Actual Currents

Tidal Current Visualizations

Actual Currents brings tidal currents to life with real-time animated particle visualization on a nautical-grade interactive map.

See the actual flow of water in your area — not just tide times, but the speed and direction of tidal currents rendered as thousands of flowing particles over a detailed heatmap. Plan your trip with confidence by scrubbing through time to see how currents change throughout the day.

FEATURES

• Animated tidal current visualization with speed-colored particles and GPU-accelerated heatmap
• Time scrubber — view current predictions for any time, past or future
• Globe view with global ocean currents (HYCOM) when zoomed out
• ECMWF wind overlay with real-time global wind data
• ENC nautical chart data with navigation aids, depth soundings, and depth contours
• Satellite, bathymetry, and nautical basemap options
• Route planning with current-aware analysis
• Trip logging with GPS drift tracking
• Location search to jump to any harbor or waterway

COVERAGE

Tidal current predictions powered by NOAA's ADCIRC model covering:
• US Atlantic coast — Maine to Florida
• US Pacific coast — Washington to California
• Gulf of Mexico
• Global ocean surface currents via HYCOM

BUILT FOR BOATERS

Whether you're sailing, fishing, kayaking, or navigating commercially, understanding tidal currents is critical for safety and efficiency. Actual Currents gives you an intuitive, visual understanding of water movement that tide tables alone can't provide.

SUBSCRIPTION TIERS

• Basic (free) — Real-time currents within ±3 hours of now
• Pro ($2.99/mo) — Extended access ±30 days for trip planning
• Unlimited ($5.99/mo) — Full historical and forecast access

Data sources: NOAA ADCIRC, HYCOM, ECMWF IFS, NOAA ENC. No affiliation with NOAA or any government agency.