slack water
Current takes break
Slack water is the brief period when a tidal current stops flowing—the pause between ebb and flood tides when the water is essentially still.
Mariners and divers time activities to slack water for easier navigation or safer conditions: We'll cross the channel at slack water.
The term also applies to any stretch of calm or slow-moving water in a river or stream.
- stillUnmoving, or continuing
- dead calmComplete absence of wind
- calmFree from agitation
- tideOcean's cyclical swell
- high tideMaximum sea level
low tide · ebb · flow · harbor · safe harbor · estuary · river mouth · lull · pause · rest period · turning · neap · flood · basin · anchorage · mooring · boat launch · glassy
- tidal movementsebb tide, flood tide, tidal bore, tidal current, tidal stream
- tide tableshigh tide, low tide, neap tide, spring tide, ebb tide
- tideshigh tide, low tide, ebb tide, tides, flood tide
- low waterebb tide, ebb, low tide, neap tide
- estuariestidal marsh, salt marsh, tidal flats, mud flat, tidal creek
- tidal currentsebb, flood, tidal stream
water movement/current intensity
slack waterrapids
Turbulent river section
swift water · whitewater · rushing water · strong current · torrent
slack, water, slacks, slacken, slackened, slackening, slacker, slackest, slackly