Slack tide is defined as?

Master the Navigation, Seamanship, and Shiphandling (NSS) – Officer of the Deck (OOD) Phase 2 Exam with engaging flashcards and multiple choice questions, complete with hints and explanations. Prepare comprehensively for your test!

Multiple Choice

Slack tide is defined as?

Slack tide is the moment when the tidal current comes to a stop—the velocity of the current is effectively zero as the flow switches direction between flood and ebb. This brief pause in horizontal movement often occurs near high water or low water, when the water is turning from rising to falling or vice versa. It’s not about the water height being zero or at its extremum; the defining feature is the lack of current. The current is actually fastest in the middle of the flood or the middle of the ebb, not during slack water.

Slack tide is the moment when the tidal current comes to a stop—the velocity of the current is effectively zero as the flow switches direction between flood and ebb. This brief pause in horizontal movement often occurs near high water or low water, when the water is turning from rising to falling or vice versa. It’s not about the water height being zero or at its extremum; the defining feature is the lack of current. The current is actually fastest in the middle of the flood or the middle of the ebb, not during slack water.

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