Question About High Tide At Sting Ray City

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I Have a question that may have never been asked before. I live in Las Vegas so we are desert rats that I honestly do not know much about high tide so please excuse the fact this could be a stupid questions but....

Back in 2005 I did the swim with the Sting Rays the water was rather high so it made it a bit difficult I am only 4'11" so I am rather short. I have seen plenty of pictures of small children doing the Swim with the Sting Rays and it is obviously low tide. Is there a way to tell when it is going to be low tide or high tide? I know idfferent times of day are different but does it change by the year, month day or Moon cyles :confused: I am thinking I want to try to do this again but if it is High Tide I definitely do not want to waste my money.

 

Thanks :)

[Cruisenouvelle]

I found a tide table for Grand Cayman, you can subscribe to its feed for current info:

http://www.tides.info/?command=view&location=Grand+Cayman%2C+Cayman+Islands

 

Have fun!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I found a tide table for Grand Cayman, you can subscribe to its feed for current info:

http://www.tides.info/?command=view&location=Grand+Cayman%2C+Cayman+Islands

 

Have fun!

Thanks :) I just wish it went just a few weeks farther out, we leave for our cruise on January 16th. I guess I will have to keep an eye on it for when they extend it out.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

OK I have done a bit of studing of the chart and I am sure there are plenty of others far better at it than me but it appears to me by the 18th of January which is when we will be in Grand Caymans it will be High Tide :(

Does any one else have a different guess?

[barbaraanne]

OK I have done a bit of studing of the chart and I am sure there are plenty of others far better at it than me but it appears to me by the 18th of January which is when we will be in Grand Caymans it will be High Tide :(

Does any one else have a different guess?

 

I'm not sure what you mean, as there are high and low tides each day...it is not a monthly type cycle, but a daily one. It would depend on what hour you were there, not which day.

[drew sailbum]

On January 18, 2010 there will be a low tide at 3:35am and tide will rise to a high tide at 11:09am. Tide will then fall to the next low at 4:12pm.

 

Tides do not vary more than a few inches in Cayman. Places further from the equator have greater variation in tidal height.

 

Local geography also plays a larger role in how high the tides rise. Cayman is surrounded by very deep water which is very close to shore. Tides vary much more in places where the sea floor slopes gently away from shore.

 

In Cayman the wind strength and direction has a far greater influence in how high the water is in North Sound. When there is a strong wind from a northerly direction for several days, water is literally pushed into the North Sound area (where the Stingray Sandbar is). This wind-driven water piles up.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

OK so this more the kind of information I need, I told you I am a desert rat and really know nothing about the tides :o

I am looking at an excurison that leaves from the ship at 9 AM so my guess is we would be there between 10 and 12 on the 18th of January.

When I was there in March of 2005 it was definitely high tide and very high winds. Like I mentioned I am very short the water level was about to my shoulders and when the waves came up it made it very hard for me. Yet I have seen so many photos of people with children that I know have to be much shorter than I am having no problems. I just do not want to spend the money to do this to be miserable again.

[barbaraanne]

On January 18, 2010 there will be a low tide at 3:35am and tide will rise to a high tide at 11:09am. Tide will then fall to the next low at 4:12pm.

 

Tides do not vary more than a few inches in Cayman. Places further from the equator have greater variation in tidal height.

 

Local geography also plays a larger role in how high the tides rise. Cayman is surrounded by very deep water which is very close to shore. Tides vary much more in places where the sea floor slopes gently away from shore.

 

In Cayman the wind strength and direction has a far greater influence in how high the water is in North Sound. When there is a strong wind from a northerly direction for several days, water is literally pushed into the North Sound area (where the Stingray Sandbar is). This wind-driven water piles up.

 

Wow, this was very interesting information! Are you a sailor? Your answer is not the usual stuff anyone would know, about the deepness of the ocean and the distance from the equator. Or maybe you live there!

 

Thanks for the insight.

[chukeee]

I, also, am interested in any responses to this question as we will be there at the same time. We were there last Jan. and saw many people standing in waist deep water. Even though it was sort of rough, they WERE standing and appeared to be having a great time. We (22 of us) on the other hand, did not. Out boat seemed to anchor farther out making it impossible for me (5'1") to stand and others who were taller to have a very hard time. I really think it is where your guides "park" or am I wrong in assuming this? Thanks

[chukeee]

Bump Any opinions on this please?

[Life without whine]

Have you thought about contacting the different tour operators? It seems like all the reports on the GC operators are on the up & up - why not just email them & talk to them about your concerns? We are heading out on our first cruise & I (neurotically) contacted all the ones that I chose for my family by their willingness to communicate! Hope it pays off - we are not a particularly tall family either!

[ready4vacation]

We went to Stingray City during a high tide a couple years ago. It was at least 7 feet deep all around our boat. One person in our party did not enjoy because of the waves and high water. But those comfortable and some swimming skills we're fine. We enjoyed the excursion . Private boat with a group of 15 or so.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

OK I have done a bit of studing of the chart and I am sure there are plenty of others far better at it than me but it appears to me by the 18th of January which is when we will be in Grand Caymans it will be High Tide :(

 

Does any one else have a different guess?

 

The predictions are now up thru the 19th of January and I will be there the 18th and as I was trying to figure out the chart I suspected that the prediction would be High Tide at about 11:00 AM and unfortunately that is the time we will be out at Sting Ray City:( While I understand tides do not vary that much but every inch counts when you are only 4'11":o

I have gone ahead and booked with Nativeway but I suspect it will be difficult for me and any one with small children at that time.

[drew sailbum]

The Stingray Sandbar is a shallow spot of shifting sand. The water depth depends in part upon tide but also upon how much or little sand is piled up at the time you visit.

 

Winter storms have a tendency to move sand around - taking it from one spot and depositing it in another. One storm may add sand to the Sandbar (thus making the water depth shallower). The next storm might take sand away.

 

Another factor is how many boats are at the Sandbar at a given time. When more boats try to pack around the Sanbar at one time, each boat is (on average) a little bit further from the center (shallowest part) of the Sandbar. Local regulations prohibit boats from anchoring in the absolute shallowest parts of the Sandbar.

 

Most boats are designed with ladders on the rear. These boats anchor with their sterns towards the center of the Sandbar. Since the propellers are also at the stern of the boat, these boats must stay in sufficiently deep water so that the props do not hit bottom as the boats bob in the waves.

 

A few boats have ladders down from the bow of the boat. These boats can place the bow in slighly shallower water.