Watch this video to learn about what causes tides. Click here to download this video (1920×1080, 103 MB, video/mp4).

The moon’s gravitational pull generates something called the tidal force. The tidal force causes Earth—and its water—to bulge out on the side closest to the moon and the side farthest from the moon.

High tide (left) and low tide (right) in the Bay of Fundy in Canada. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons, Tttrung.

As the Earth rotates, your region of Earth passes through both of these bulges each day. When you’re in one of the bulges, you experience a high tide.

This cycle of two high tides and two low tides occurs most days on most of the coastlines of the world. This animation shows the tidal force in a view of Earth from the North Pole.

Tides are really all about gravity, and when we’re talking about the daily tides, it’s the moon’s gravity that’s causing them. As Earth rotates, the moon’s gravity pulls on different parts of our planet.

The moon’s gravity even pulls on the land, but not enough for anyone to tell (unless they use special, really precise instruments). When the moon’s gravity pulls on the water in the oceans, however, someone’s bound to notice.

This is called the tidal force.

This bulge is what we call a high tide. As your part of the Earth rotates into this bulge of water, you might experience a high tide.

Water bulges toward the moon because of gravitational pull. Note: The moon is not actually this close to Earth.

In real life, the Earth isn’t a global ocean, covered in an even layer of water. There are seven continents, and that land gets in the way.

That’s why in some places, the difference between high and low tide isn’t very big, and in other places, the difference is drastic. The ocean also bulges out on the side of Earth opposite the moon.

These bulges represent high tides. If the moon’s gravity is pulling the oceans toward it, how can the ocean also bulge on the side of Earth away from the moon.

It’s all because the tidal force is a differential force—meaning that it comes from differences in gravity over Earth’s surface. Here’s how it works:

The water on that side is pulled strongly in the direction of the moon. On the side of Earth farthest from the moon, the moon’s gravitational pull is at its weakest.

Arrows represent the force of the moon’s gravitational pull on Earth. To get the tidal force—the force that causes the tides—we subtract this average gravitational pull on Earth from the gravitational pull at each location on Earth.

The result of the tidal force is a stretching and squashing of Earth. This is what causes the two tidal bulges.

It’s what’s left over after removing the moon’s average gravitational pull on the whole planet from the moon’s specific gravitational pull at each location on Earth. These two bulges explain why in one day there are two high tides and two low tides, as the Earth’s surface rotates through each of the bulges once a day.

When the earth, moon, and Sun line up—which happens at times of full moon or new moon—the lunar and solar tides reinforce each other, leading to more extreme tides, called spring tides. When lunar and solar tides act against each other, the result is unusually small tides, called neap tides.

When the gravitational pull of the Sun and moon are combined, you get more extreme high and low tides. This explains high and low tides that happen about every two weeks.

The Sun is much bigger and farther away. Wind and weather patterns also can affect water level.

Onshore winds can push water onto the shore, making low tides much less noticeable. High-pressure weather systems can push down sea levels, leading to lower tides.

Each day hundreds of millions of gallons of water pour in and out of the Bay with the rising and falling of the tides. All this moving water creates currents that push around obstacles and islands and can push an unsuspecting boater into problems, or leave them stranded far from home.

TIDE is the HEIGHT of the surface of the water. This is affected by the moon’s and sun’s gravity pulling on the oceans.

One high-tide is usually higher than the other. In San Francisco Bay, the tide can change by as much as 8 feet in the space of six hours.

High tide is not the same each day. As the moon orbits the earth, it pull the tide cycle with it.

So if it’s high tide at noon on Tuesday, it’ll probably be high tide just before 1pm on Wednesday, and maybe 1:45 on Thursday. The height of the tide changes through the month too.

The tides are also influenced by the earth’s orbit around the sun, and you’ll see particularly extreme tides around the weeks of the solstice. These tides are known as ‘king’ tides, and can cause flooding along the shoreline.

At the club, you’ll be able to find a copy of the tidebook by the log book at the signout desk. The tide rises and falls twice per day.

Things to note: The tide often hides rocks, or makes obstacles appear where they weren’t before.

Low tides are fun for doing low tide exploration. Pick a low tide to look at starfish and mussels clinging to sea walls.

At low tide, the dock apron can be very steep. Watch your footing and remember to tie your boat to a cleat if you leave it unattended on the slope.

As the tide rises out in the ocean, water ‘floods’ into San Francisco Bay and flows up to all the other bays and tidal channels upstream. As the tide falls, all that water ‘ebbs’ back out to the ocean.

Current is the FLOW of water in and out of the bay. Tides are vertical, currents are horizontal.

