I'd like to know if any of you open water swimmers ever schedule a long ocean swim (over 5 miles) during a neap tide as it is known to help a swimmer during that swim. Or, do many of you do pre-scheduled open water swims that are sanctioned by other swim clubs and have to swim at their scheduled race times? And do any clubs who sponsor long ocean swims, ever schedule their races during neap tides?
Donna
Donna,
Swimming with a neap tide (high, low, flood, ebb, slack, syzygy, or other tide) is more dependent on where you are swimming then on the tidal influences themselves.
Most open ocean swims or coast line swims have very little tidal impact, while river, bay and channel swims can be greatly impacted. Good race coordinators know the tidal effects on the race course and will schedule the event to the time and date that is most suitable. This could be on a flood, slack or ebb; it all depends on the race.
In swims such as the English Channel you try to swim during a neap tide, because you are swimming across some wicked cross currents. In the MIMS, where you are swimming with the currents, you want to go up the East river with a flood tide, swim the Harlem Channel with the flood to a slack tide and down the Hudson on the ebb. Swims like the Chesapeake Bay Bridge is set up to start at the end of the flood tide so that you cross the mid-channel during slack tide and end during the ebb.
Donna,
Swimming with a neap tide (high, low, flood, ebb, slack, syzygy, or other tide) is more dependent on where you are swimming then on the tidal influences themselves.
Most open ocean swims or coast line swims have very little tidal impact, while river, bay and channel swims can be greatly impacted. Good race coordinators know the tidal effects on the race course and will schedule the event to the time and date that is most suitable. This could be on a flood, slack or ebb; it all depends on the race.
In swims such as the English Channel you try to swim during a neap tide, because you are swimming across some wicked cross currents. In the MIMS, where you are swimming with the currents, you want to go up the East river with a flood tide, swim the Harlem Channel with the flood to a slack tide and down the Hudson on the ebb. Swims like the Chesapeake Bay Bridge is set up to start at the end of the flood tide so that you cross the mid-channel during slack tide and end during the ebb.
