Checking Tides & Current

One of the most important features in Big Buoy is the ability to pull tides and currents from anywhere on the map. Anywhere you click on a map will pull back the closest tide station and current station. One issue we ran into while testing is sometimes that station might be close by land but far by water. To fix this, we’ve made it so that you can always select a different station from a dropdown.

We show the tide height throughout each tidal movement as well as the current direction, speed and movement. On top of all of that, we overlay sunset, sunrise and the solunar periods on the chart. Basically, it’s really sick. A little more on how to use it below.

Where Does the Data Come From?

We pull data from 3,449 tide-prediction stations, 4,430 current-prediction stations and 882 buoys. The goal is to get you the right information and I think this does a pretty good job at it.

Why Tide & Current?

Tide and current aren't the same thing.

Tide is the water going up and down. Current is the water going sideways. One tells you how much water you've got under the hull. The other tells you which way it's moving and how hard, and that's the part that actually turns the bite on.

They don't run on the same clock. The current doesn't go slack at high tide, it keeps ripping well after the tide "turns," and how long depends entirely on where you're standing. Every inlet, creek, and bay has its own personality. So if you plan your day off the tide table alone and figure slack water lines up with the high, you'll be sitting there wondering why the current's still ripping.

That's why we show you both. Tide for the water you've got, current for the water that's moving.