You have to be careful about currents on NOAA. Sometimes they are estimated and not real current measurements.
Not many real current velocity instruments by NOAA.
OK, I'll bite on that comment. Since every source that I've ever encountered (including NOAA) express a similar disclaimer, who would be a better source?
Aren't all current predictions estimates? I'm not sure if it was a disclaimer by Environment Canada, or someone else, but somewhere this summer, I saw a comment that barometric pressure can noticeably affect tides and currents (both levels and timing).
Let's turn this into a discussion about available tools for currents (in the PNW in particular), how to use them, and how to integrate them. It may even help to inspire (or terrify) some of the potential members of the Vic-Ga-Pa-Vic flotilla, next summer.
NOAA has always been my benchmark for current predictions. If I'm going to trust anyone, it would be NOAA, over any other source that I have had access to. I agree, that today's NOAA system was faster. I don't agree that it was more graphical in the presentation of the data. The selection of the current station was graphical (from a map), after I was able to find the Current Predictions map. After clicking on the current prediction that I wanted, I was presented with yet another popup window, with currents displayed in a tabular format, which could NOT be printed. ...find a pencil and write it down, or screenshot it. This time through, I counted the clicks. It took me eight clicks on the map, to zoom in to what I wanted. Where as the previous interface took one click of my bookmark, granted... scroooooolllll through the list of more than 400 current stations for Washington, then a second click to get current predictions for the Tacoma Narrows. I WAS able to find the graphical presentation of today's currents in the new system by clicking on the More Data button (9), and then Current Prediction Data (10 clicks).
Deepzoom is awesome. But as a Mac user, I'm surprised that it still exists. I've looked for it at least twice, after it vanished from my usable universe following a software update several year ago. It also requires Microsoft Silverlight to run on my Mac, and that's yet another layer of compatibility and updates to keep up with. I thought Deepzoom did the best job
EVER, of showing in graphical form just how unique the current through Deception Pass is. But, in the format that I was using it, it did not give me much useful data for trip and route planning (printable tables of data). Check that, I spent a lot of time scrolling through the animations trying to visualize my travel times and ETA at various waypoints of a journey.
I have a B&G chartplotter with Insight charts. It was relatively easy to find currents on the chart display, and get the predictions on demand while cruising. The accuracy of the predictions was usually suspect, and I would defer to my NOAA prediction if it was important (slack at Deception Pass). I should say that I HAD this system, because I have just recently installed Navionics on my Zues. Insight is still available, but I'm going to be using Navionics because it includes the Canadian charts that I needed.
Navionics is so new to me that I don't have a handle yet on how they present current information on their chart displays. I hope to get down to Olympia next week, so maybe I'll have a chance to find a couple of familiar current stations along the way and learn something new.
Canadian current table books have done a great job of teaching me more about currents. I don't mind that I have to buy them. They seem relatively straightforward to use. I haven't surprised myself, yet, in my limited cruising in the Gulf Islands. My biggest complaint right now, is that 2020 is not yet published, and I'm trying to plan for next summers cruise, now.
What I use... is everything that I can get my hands on. And I still get surprised, and caught. This years surprise was returning from the Gulf Islands to the San Jauns. I thought South Pender Island across Boundary Pass was no big deal. Until CBP gave the the all clear, and I headed east toward Sucia on an ebb current... the undersea ridges and valleys along Boundary Pass north of Waldren and Skipjack Islands had me bucking currents that were well beyond anything that showed up on my NOAA predictions or my chartplotter. But I kept looking... finally spotting yet another current 'anomaly' where the current arrow on my Insight charts suddenly pointed in the opposite direction between Sucia and Patos Island. I didn't hesitate to take that route, and finally picked up a little time on our way to Echo Bay on Sucia...
Currents. They happen, whether you know about them, or not.