Currents from the Hudson tanks?

[TerryInFlorida]

I was just looking at the gulf currents and was wondering which direction the currents flow, if they change during the day like the tide, with the tide or if they change direction over a longer period of time. The charts I saw seem to indicate the currents flow inland, it looks like you would have to go pretty far out to hit the main stream of the gulf stream.

Any one have any knowledge of this, I know we have a few that go out to the tanks here and there.

Thanks.

Terry

 

[eandiver]

Yes the currents change during the day with both the tides and the weather. The Gulf of Mexico has a main flow in a clockwise pattern. Mexico to Texas to Louisiana to Florida and the closer you get to land the more rivers and such add to different tidal flow directions. The Gulf Stream is on the Atlantic side though.

 

[TerryInFlorida]

The charts I have been looking at show the gulf stream flowing through and out of the gulf of mexico before reaching the atlantic side... I always thought the gulf stream was named for the gulf of mexico... GulfStream

When I dove out of Sarasota we had a northern current that was pulling that direction all day. It was like a freakin river... We were out diving two artifial reefs and the direction of the current didn't seem to change, I was wondering specifically if it was a similiar case with the tank locations off of hudson?

 

[eandiver]

Sorry about that, I wasn't as clear as I should have been. I guess when people think of the Gulf Stream they think of the warm clear water moving up the eastern coast line of America.

Since the Gulf Stream is so far off our west coast maybe that explains why the middle grounds seem to be real clear.

 

[DiveBandit]

Terry, I've always experienced a north south current when out in the Gulf. I'm sure it fluctuates a little east and west, but in general it's been north south. I can definetly relate to the "It was like a freakin river" thing. I've seen it like that up between Tarpon and Hudson.

 

[TerryInFlorida]

Funny thing was that the instructor warned us all but each of us basically took it for granted and had to swim pretty hard even with our fins on just to get back to the boat when entering the water one at a time, we were a group of about 10-12 plus 2 instructors and an assistant... We each had our own appreciation for the current afterward. We used the ropes on the starboard side of the dive boat to navigate to the bow and descend hanging on to the anchor rope. Once we were on the bottom it didn't even feel like there was a current, ascending was the reverse. As we made our way along the side of the boat we all clung to the ropes hard, lol... It was a really hard current, we went out of Sarasota to only 40'. That was back when I was getting certified for open water. The red tide was still hanging around but out where we went it seemed alright. The part that really sucked was that the turbo was shot in the dive boat and we could only travel at about 10 knots at best. So when the other boats passed us they churned up the algae and made it airborne, we were chokin on the stuff for around 3 minutes until the air cleared with each passing boat. After a couple of boats passed, I started to cover my mouth with my wet shirt and everyone else followed my lead. It helped a lot...

About a year ago I was able to find a pretty cool site, government and/or research site I believe, that had local currents charted and how the local tides effected them but as usual I failed to save the url. I am basically interested in the hudson tanks areas, was wondering if anyone that dives them noticed if the currents are pretty much the same direction at the locations or not?

If I locate the site again I will add the link...

 

[eandiver]

The two times I went out to the tanks with N@rco$i$ and his crew there was little current if I'm remembering right.