At times the water may be flowing out to sea at more than 4 knots (1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour which is about 1.2mph) – That is likely faster than you can probably row or paddle.

You can also find currents in the tidebook, or online sources listed on our weather page. The current section of the tidebook will help you identify times of peak flow (speed) and slack water between.

In a given day, it’ll flood twice, ebb twice and there’ll be four periods of “slack” between them.

You should imagine the tide creating a very long, slow wave that spills into and throughout the bay. The wave has its own momentum and it takes time for the rising waters to reach far up into the north bays.

It can even be flooding strongly at the Golden Gate bridge, even though the tide is going down. Bay Area tide-books typically use the Golden Gate Bridge as the reference point for current.

Tide books also provide standard “differences” to use as corrections for other locations around the bay. (See the back of the book) – The Golden Gate Bridge is used as a reference, where currents are usually the strongest.

<< Calculating differences >>. Here’s a snapshot of a typical flood.

At this point the South Bay has largely filled up, and there is much less current heading south. So while the Golden Gate is experience strong current, it might feel like slack in the cove.

Current forecasts are fairly predictable, but they are also affected by rainfall, and during wet winters the predicted currents can be significantly different from what you actually experience. Current forecasts are fairly predictable, but in springtime, spring rains and snow melt can add to ebb current strength.

Let’s dive into local current variations further. Underwater topography shapes how the water moves in and out of the bay.

In some places the current can be running at 4kts, while close by it’ll be calm or even going in the other direction. To understand what’s happening, it helps to view the underwater topography of SF Bay.

Read about that in USGS Publication, Shifting Shoals & Shattered Rocks. Now, take a look at this video and watch how the bay fills and empties with current at different strengths at different parts of the cycle.

Ebbing water becomes faster and more violent as you approach the constriction at the GG Bridge. It’s important to review the currents before you go out on the water, but there is nothing better than paying attention with your own eyes before you go out.

When going out of cove in a rowboat, kayak or paddleboard, you want to “do the hard part first.” – There’s nothing worse than having to fight to get back to the club. There’s nothing better than an easy row home after a hard workout to get somewhere.

So row out up-current (into the current) – Ride the current home to the club. An Example:

Be wary of strongest ebb currents. Plan carefully.

After the tides, the wind is the next biggest factor affecting the conditions of the Bay. Wind is more of a problem for rowers than swimmers, rowing into the wind can negate any current that may have been helping you.

The wind generally blows from West to East. Always check the weather forecast before going for a row or swim.

Angle into a current when rowing across the flow: Don’t let a current push you below (down current) from your goal.

Sighting with two points.

Tides are one of the most reliable phenomena in the world. As the sun rises in the east and the stars come out at night, we are confident that the ocean waters will regularly rise and fall along our shores.

This animation shows the relationship between the vertical and horizontal components of tides. As the tide rises, water moves toward the shore.

As the tide recedes, the waters move away from the shore. This is called an ebb current.

Basically, tides are very long-period waves that move through the oceans in response to the forces exerted by the moon and sun. Tides originate in the oceans and progress toward the coastlines where they appear as the regular rise and fall of the sea surface.

low tide corresponds to the lowest part of the wave, or its trough. The difference in height between the high tide and the low tide is called the tidal range.

This is called the tidal current. The incoming tide along the coast and into the bays and estuaries is called a flood current.

The strongest flood and ebb currents usually occur before or near the time of the high and low tides. The weakest currents occur between the flood and ebb currents and are called “slack water” or “slack current”.

Near estuary entrances, narrow straits and inlets, the speed of tidal currents can reach up to several kilometers per hour.

Contact Us.

The two tidal bulges caused by inertia and gravity will rotate around the Earth as the moons position changes. These bulges represent high tides while the flat sides indicate low tides.

A lunar day is how long it takes for one point on the Earth to make one complete rotation and end up at the same point in relation to the moon. The reason that a lunar day is longer than a normal 24-hour day is because the moon rotates around the Earth in the same direction that the Earth is spinning.

Tides are very long waves that move across the oceans. They are caused by the gravitational forces exerted on the earth by the moon, and to a lesser extent, the sun.

When the lowest point, or the trough, reaches a coast, the coast experiences a low tide. Imagine the ocean is shaped like a football pointing at the moon.

The point facing the moon is formed because the gravitational pull of the moon is strongest on whichever side of the Earth faces it. Gravity pulls the ocean towards the moon and high tide occurs.

The water moving away from the moon resists the gravitational forces that attempt to pull it in the opposite direction. Because the gravitational pull of the moon is weaker on the far side of the Earth, inertia wins, the ocean bulges out and high tide occurs.

