The tide is high
By Meg Rivera
SUMMER has always been my favorite season. I love everything associated with it: no class, the fumes that waft from an open bottle of sunscreen, and of course, the beach. Cebuanos are lucky to live so close to the beach and the open water. I reckon that this is the time of year that we know how lucky we are. A trip to the beach is never more than half an hour away, and there’s lots to do once you get there.
This is the time for all sorts of fun opportunities, but proper planning is key. This week we look at three apps that can tell you about the tides, and when is the best time of day to go
on your beach trip. Make the most of this summer, and don’t get yourself caught out with the tides down.
App name: Charts and Tides
App developer: Navimatics Corporation
Available on: iTunes, Google Play
Easy to use: Think of this as Google Maps for your water vessel.
Overall comment: I had to include this one, for the sailing enthusiasts among us. This app is quite bare when you first download it, since you have to purchase the license to access tide information from the app buyer. But once you have it, you can plan a journey on the map and it will tell you about the tides you will encounter at certain parts of the day and particular legs of the journey. I think this would be useful on a scuba trip, and if you’re planning to sail away, off into the sunset. But otherwise, this would just be fun to play with on its own.
App name: TideApp
App developer: Atlantis Technology
Available on: iTunes, Google Play
Easy to use: Much easier than the first one, I’ll say. You need to input your location for it to work, and you need internet too.
Overall comment: This app is the polar opposite of the first one. All you need to do is find the closest port to you, and it gives you the information that you actually want. I like how this app includes times for sunrise and the sunset and tells time in 12-hour format. It’s very simple to use, and often contains the information that most of us are looking for. You can also check out the tide times in various parts of the world, using the map in one of the other screens.
App name: Tides Planner
App developer: Tucabo
Available on: iTunes, Google Play
Easy to use: This is for the hardcore user, like someone on a boat or yacht. Not for the everyday user.
Overall comment: I may have overreached on this one. This app is clearly meant for someone who can identify a port using only its coordinates. There are only a few locations available for free, and you have to purchase the rest as part of a set. It gives a lot of info on things like spring and neap tides (who even remembers those??) and the differences between the highest tide and the lowest tide demonstrated on a graph. Good luck trying to figure this one out.
