USCG Exam PracticeTides and currents — predictions and corrections
Slack water is best defined as which of the following?
- A. The period of maximum flood current just before the tide begins to ebb
- ✓ The brief period of zero flow at the turn of the tideCorrect
- C. The transition from neap tides to spring tides
- D. The period when tidal current speed equals the vessel's speed through water
Why B is correct
Bowditch Ch. 9 §903 defines slack water as the brief period of zero flow at the turn of the tide, distinct from flood (incoming) and ebb (outgoing) phases. It is not defined by tidal range transitions or relative vessel speed.
Cited:Bowditch Ch. 9 §903