Forums > Windsurfing   Western Australia

whats up with the wacky WA tides

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Created by Gestalt > 9 months ago, 27 Jun 2009
Gestalt
QLD, 14672 posts
27 Jun 2009 9:44AM
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how come you guys (and girls) only get one tide every 24 hours and on the eastcoast we get 2?

insert wierd science music

snides8
WA, 1731 posts
27 Jun 2009 8:43AM
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the pacific cant make its mind up?

Eggy
WA, 58 posts
27 Jun 2009 10:33AM
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It's because we have to wait twice as long for everything over here!

DL
WA, 659 posts
27 Jun 2009 12:35PM
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tell me about it.

And why is it always a high tide in the morning? I thought it was meant to shift throughout the day?

DL
WA, 659 posts
27 Jun 2009 12:41PM
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This is a histogram I made of the occurrence of high tides at Fremantle. Notice how much more common it is to have a high tide at around 8am - 12pm right when one would rather it be low tide for a morning surf.

This sh1ts me no end.


grumplestiltskin
WA, 2331 posts
27 Jun 2009 12:46PM
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I'm not an expert, but its something to do with distance from the equator etc.

If we were all based at Port Hedland and further north then we would be suffering from massive tides, 10 to 12 metres at times. Imagine having to walk your gear 2 kms out along the beach just to get to the water

Do Sydney and south to Melb etc. get two tides? even if they do I bet they are not as significant as the Qld tides.

Gestalt
QLD, 14672 posts
27 Jun 2009 2:53PM
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seems to be a central to south WA thing. northern WA gets 2 tides.

i had a look at most other places and everyone else seem to get 2 tides.

some of the tides for south WA seem to have 2 little ripples when you get to the peak. like bunbury this week. must be related to the moon phase as well as eqator distance.

victoria west coast has both 1 tide and 2 tide days this week where as victoria east coast has 2 tides each day.

being an east coast person my whole life i just assumed everyone got 2 tides.

saltiest1
NSW, 2559 posts
27 Jun 2009 11:34PM
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east coast tides peak around shoalwater bay south of mackay around the 10 metre mark and reduce the further north or south you travel. tricky place to sail yacht wise with the advantage of a good push if its timed right, up to 4 knots in areas as shown on charts. kicked around there for 6 months a couple of years back and miss it heaps.

saltiest1
NSW, 2559 posts
27 Jun 2009 11:36PM
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sydney tides range from 0.01 to 2.1 metres i think and theres 2 per day usually. heights vary with air pressure and surge. no idea about melbourne in that big bay of theres though.

swoosh
QLD, 1929 posts
27 Jun 2009 11:52PM
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This diagram shows what kind of tides you have in different parts of the world, basically diurnal tides are when you have one high and low a day, semidiurnal is when you have 2 highs and lows a day.

Gestalt
QLD, 14672 posts
28 Jun 2009 12:23AM
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cheers for all the help!

swoosh, you da man!

Windxtasy
WA, 4017 posts
27 Jun 2009 10:49PM
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Our tides only vary by about half a metre anyway, so we just take no notice!

AUS1111
WA, 3621 posts
28 Jun 2009 12:02AM
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We had a referendum on two tides, but it got voted out!

saltiest1
NSW, 2559 posts
28 Jun 2009 10:13AM
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im keeping that map!

jedda
WA, 110 posts
28 Jun 2009 8:16PM
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Hey, Nice one AUS1111. Love your work.

DL
WA, 659 posts
29 Jun 2009 12:08AM
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Aussie Naish!



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Forums > Windsurfing   Western Australia


"whats up with the wacky WA tides" started by Gestalt