• We apologize for the somewhat convoluted sign-up process. Due to ever-more sophisticated attacks by chatbots, we had to increase our filtering in order to weed out AI while letting humans through. It's a nuisance, but a necessary one in order to keep the level of discourse on the forums authentic and useful. From the actual humans using WCP, thanks for your understanding!

tides, currents and charts

Brian D.

Paddler
Joined
Feb 4, 2018
Messages
39
Location
Sonoma County
I am very much the novice to the tide and current aspect of kayaking. Could someone give this amateur some info on this topic.
I have found tide tables on the Canadian CHS site, but it does not seem to give current velocity. And none seem to pertain to areas inside the Desolation Sound. For example Waddington Channel or Lewis Inlet. Do nautical charts show tidal flow directions? Last year when we did a tour through the Surge Narrows and Hole in the wall it seemed a bit challenging to understand the direction the water moved during a flood and an ebb tide.
Any help is appreciated.
 
Gov of Canada, general
http://www.tides.gc.ca/eng/data/currents/2018
http://www.tides.gc.ca/eng/data/predictions/2018

Gov of Canada, specific
http://www.tides.gc.ca/eng/data/table/2018/curr_ref/5200
http://www.tides.gc.ca/eng/station?sid=8045

xtide @ mobilegeographics
http://tides.mobilegeographics.com/locations/6257.html
http://tides.mobilegeographics.com/locations/6258.html
http://tides.mobilegeographics.com/locations/6259.html

xtide @ sailwx
http://www.sailwx.info/tides/tidemap.phtml

xtide @ dairiki
http://www.dairiki.org/tides/daily.php/sur

xtide generally uses older harmonic constants than gov of canada because gov of canada does not release the harmonic constants to the peasants unless the peasants pay gov of canada $25 per station (and sign a non disclosure agreement). Your tax dollars at work.

If you have specific locations & dates you desire, I can make you a collection of plots (mostly xtide data but I have a few gov of canada).

There is no substitute for current plots. Tide heights do not align with current values.
 
As a supplement to the gov’t current tables, the Kimantas maps and guidebooks give general indications of areas where significant currents can be expected. For what it’s worth, in the Desolation Sound area we didn’t encounter anything worth mentioning between Lund and Toba Inlet all around the Redondas and throughout the Park itself.
 
Hi Stagger,
Thank you for the info. I think of ordering the chart for Desolation Sound. 3312. From what I can glean off the web, maybe Okeover inlet have some current as well as between the islands of Prideaux Haven. But nothing like the Surge Narrows.
 
Gov of Canada, general
http://www.tides.gc.ca/eng/data/currents/2018
http://www.tides.gc.ca/eng/data/predictions/2018

Gov of Canada, specific
http://www.tides.gc.ca/eng/data/table/2018/curr_ref/5200
http://www.tides.gc.ca/eng/station?sid=8045

xtide @ mobilegeographics
http://tides.mobilegeographics.com/locations/6257.html
http://tides.mobilegeographics.com/locations/6258.html
http://tides.mobilegeographics.com/locations/6259.html

xtide @ sailwx
http://www.sailwx.info/tides/tidemap.phtml

xtide @ dairiki
http://www.dairiki.org/tides/daily.php/sur

xtide generally uses older harmonic constants than gov of canada because gov of canada does not release the harmonic constants to the peasants unless the peasants pay gov of canada $25 per station (and sign a non disclosure agreement). Your tax dollars at work.

If you have specific locations & dates you desire, I can make you a collection of plots (mostly xtide data but I have a few gov of canada).

There is no substitute for current plots. Tide heights do not align with current values.
 
HI Nootka,

Wow that is a load of info thank you. What are Harmonic Constants? I am going to purchase CHS chart 3312, I assume it will indicate tide flow directions which I can then correlate to tide and current tables. The xtide information you sent is nifty. I definitely will check it out.
I checked out your vids at SN. That is what I want to be aware of is spots like that. I paddled through there last year with a tour. I am trying to be prepared for that type of situation ahead of time.
 
Hi,

We are thinking of leaving directly to the Toba Inlet from Okeover or Lund. What would be a recommendation for a point of transit across the DS. Being July, that we plan to travel, our concern is for motor craft.
 
Back
Top