NOS scientists advanced tidal recording systems as well as satellite imagery to monitor tides and water levels. These data are used to predict ocean behavior in order to protect our coasts and coastal communities.

Last updated: 01/20/23 Author: NOAA How to cite this article. Contact Us.

Brace yourself: Things are about to get even more complex. Earth may be a “blue planet,” but 29 percent of our world’s surface is covered by land.

Most coastal areas receive two high tides per day, with a new one coming every 12 hours and 25 minutes. Yet exceptions to the rule aren’t hard to find.

Advertisement. Many beaches on the Gulf of Mexico only receive one high tide per day, a byproduct of restricted water flow.

This results in huge height disparities between the low and high tides there, called bore tides. Tides can be used as a source of renewable energy.

A larger facility of this type was later built in South Korea.

The oceans bulge. (Not to scale.).

While both the Moon and the Sun influence the ocean tides, the Moon plays the biggest role. Although the Sun’s gravitational pull on the Earth is 178 times stronger than the Moon’s, the tidal bulges it causes are much smaller.

Rather, tides are created because the strength and direction of the gravitational pull varies depending on where on Earth you are. This variation creates the differential forces or tidal forces that in turn cause tides.

The Sun’s gravitational force, on the other hand, varies much less because the Sun is so far away. The Moon: Our natural satellite.

The overall effect of these tidal forces is to “squeeze” the oceans, and produce two tidal bulges on opposite sides of the Earth—one facing the Moon and a slightly smaller one facing away from the Moon (see illustration). Due to Earth’s rotation, the two bulges act like two expansive “waves” continuously undulating around our planet.

However, the variation between high and low tide is very different from place to place. It can range from almost no difference to over 16 meters (over 50 feet).

As a result, the tides behave more like water sloshing around in an oddly shaped bathtub than in a smooth and even basin. In some places, the water flows freely and quickly, while in other areas, where the water has to pass through narrow channels, it moves more slowly.

Tides are one of the most reliable phenomena in the world, and we know that they move in and out around twice a day, but not exactly. So, why is that.

A day on Earth is the time it takes our planet to spin once around its own axis in relation to the Sun. This is known as a solar day, and it lasts around 24 hours.

The reason the lunar day is longer than a solar day is that the Moon revolves around Earth in the same direction as Earth rotates around its axis, so it takes Earth, on average, an additional 50 minutes to “catch up” to the Moon. Because the tidal force of the Moon is more than twice as strong as the Sun’s, the tides follow the lunar day, not the solar day.

According to the National Ocean Service, there are some exceptions to the main rule of two tides every lunar day. Along the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico, there is only one tide per day due to the local shoreline topography, among other things.

While in theory, the tidal bulges follow the Moon’s position on its orbit around the Earth, the depth and shape of the ocean and the distance between continents are also important in determining when the tide rolls in and out. The time that passes between the passage of the Moon and the onset of the high tide is called the tidal lag.

On the other hand, the tidal lag in the North Sea—a part of the Atlantic Ocean bounded by continental Europe and the British Isles—can be about two days. The change from low to high tide is known as flood tide, while the change from high to low tide is called ebb tide.

The flow and ebb are gradual, so it is not accurate to say that a high or low tide lasts around 6 hours and 12 minutes, i.e. a quarter of a lunar day.

People who have to consider the tides in their daily life, like sailors, fishers, and surfers, often use what is called the rule of 12ths to calculate the expected water level. The water level changes gradually.

In the 2nd hour, it will rise 2/12, and in the 3rd hour, it will rise 3/12. In the 4th hour, it will also rise 3/12, in the 5th, it will rise 2/12, and in the 6th hour, it will rise 1/12.

So, let’s say the predicted tidal range is 12 feet. In the 1st hour, the tide would rise 1 foot.

In the 3rd and 4th hours, it would rise 3 feet. In the 5th hour, the tide would rise 2 feet, and in the 6th hour, 1 foot.

However, different weather conditions also affect the sea level and may cause both lower and higher tides than expected. If there is a storm, the seawater level often increases.

Strong offshore winds can move water away from coastlines, exaggerating the low tide. At the same time, onshore winds may cause the water to pile up onto the shoreline, making the low tide higher than usual.

In contrast, low-pressure systems may contribute to causing much higher tides than predicted. The average tidal range in mid-ocean is around 1 meter or 3 feet.

To give an average for tidal range along the world’s coastlines doesn’t make much sense, as they vary so much from place to place. Boats stranded at low tide in Devon, UK.

The world’s highest tide is in the Bay of Fundy in Canada, where the difference between low and high tide can be up to 16.3 meters (53.5 feet). The highest tides in the US can reach 12.2 meters (40 feet) near Anchorage, Alaska.

