This is the Index Page for Jake's website on Port Phillip Bay's Tides and Currents.

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The website contains properly researched info about how, why, & when, "Slack Water" occurs at Port Phillip Heads. There are two posts available at the moment.

Background to POST #1

Many water based recreational pursuits often use the low current period as the tidal flow reverses to keep participants safe.

This also applies to locations just outside the entrance, as well as up to 20 km inside it, where significant tidal currents can still be felt.

Nearly 50 years of various water-based recreations in this region has shown me that many folk's understanding of "Tidal Things" isn't up to scratch.

These misunderstandings increase their level of risk in this potentially very dangerous area.

The motivation for improving my own understanding is to keep me a bit safer as my body's strength declines with age. I am happy to share the insights gained but it can get a bit technical.

Background to POST #2

A particular bugbear of mine is a few "slack water myths", still in circulation, that have no evidence base whatsoever. If followed, these can be from mildly to very dangerous.

Decades ago, while sailing homeward in strong tide-against-wind conditions, I changed course slightly just to reduce the glare from the soon to set Sun. After nearly a mile on this "pure fluke new course", I encountered a drowning "myth victim". He was right at death's door and in an otherwise rough and lonely sea. It was a difficult and emotional rescue in the conditions. Ten days of hospital treatment and he was OK. I hate those bloody groundless myths!

I have wrapped three of these bad myths up into the second post, hoping the text is enough to kill them all off!

Almost equally irritating is the apparent lack of will from the port authorities and other safety bodies to act effectively to eliminate such "bad tidal information" wherever it crops up.

Viewing the Posts

The posts are a mix of images and text, glued together with my kindergarten level HTML coding.

They are best viewed on a desktop or laptop computer screen using a wide browser window, rather than on a small tablet or mobile phone screen.

This allows an image and the text that discusses it to fit within the same screen.

The first post might be a bit of a slog, but if you frequent PPH it should be a worthwhile investment.

"Skim readers" should find plenty of interesting images to flick through.

Readers with an even lower level of interest are recommended to look at just the first two and last two screens. This captures much of the point of the post but without the how and why detail.

POST #1 link is:- A Response to Poor Results in a Port Phillip Heads "Slack Water Quiz"

POST #2 link is:- Port Phillip and 3 "Bad Boy" Slack Water Myths