New Free App Reveals Bay Currents

Bay Area sailors who own smart phones and tablets have been using tide apps for years. But now there’s also a new current app that gives real-time and predicted info on surface currents within the Bay, and as far south as Half Moon Bay, sourced from the Coastal Ocean Currents Monitoring Program in Northern California (COCMP-NC). The data is provided by radiowave-emitting sensors.

While race committees generally prohibit offshore racers from receiving real-time weather routing coaching (i.e. via satphones), we’re not aware of any restrictions on using tide and current apps on in-the-Bay races. And while the data may not be spot on for any given portion of the Bay, it will probably help competitors — especially newbies — avoid the strongest flows of unfavorable current.

In any case, since your tax dollars helped to fund it, and it’s free, we’d encourage iPhone and iPad users to have a look. (Hopefully an Android version will be available soon also.)