Ft. Pickens Jettie (dive on a slack tide?)

[LollyO]

Between an incoming tide and an out going tide there will be a point where the water is slack. The duration and nature of that period will vary depending upon the locale, the geography, the lunar cycle and all of that stuff.

www.saltwatertides.com

N

Thanks Nemrod,
I am trying to determine how that Period is determined? I know that high tide can be slack, but I have been told, not always..... I am so confused.

It would be so easy if it was always slack at high tide.

 

[LollyO]

you want to dive it at "high slack tide". at high tide, it's just pulled in fresh water from the gulf and current is a minimal

I use www.saltwatertides.com . It's easier to read.

Tides for Pensacola Bay Entrance starting with August 28, 2009.

Day        High      Tide  Height   Sunrise    Moon  Time      % Moon
           /Low      Time    Feet    Sunset                    Visible

Sa  29     High   5:06 AM     1.4   6:25 AM     Set 12:52 AM      63
    29      Low   5:53 PM     0.1   7:15 PM    Rise  3:36 PM

according to the above chart....

for the 29th, "high slack tide" is at 5:06am. (you gonna dive that early?)

Mike,
another question....I see where you got that 5:06 was high tide, but how did you know it was high slack tide also?
Thanks
Lolly

 

[OldNSalty]

A few of us went Sunday around 9:00-9:30. There was a current. About 10 foot vis-maybe a little better. Not bad but would have been better either earlier in the morning or later in the day. Still, there were plenty of divers out there.

 

[mike_s]

Mike,
another question....I see where you got that 5:06 was high tide, but how did you know it was high slack tide also?
Thanks
Lolly

that's the time of the highest point of high tide. that is generally considered as "high slack tide".

the amount of time it is "slack" differs based on the predicted change amount. all affected by the moon.

 

[LollyO]

We were at Ft Pickens Jetties at 6:45 this past Sunday morning. We didnt have tanks, but my husband had his snorkel gear. The water was great, not much current, fairly clear, until around 8 am and then the current seemed to pick up.

www.saltwatertides.com said the conditions would be:

Day        High      Tide  Height   Sunrise    Moon  Time      % Moon
           /Low      Time    Feet    Sunset                    Visible

Su  30     High   6:17 AM     1.4   6:25 AM     Set  1:46 AM      72
    30      Low   6:34 PM     0.1   7:14 PM    Rise  4:19 PM

Flood direction 74° true Ebb direction 256° true

2009-08-30 01:45 CDT Moonset
2009-08-30 01:53 CDT 1.95 knots Max Flood
2009-08-30 06:24 CDT Sunrise
2009-08-30 08:54 CDT -0.00 knots Slack, Ebb Begins
2009-08-30 13:10 CDT -2.35 knots Max Ebb
2009-08-30 16:18 CDT Moonrise
2009-08-30 19:13 CDT Sunset
2009-08-30 19:51 CDT 0.00 knots Slack, Flood Begins

From the two charts above I am trying to figure out why the conditions seemed detiorate a little after 8 AM. That was about 2 hrs after high tide, and a little before slack Ebb began.....Given the above charts should this have happened?

 

[LollyO]

Thanks Old Salty,
i am a newbie and am scared that I am too weak to fight a current....so I am trying to determine the best way to find the "easiest conditions"....... I have this fear that I am going to not be able to get back to shore.

I am sure that as I get more comfortable, that my my obsession with calm water will subside.

 

[OldNSalty]

Thanks Old Salty,
i am a newbie and am scared that I am too weak to fight a current....so I am trying to determine the best way to find the "easiest conditions"....... I have this fear that I am going to not be able to get back to shore.

I am sure that as I get more comfortable, that my my obsession with calm water will subside.

Fear is good, its what keeps you alive-until you panic. It was not the ideal time to go but I was checking out some gear configurations. The early morning would have been better as we had to stay close to the bottom. A weak swimmer might have had trouble - well, a very weak swimmer as I don't count myself as a 'strong swimmer'

Anyway, when ever you want to go send me a PM. There are a few places to do beach dives in the area and I am not one to go unless I am comfortable with the conditions so no preasure from me.

 

[pro99line]

Fort Pickens is best at slack, preferably high, but low works too. Visibility is usually better around the high.

The tide change makes a difference as well. If there's a difference of a foot or more between high and low, the current will be pretty stiff. If the change is more than 1.5 feet, we don't bother even trying except at the slack.

Sorry for the questions, but I am new so most of my dives have been made during "optimal" conditions before high tide. I don't have alot of experience with the currents and though it would be a good idea to ask the people with more knowledge about the local currents and have been diving in different conditions. I am basically asking the question for Perdido Pass, Pensacola, Destin, and Panama City. I am just learning more information on when to not make such a long drive by looking at the charts. We do not get alot of time to go when the tides are "good" so we are trying to figure out what other times would be worth driving for. Thanks.

So if the tide change wil be 1ft or less, you could dive anytime during the high/low period and not have a strong current?

Since the tide change is not drastic, will visibility be greatly affected?

If the tide change is more than 1.5ft, is the currents really that strong to scrub the dive?

 

[Tom Smedley]

Watch the tide tables and pick a weekend with a neap tide. The change is minimal and you can dive all day without current. However, without current to move clear water in from the Gulf there is little visibility.

The site that I use to predict tides is www.saltwatertides.com

The next neap tide at Pensacola bay entrance is Friday October 2.

 

[LollyO]

Pro 99,
Tommy Smedly is right. The Neap will provide calmers waters, but at the expense of visibilty.

We have now done Ft. Pickens twice. Once was an hour or so before high tide on a day when there was over a foot difference between low and high The visibiltiy was great. It was enjoyable, but the current was a challenge, but not terrible. The other was at Neap when there was little current, but you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Its a trade off.

I am like you....looking for that happy medium.

Diving high slack will yield calm conditions(atleast in terms of current), but not for as long of a time as neap tide. You'll have a bigger window with a neap tide, at the expense of visibility as less clean gulf water is flushed into the pass.