Bonaire tide question

[Kharon]

I'm thinking of doing some east side dives my next trip. One in particular requires returning on an incoming tide. While looking at the tide tables for Lac Bay and Kralendijk I found some real anomolies.

The Lac Bay tides can be as much as 1+ hour before Kralendijk and 2+ hours after Kralendijk on the same day on sequential tides (low to high or high to low). Each time differential also drifts in the amount of difference to a peak then falls and each tide (1st of day through 4th of day) drifts independant of the others.

Also the time between tides (high to low or low to high) can be as little as 3 hours 18 minutes or as much as 8 hours 53 minutes. That's a huge variation and it doesn't seem to show any pattern. Normally tides are 6+ hours apart - but not here I guess.

Any one have any idea what the heck is going on? My brain is all aching and wracked with pain. I think it's going to explode.

 

[KeithG]

Bonaire has tides?

On the westside the only thing I have ever noticed is 1 more or 1 less steps on the dive ladder leading down from the dock. I have never noticed anything in water and have never heard of tide issues. Just current issues at the north and south sites. This is not the Bay of Fundy.

Is the eastside that different? I have not yet dove the east side, but I would be more worried about wave action from winds than the tide.

Out of curiosity (since we are interesting in learning about eastside diving...)
Which dive sites are you looking at?
What is your source of tide information?
Who warned you about the tide being an issue?

 

[fmerkel]

They are an issue, just work towards slack on smaller exchanges. Bigger issue is wind, which brings waves which fill the bay. Water has to get out, which it does out the channel. Morning tends to be better before the wind builds.

 

[redacted]

I'm thinking of doing some east side dives my next trip. One in particular requires returning on an incoming tide. While looking at the tide tables for Lac Bay and Kralendijk I found some real anomolies.

The Lac Bay tides can be as much as 1+ hour before Kralendijk and 2+ hours after Kralendijk on the same day on sequential tides (low to high or high to low). Each time differential also drifts in the amount of difference to a peak then falls and each tide (1st of day through 4th of day) drifts independant of the others.

Also the time between tides (high to low or low to high) can be as little as 3 hours 18 minutes or as much as 8 hours 53 minutes. That's a huge variation and it doesn't seem to show any pattern. Normally tides are 6+ hours apart - but not here I guess.

Any one have any idea what the heck is going on? My brain is all aching and wracked with pain. I think it's going to explode.

I think it has something to do with the absense of a sizabke wall (coast) to hold the water producing greater seperate impact fron the effects of the sun and the moon. I do remember the day to day reliability of NJ tides. The TX coast is a whole different mess.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...-vHcG1t5PlBp8GsSw&sig2=64QvWAoGUSP7tScZqfdqxA

 

[Kharon]

Between Lac Cai and the Blue Hole is a beautiful slope named Fungi. ... When you are diving from shore, careful planning is a life saving must. I hate swimming at the surface, so I start my dive right away, using the channel to go out. It is a 20 minute swim to the reef, ... Depending on your air consumption you may have 20 minutes on the reef itself, before its time to get back in the channel. I sure hope you are at the right spot when you still have at least a third of your air left, or you are in big trouble. Unless the tidal current is inbound. It is ripping, and when the current is inbound you will be back in no time. When it is outbound you have to pull yourself in along the bottom. Or slowly go to the surface and pray for a fishing boat or the East Coast boat to pick you up

 

[Kharon]

Between Lac Cai and the Blue Hole is a beautiful slope named Fungi. ... When you are diving from shore, careful planning is a life saving must. I hate swimming at the surface, so I start my dive right away, using the channel to go out. It is a 20 minute swim to the reef, ... Depending on your air consumption you may have 20 minutes on the reef itself, before its time to get back in the channel. I sure hope you are at the right spot when you still have at least a third of your air left, or you are in big trouble. Unless the tidal current is inbound. It is ripping, and when the current is inbound you will be back in no time. When it is outbound you have to pull yourself in along the bottom. Or slowly go to the surface and pray for a fishing boat or the East Coast boat to pick you up (from this web page: Bonaire Scuba Dive Sites - Bonaire Resources)

Links to Bonaire tide charts:

Tide Times and Tide Chart for Kralendijk, Bonaire
Tide for Lac Bay

I can use the charts to dive safely I'm just befuddled by the pattern (or lack of) in the tides. They really seem weird. And though they aren't real high they still create current and rips.

