FREE Tide Times

Andy · 20 April 2005, 16:54

I have looked and cant find anywhere online that offers free tide information beyond a 6 day outlook. After 6 days in the future the buggers all want money.

Does anyone know of a place online to get tide info for free .... for the whole year?

Simon Hawkins · 20 April 2005, 16:56

Why dont you look in an almanac or buy yourslef a local tide table for where you want to go.

codprawn · 20 April 2005, 17:27

just do a search on google - there are loads!!! Just don't make the mistake of using the word "free" in your search!!!

Rob Jones · 20 April 2005, 17:27

http://www.digiserv.co.uk/ukfr/gbtide.htm

Keith Hart · 20 April 2005, 17:34

Here is a GREAT tide program and its only £10.95.

Tide Plotter

Buy it you cheapskate!

Keith Hart

codprawn · 20 April 2005, 18:19

Why should you BUY software when it is available all over the world for NOTHING!!!

I have found a great prog call Jtides that would be all you would ever need BUT does not include UK data - it has everywhere else in the WORLD bar the Uk - WHY???

http://www.arachnoid.com/JTides/index.html

Here is what they say

# Note about UK Coverage

* In April 2002, the UK Hydrographic Office ordered the removal of all UK tidal data from JTides and all other free tidal prediction programs. The fact that this is a free program, created in the public interest, has had no effect on their zeal to collect nonexistent copyright fees. The fact that this decision will decrease the safety of sailing in the UK has not swayed them in the slightest.

I mention this because the absence of UK tidal data is one of the most common inquiries about JTides. I am powerless to shape the thinking of the bureaucrats in the UK Hydrographic office, and I imagine Lord Nelson is shifting uncomfortably in his grave!!!

So in other words the UK Hydrographic Office are nothing but SCUM!!!

SDGANDER · 20 April 2005, 18:34

Quote:

The fact that this decision will decrease the safety of sailing in the UK has not swayed them in the slightest.

Quote:

So in other words the UK Hydrographic Office are nothing but SCUM!!!

Sounds a bit like they share a bed with the Met Office then!

As a flyer too all the weather and safety info is via a freephone number and you can even talk to a forecaster in the US here you get to pay around £1.50 a min for a faxback service!

RIP OFF BRITIAN is alive and well!

SDG

gingercoastie · 20 April 2005, 18:57

You could always ring the coastguard for the tide info, and we also give out all the weather info we have for free, becuase we are nice people

Richard B · 20 April 2005, 19:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

the UK Hydrographic Office are nothing but SCUM!!!

If you feel so strongly, perhaps you ought to articulate yourself to them directly: http://www.ukho.gov.uk/contacts.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by gingercoastie

we are nice people

I hope that codprawn approves of you as well!

codprawn · 20 April 2005, 21:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard B

If you feel so strongly, perhaps you ought to articulate yourself to them directly: http://www.ukho.gov.uk/contacts.html

I hope that codprawn approves of you as well!

Swansea coastguard are brilliant - really helpfull - can only assume others around the UK likewise although maybe the ones based around the Solent etc are a bit busy for nicities these days???

Andy · 20 April 2005, 21:48

It's not about money ... I was challanged to find FREE tide info online after I told a bunch of my students (who have no money) who are doing dive planning that such a Web site must exist. They claim they could not find the info, which I doubted and laughed at!!

However I looked and also failed .... not wanting defeat at the hands of my rabble, I put the question to you fine people!

But equiped with the responses on this thread I looked again. Unfortunately ... I still don't have free tide info beyond 6 days from now. Despite peoples suggestions I still can not find the info online without payment. I am not sure it exists ... I may have lost this one.

Scary Des · 21 April 2005, 09:32

WXTides is good if you play with it. There was an issue about licences for UK but is looks like they have sorted it out now.

Des

John Kennett · 21 April 2005, 10:23

In 2001, the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) claimed copyright over all the existing tidal data that they maintained, covering the UK as well as some countries outside the UK. They removed the information from the public domain and started to charge to use it.

Unfortunately it appears that there wasn't anybody with sufficient resources to make an effective challenge via the courts. So for a while there was no freely available UK tidal information.

However, at the end of 2003 the British Oceanographic Data Centre agreed for its own data (collected independently from the UKHO) to be used in XTide which is the "engine" that drives many of the free tide prediction programs. This means that certain key UK ports are now available in programs like WXtide32.

More details about UKHO's action here: http://www.flaterco.com/xtide/faq.html#60

More details about the new UK tidal information here: http://flaterco.com/pol.html

John

Scary Des · 21 April 2005, 10:50

I’ve been using an older version of tidetools on my Palm for a couple of years and find it useful as a quick guide

The version I have runs of the UKHO data base so is probably illegal

Des

Brian · 21 April 2005, 12:25

Some questions occur to me:

1. Has anyone paid UKHO for access to the data which they can then share with us?
2. ditto above, but built it into their products i.e. plotter chips?
3. If I have such chips, can I share this data with other rib.net users?

You can see which way my thinking is going, can't you?

codprawn · 21 April 2005, 13:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy

But equiped with the responses on this thread I looked again. Unfortunately ... I still don't have free tide info beyond 6 days from now. Despite peoples suggestions I still can not find the info online without payment. I am not sure it exists ... I may have lost this one.

http://www.ybw.com/weather/home.html

14 days - easy - you have won your bet!!!!

John Kennett · 21 April 2005, 13:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian

You can see which way my thinking is going, can't you?

We can phone you up and ask whether the tides in?

John

Brian · 21 April 2005, 16:09

JK,

Something like that!
I mean, if one of my friends on rib.net wants to know when high tide is at The Point of Ardnamurchan on 26th July 2008 is, and sends me an e-mail asking me, surely I can tell him? (It's midnight exactly !).

John Kennett · 21 April 2005, 17:00

An interesting idea (and one you may come to regret

)

I don't know what copyright there is, if any, on actual tidal predictions. The issue with the UKHO is the use of the underlying constants that are used to calculate the predictions.

John

jwalker · 21 April 2005, 17:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian

JK,

Something like that!
I mean, if one of my friends on rib.net wants to know when high tide is ..... and sends me an e-mail asking me, surely I can tell him?

OK, why the f.... was the tide 2 hours late at Port Seton on Saturday evening last?