How important is it to check tides when boat diving?

[Hank49]

Some dive sites "turn on or off" with the tides. A case in point is Yapak, off Boracay. With an upcoming tide, it's loaded with sharks, tuna, barracuda.....at slack or dropping it's only small reef fish. Like a different place.
And you better have a knowledgable boatman so he knows where to look for your sausage.

 

[Boat Chick]

Put the worry aside The dive boats off So Cal will go, unless weather is not permitting (doesn't happen too often, particularly this time of year). The Spectre will leave the harbor and head to Anacapa if that's the scheduled plan (unless conditions or weather make a change in the plan). Since Anacapa is only 15 miles off shore, unless conditions are unusually rough, the boat goes.

I've done a lot of diving off Catalina, and in general, the Cap has a "plan" of where they want to go. We've often gotten to a site but the surface current has been strong, so they look for another site. Sometimes we've gotten in the water and the kelp is horizontal and the current is ripping, so you have a pretty short dive ;-) So the Cap will move the boat for the next dive.

I guess what I'm saying is I wouldn't worry about it, dive safe, and have a great time

 

[HowardE]

*oops - wrong thread*

 

[Boat Chick]

*uh...oops?...thought it was relevent*

 

[D_O_H]

For diving the channel islands, what Cynde said is accurate. Even if the current is "ripping", the captain can always find a fairly sheltered spot somewhere along whatever island you're diving. Call the Op if you're worried about it to confirm, but otherwise just go and have a great time.

I agree that monitoring tides/currents is definitely something you want to worry about in some locations. The Channel Islands with a competent dive charter is not one of them.