 

[KeithG]

Between Lac Cai and the Blue Hole is a beautiful slope named Fungi. ... When you are diving from shore, careful planning is a life saving must. I hate swimming at the surface, so I start my dive right away, using the channel to go out. It is a 20 minute swim to the reef, ... Depending on your air consumption you may have 20 minutes on the reef itself, before its time to get back in the channel. I sure hope you are at the right spot when you still have at least a third of your air left, or you are in big trouble. Unless the tidal current is inbound. It is ripping, and when the current is inbound you will be back in no time. When it is outbound you have to pull yourself in along the bottom. Or slowly go to the surface and pray for a fishing boat or the East Coast boat to pick you up (from this web page: Bonaire Scuba Dive Sites - Bonaire Resources)

Links to Bonaire tide charts:

Tide Times and Tide Chart for Kralendijk, Bonaire
Tide for Lac Bay

I can use the charts to dive safely I'm just befuddled by the pattern (or lack of) in the tides. They really seem weird. And though they aren't real high they still create current and rips.

2 different tide websites using 2 different information sources? the lac bay tides seem to be derived from a location in curacao.

i have read a little bit about east side diving and now understand things better. since lac bay is relatively shallow and large compared to the channel at the north, even a small tide will send lots of water out the channel. we have experienced a similar situation at the north edge of West Caicos. when the tide is going out there is a hot down current as the water receeds from the relatively shallow basin south of Provo.

 

[fmerkel]

You have personally experienced an inbound current in that channel? I've only experience out: modest out, and damn, it's going out fast!
With the waves breaking over the submerged reef 'filling' the bay (huge) it seems like the only real possibility is for all that water to go out the channel, pretty narrow and shallow. Hence, paying attention to the waves.

It's called Fungi, eh? Didn't know that.
**
Addendum - Been thinking about it. If (big if) there ever is an inbound current I'm not at all sure how you would predict or depend on it. It's not like the channel is the only way into the Lac Bay. On an inbound tide you have a very long shallow dam (the reef) that water, both waves and the inbound current can go right over > filling the Bay. That water has to get out, and it'll go out the channel I would think, likely cancelling any tidal push in. I don't know that, but I'm trying to picture the water forces working there and I don't come up with a reliable inbound current. Until proven otherwise I wouldn't bet my life on it.

 

[KeithG]

You have personally experienced an inbound current in that channel? I've only experience out: modest out, and damn, it's going out fast!
With the waves breaking over the submerged reef 'filling' the bay (huge) it seems like the only real possibility is for all that water to go out the channel, pretty narrow and shallow. Hence, paying attention to the waves.

It's called Fungi, eh? Didn't know that.
**
Addendum - Been thinking about it. If (big if) there ever is an inbound current I'm not at all sure how you would predict or depend on it. It's not like the channel is the only way into the Lac Bay. On an inbound tide you have a very long shallow dam (the reef) that water, both waves and the inbound current can go right over > filling the Bay. That water has to get out, and it'll go out the channel I would think, likely cancelling any tidal push in. I don't know that, but I'm trying to picture the water forces working there and I don't come up with a reliable inbound current. Until proven otherwise I wouldn't bet my life on it.

Isn't this why boats were invented?

 

[fmerkel]

Dislike boats. Dislike paying for them. Like the adventure of figuring it out on my own. Value the independence.

Sure, sometimes a boat is the only way. Then I use a boat if I really want to go.
Did a boat to Klein once. Figured why dive with a buncha people I don't know, have my dive controlled, likely shortened, and see pretty much what I can from a shore dive for free, without the hassle.

Seems that 50-75% of the time Bonaire boats are going to sites you can do from shore. When I started diving the east side no one much did it (there were no commercial trips), there was scant info, and shops would only warn you about the dire dangers. The first dive the wife and I did we saw 21 Southern Rays, a real Hogfish (not common Spanish), a reef shark, and it was a piece of cake....but then the wind had died out completely due to a hurricane several hundred miles away.. We still had to figure it out on our own since we could find no one to help or give advice, just warnings.