[/b]Get and use Eldridge's or Reeds... neither requires a computer or anything more than a clock, and the ability to read. [/color]

I can predict the moon position with great precission. Based on this I can predict tide levels. And Garmin BlueCharts has this shown. Why they do not want to show predicted currents? How is there difference in predicting water level from tide current? simply said current = d level / d t.
I know, that many people prefer paper charts to the GPS navigation, but this is different point.

[eamnesia]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

Only current stations show currents. In the locator window you must chek "show current stations" . Then they will show up with a LARGE C or a small c in parentheses in the listing. Try looking for Massachusetts/Cape Cod Canal for an example of one. Hope that is understandable.

Attachment 523

great. thanks will do.

[sailaway21]

eamnesia,
I believe the concept you are struggling with is that tides and tidal currents do not act in a linear fashion in their rate of change from point to point. bottom characteristics as well as shape of land all effect them greatly. then you can toss in wind and so forth to vary even that.