Tide clocks/watches

ylwjacket

ylwjacket

New Member
Dec 15, 2006
513
Tampa Bay
Do these really work? Looking for a few cabin decor items, and I was considering a clock with a tide clock on it, but not sure if it's worth the trouble.

I was also looking for a new fishing watch, and was gonna do the same, but again, not sure if it's worth it.
 
Look, I'm not supposed to tell everyone this but....we had a vote last year and we don't have tides at the Gulf Coast anymore. :thumbsup: Someone used to complain all the time and we just got tired of it so we suspended tides till further notice. :wink: Besides it really pisses off those west coast folks when their tide and moon clocks don't work. :smt021 Oh and don't get me started on the moon rise clocks. :smt043
 
On our part of the Gulf coast, a 2 1/2 ft swing is a big one. That's not much of a problem around the docks, but the water here is pretty shallow, so this afternoon there may be birds walking where you ran the boat in the morning. We generally have 3 choices....know the bottom/depths/drop-offs etc., follow a local (and hope its not Jim Beam, Capt Jack, or Miss Budweiser running the boat!) or stay in a marked channel.
 
East coast of Georgia is 5 to 9 foot swing.
 
I believe most places have 2 highs and 2 lows in a 24 (approx) hour swing.

In Panama City, we have 1 high and 1 low per day. I've never been given an adequate explanation as to why, but I have a theory.

We have a HUGE set of bays which are fed, 100% (almost) by one pass less than 1/4 mile wide. Can you say buffer? The 2-tide cycle is generally reflective of one large tide cycle co-mingled with one small tide. I believe our small tide is masked by the filling/dumping of our bays through our pass. They have 2 tides at our latitude just 100 miles East of here.

Experts?
 
I've seen people in low-draft boats hit bottom at speed, including being ejected from the boat, because they were cuttign across a channel that they had crossed in the morning. The water in places is only 2-3 feet deep at high tide, and may be 1/2 foot at low.

I have also seen boats at marinas sitting on the bottom if they choose the wrong part of the marina to dock at. Again, it might be 3 feet deep when they get there, but only 1 foot at low tide.

In the winter (like now), tides are more severe, and expose places that are covered in the summer - maybe 3 feet.

So, a 2-3 foot tide around here changes the lay of the land in a very big way.
 
Hi YJ,

You might have to make a few minor adjustments from time to time (no pun intended), but tide clocks work just fine. I have one in my office at work and one in my family room at home. You won't be able to pinpoint the tides with 100% accuracy, but I'm guessing most people don't really care whether it's 3h 20m to high tide, or 2h and 35m. As I look at my tide clock, I can tell you that high tide was almost exactly an hour ago, and low tide will be in about 5 hours. That's close enough for me!

Just my two cents...
 
Two years ago, I bought a Nixon Reason LS tide watch. Cost me £230 :wow:
I set the watch up as per the instructions and only after one week it was obvious that the tide height was inaccurate. After two weeks it was obvious that the moon phase dial was inaccurate too :smt021
I returned the watch and got my money back :thumbsup: I dont think they make this watch anymore :huh:

I then bought a digital Casio Sea Pathfinder .... cost me £35 :thumbsup: It shows the moon phase, tide height, has a compass, thermometer and barometer, waterproof to a depth of 30M .... Oh ... and it not only tells the time :smt038 .... but its accurate too :thumbsup:

I think for any tide watch to be accurate it needs to have the ability for you to input your lunitidal interval when setting up .... the Nixon watch didnt have this. :huh:
 
Wotty said:
............I then bought a digital Casio Sea Pathfinder .... cost me £35 :thumbsup: It shows the moon phase, tide height, has a compass, thermometer and barometer, waterproof to a depth of 30M .... Oh ... and it not only tells the time :smt038 .... but its accurate too :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

I also have the Sea Pathfinder.
Love it!
I use it basically as a quick reference of whether the tide is coming in or heading out.
It is rather large though...... And makes quite a conversation piece!
Lee
 
According to my widget, high tide in 3 min on the Hudson 3.02 feet.
 
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