Slack water timing occurs most commonly during which tidal phases?

• A. Mid-tide
• B. At high and low tide
• C. During ebb current
• D. During flood current only

Answer: (B)

Slack water is the brief pause in the current as the tide changes direction. This happens at the turning points of the tide—around high tide and around low tide—when the flood current is about to stop and the ebb current is about to begin, or vice versa. During mid-tide the current is typically moving steadily, and it’s also not slack water while the current is actively flowing in one direction (ebb or flood). So the slackest moments occur at the transitions, right around high and low tide.