AyeTides XL
, tides prediction application of Hahn Software LLC, is available since 2 nd August on AppStore. Issue of the software AyeTides for Mac and AyeTides for iPhone, the iPad version offers a completely new user interface to take advantage of the size and definition of the screen.
With more than 12.500 tides and currents stations around the world, dont 160 stations in France, the app presents times and heights of tide level based on the US public software XTide (*) using harmonic data and tidal predictions from the National Ocean Service (NOAA). Numerous corrections have been made in order to obtain predictions with an average of less than 3% deviation from the predictions of official bodies, like the SHOM for France, and database updates are frequent and always free.
World map of stations
Find the stations
The home view features a chart to be zoomed in/out to see all station icons in a selected area. Each station is accounted for by a standard tide icon [T] or current icon [C], a pin icon represents a grouping of several stations depending details level (zoom) used. A simple tap on icon opens the station (or the list of grouped stations).
The chart page can be switched to stations list page. In addition, an advanced search page allows you to find stations by geographical areas, alphabetical, recent or favorite stations.
If Location Services is turned on (GPS, cellular) position is plotted on the chart and allows a quick choice of closest stations.
Finally, below the chart, as set up, recents or favorites stations are listed.
View Stations
In portrait view mode the page shows, in upper banner, instantaneous water depth and direction of tide (or current) and a tidal clock. The center part shows two days tide prediction in list mode and ephemeris of sun and moon. Lower banner shows tides graphics.
In landscape display mode, a one month graphics view allow zooming on each day by a simple tap, opening a popover with complete detailled informations, including astronomical.
The " Maps " allows you to display the station on a Google Maps map in a window, a " ★ to add the resort to the list of favourites, a " 🔍 » list the nearest stations. Also three buttons allows the choice of depth water units : meters high, feet, or fathoms.
In portrait as landscape mode, simply dragging the finger across the screen to swipe days or months prediction, and date selector can be used to choose a specific date until 2100.
Several icons allow access to the nearest stations :
To conclude
Unlike most competing apps, AyeTides XL does not require a subscription. Predictions are provided up to 2030 for the current base price of 9 euros.
Without doubt the best universal tide app for iPad, even if it lacks the tides coefficients, concept completely unknown to british-US but so useful for french yachtmen. However, predictions based on harmonics can hardly take into account some local particularity. This is the case in the English Channel on the approaches to the Pas de Calais : there may be significant deviations from the SHOM predictions for certain ports such as Le Havre. The author therefore integrated alerts when certain stations had significant deviations from local predictions.
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(*) XTide
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