This is an attempt to build a cheap DYI current meter and establish more or less regular mesurements of current at Mukilteo T-Dock

Charts

  • This is a data from a very first test deployment for a few days.
  • Positive tilt angle means current going to ferry. Negative angle - going to the Oil Dock.
  • Meter was not calibrated. So the best I can tell now is only tilt angle from some "zero position".
  • 0.2kt zone was identified by comparing underwater current during a dive and meter data. Current speed was estimated by letting a tiny piece of kelp flow along a tape measure I had with me and measuring the time it took it to travel some distance.

Goals

Timeline Description Status
Short term Build cheap <$100 underwater current meter Done
Short term Be able to distinguish between 3-4 grades of current (no current, barely noticeable current, moderate, heavyy/not-safe) In progress
Short term Add ability for divers to note their current observation at the geodome so meter can be "crowdcalibrated" To Do
Mid term (Adjacent project) Create accurate in scale map of Mukilteo T-Dock dive site suitable for measuring distances and azimuths between main features In progress
Medium term Calibrate meter to measure current in knots To Do
Medium term Perform regression over collected data and try to build a model that would more or less accurately predict current based on nearest NOAA tide/current station predictions To Do
Long term Enhance meter to allow real-time collection of data from underwater. To Do