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tide times | Category: Feedback and Suggestions

chewytwo 9 years ago
#2602

I have a question about the accuracy of the tide times. I'm living in cairns and on sat 5/4 this site lists the four tide changes. However according to other sites there is only 2 tide changes for the day. a high at 1.52am and a low at 19.21. Any thoughts?

blackriverfish 9 years ago
#2603

maybe a misprint

markt 9 years ago
#2604

hi there

two tide changes sounds a bit strange. Most places have two low and two high tides per day and tides change every 6 hours on average.

Which exact location are you looking at - what is the name of the tide station you are viewing here on fishingreminder?
Which site were you comparing to? Do you have a link?

We can investigate this, if you send through some more details.

cheers

If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles.
chewytwo 9 years ago
#2606

I have recently moved to cairns from victoria and I have noticed a difference in the tides here. They normally have the four tide changes as everywhere else although they have a big high and a little high each day(also big low and little low). For sat 5/4 willyweather and also local papers listed the tide changes as in my previous mail. I also witnessed the tides changing as per my email. It was strange to have water right up for most of the day. A mate rang to go fishing, and mentioned the weird tide also as he was confused as to what the times were supposed to be.(he did not refer to tide times only his own observations)
My theory is that the little high and little low had no variation in the heights and therefore became inconsequent. As i'm a newby to qld I am happy to be told otherwise.

itsaboat 9 years ago
#2607

Hi Chewytwo.

As Mark says, tides change about every 6 hours or so. It is impossible to have 2 tides in a day...the absolute minimum is 3. But you only get 3 when the "first" tide is just before midnight and the "last" tide is just after midnight.

The times you give do not match anything for Cairns for yesterday...moon, sun or tides.

Are you sure you were looking at tide times ?

For those that are interested. High tides are caused mainly by the moon. The moon orbits every 24 hours and 50 minutes. So tides change every 6 hours 12 1\2 minutes. Here is a paper I just found on it - http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~pogge/Ast161/Unit4/tides.html

Yes, tides are bigger up that way...Because you are closer to the equator.

EDIT: When I say "impossible" I am of course talking about your location, Cairns...I realise some locations on Earth have two tides per day and some locations can have months or even years between tides.

itsaboat mate...Life is just a boat and then ya marry one !
itsaboat 9 years ago
#2608

I just had a look on willy and on BOM. Willy gets their info from BOM.

BOM is clearly wrong. They list the high at 2am, so the next low will be about 8:15am.

Not that I have looked at many, but it seems that weather sites using BOM data all say the same...and reputable sites like this one are all showing the correct info with 4 tides for yesterday.

Moral...come here first and get it right first time... There is also an app for your smart phone. Maybe Mark could post the link.

itsaboat mate...Life is just a boat and then ya marry one !
markt 9 years ago
#2615

Hi itsaboat

thanks for looking into it and the the great infos.
I was surprised to find out that some places have only two tides per day.
But I think those are mainly locations further inland. Tidal Rivers, large fjords and such. Hope all is well and you have tight lines

cheers

If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles.
chewytwo 9 years ago
#2640

I have been told that it was a "neap" tide. where the difference between high and low is less than usual. It may have been that close that there wasn't an actual difference in the water heights. You still technically can call it a tide change although there is no change in movement as the neap tides are matched perfectly. I would think that this would only happen in certain parts of the world. I also thought I saw the same neap tide scenario for Brisbane some weeks later.(not 100% sure)
Neap tides occur twice a month(moon cycle)I will keep my eye out for the next "pefect match"

chewytwo 9 years ago
#2641

Do not be so quick to judge what is right and who is wrong. Bom is the governments weather station and if we cant rely on them, we are in deep burley. Please see my post on "neap" tides. I had vaguely heard of them before but never really found out what they were. Google it and depending on how much you want to get into, it gives you all the info.
I'm glad this topic has been raised, and your replies, as this has led me to learn more and hopefully that can lead to better fishing.
Next time this happens I hope to get an idea of whether the fish bite better or worse.
Always learning cheers

itsaboat 9 years ago
#2642

We are in deep burley then !!

BOM reported info that was simply impossible for that area. Everyone else reported 4 normal tides...If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it is a duck...BOM was wrong.

Here is some light reading - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tide

The neap tide is not quite what you think it is. The neap tide is simply the part of the tide cycle when the movement is smallest. When the movement is at it's largest during the tide cycle it is called the spring tide. So for your area you will have one neap tide and one spring tide every 2 weeks.

Yes, it is always good to learn...Stay "teachable" otherwise you become a know-it-all and have no friends

itsaboat mate...Life is just a boat and then ya marry one !
AllFish 9 years ago
#2650

Hi itsaboat .. Welcome to the "perfect NZ site", tide times Moon etc all good even the fishing conditions thanks to Markt .. I think !!!! LOVE this 'itsaboat' :- If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it is a duck. .. course there is good NZ one to about " EXPERTS" .. (derinition) 'Drips under pressure' !!!! Does that relate to "Know it alls" ?? Cheers to our Oz Mates .Have worked with heap of you up in PNG... Spent many good times in Cairns too.AND have a boat building young Brother in Brissy ... Happy Easter Al

itsaboat 9 years ago
#2661

Hi Al..Thanks for the welcome to this world wide fishing site. I have been using this site for several years but only registered as a user almost 3 years ago...It is always nice to be acknowledged when you are new. I see you have only just joined too, how has your first couple of weeks been ? Oh and welcome.

I caught my first fish at the age of 5. I have just turned 50 which makes it 45 years of fishing. I am going fishing again today in the Gippsland Lakes. I think I will try around Paynesville. Although the lakes are tidal, the entrance is small and kept open by dredging. So the tidal movement of the lakes is almost impossible to see...maybe 1 or 2 inches. The tide station for the Gippsland Lake is at a town called Lakes Entrance which happens to be the entrance of the lakes.

itsaboat mate...Life is just a boat and then ya marry one !