Tides and Venice/Sugar Barge

[Likes2Cruise]

I have a question regarding tides and shore diving at Venice and Anna Marie:

Which tide, if any, yields better conditions for diving these locations?
High? Low? Incoming? Outgoing?

Also, can anyone give me a good definition of 'slack tide'? I've seen this term used for some other shore dive locations and I am not sure I fully understand what the term means.

 

[Walter]

Tides don't matter at those sites.

Slack tide is the time when there's no current due to tide. That happens at high tide and again at low tide. At high tide, the current will be coming in, then the current will slow and stop for a brief period (slack tide) then start flowing out. The same thing happens in reverse at low tide.

 

[frogman_5]

As a general rule, the water will be a little clearer on an incoming tide. This is due to surface runoff and shallower, and more easily stirred, waters in bays and rivers which, in turn, spreads out from bays and inlets on an outgoing tide.

Wind direction, however, usually dictates the conditions along the beach. A sea breeze blowing towards the land will create waves and ruin visibility. A land breeze (or no breeze at all) will prevent waves close to shore and the viz will be much better.