The Moon phase also plays a part in the tidal range. The greatest difference between high and low tide is around New Moon and Full Moon.

These tides are known as spring tides or king tides. The name has nothing to do with the season spring, but rather it is a synonym for jump or leap.

These spring tides usually have an even greater tidal range. Moon phases in your city.

This is popularly known as a Supermoon and leads to even larger variation between high and low tides, known as perigean spring tides. However, the difference from a normal spring tide is only around 5 cm or 2 inches.

The apogean spring tides are around 5 cm (2 inches) smaller than regular spring tides. Neap tides at Quarter Moon.

©timeanddate.com. The tidal range is smallest around the Quarter Moons /Half Moons because the gravitational force from the Moon and the Sun counteract each other at these 2 points of the lunar month.

Neaps always occur about 7 days after spring tides. There is a difference between having noticeable tides and having true tides.

Even though true tides also occur in smaller water basins, like big lakes, the tidal variations here are too small to notice. For example, in the Great Lakes in the US, the largest tidal range is less than 5 cm or just under 2 inches.

This is also the case in the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, and even the Mediterranean. Many rivers connecting to the ocean do have high and low tides.

If a part of a larger river is affected by the tides, the section affected is known as tidal reach. Low tide in the river Malta, India.

In a few areas, where the tide comes into a narrow bay or river, tidal bores can form. Created by the incoming tide, tidal bores are waves which travel against the direction of the water current.

If you are visiting the coast or doing any kind of watersports on the ocean, it is essential to understand if the tide is coming in or out.

Nothing is more disappointing than turning up to find the waves crashing against the rocks with not a grain of sand in sight. More importantly, on some beaches, a fast incoming tide can leave you stranded on a sandbank.

If you plan on heading into the sea, it is even more important to be confident about the tide being on its way in or out. This knowledge will not only keep you safe but also improve your experience.

Luckily there are some clues to help you judge for yourself when you are at the coast and tide timetables that can give you advance information.

This is data that you can easily find online for your local beach, that will tell you when high and low tide is, and everything in between. However, if you can’t get a tide table, you can use visual clues like seeing what direction the water is flowing, or if the beach is wet or dry.

Learning to interpret visual signs is a great way to develop your understanding of tides. Ask yourself the following questions to gather the information that will help you decide if the tide is going in or out.

You can look for visual clues like seaweed or wet sand in dry weather to tell if the tide is coming in or out. If the sand above the waterline is wet, you can usually assume that the tide is on its way out.

Of course, this is much harder to interpret if it is raining.

A rising tide leaves behind more debris than a falling tide.

When the tide is rising, the water will flow into the harbour so if you know where the entrance is, observe what direction the water is heading in. If it looks like the water is moving into the harbour, the tide is coming in.

You can use visual cues to help. It could be as simple as watching out for any seaweed, what direction is it moving in.

It is a skill to identify the movement of the water, and it will help if you practise at different times to improve your accuracy.

You may notice the waves changing if you’re on the beach for a while. Generally, in the UK, waves are bigger as the tide comes in, and they flatten off when the tide goes out.

Remember that weather conditions and different environments may also influence the size of the waves, so it is the change in the size you are looking for.

If the water is far from the beach or harbour, it will likely come in before too long. In some areas, the harbour will drain completely, leaving the boats moored on dry docks.

If the sea is already covering the beach or the harbour is full, the tide will probably start going out soon. The more familiar you are with an area, the easier it will be to predict accurately what the tide will do next.

If the beach has a lifeguard, there will be a notice board somewhere that will say what time high and low tide is for the day. If you can’t find the notice, just ask the lifeguard.

These come in very handy and are well worth picking up and keeping in your car. The best way to know exactly whether the tide is coming in or out is by using a tide table.

There are tide tables published for most coastal locations across the globe. They are used to predict the times of low and high tides that occur every day in a locality.

To get the most out of the information in a tide table, you need to know how to read it.

Your search results will offer you a few sites that will show the tide times for your chosen place.

Popular sites for Tide Tables that you can bookmark are:. A tide is the horizontal and vertical movement of the ocean’s surface water.

There are two high tides and two low tides each day. Tides are created by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun alongside the earth’s rotation, and they happen at different times depending on the cycle of the moon.

Like gravity keeps our feet on the ground, it also pulls the ocean towards the moon.

Tides are predictable, unlike British weather, as they are based on the moon’s rotation around the earth and the earth’s rotation around the sun. This means that tide predictions are very accurate.

Why aren’t they at the same time every day. Well, it is because there are about 6 hours and 12 minutes between high and low tides.

You may notice that sometimes a high tide can be very high, and for some reason the low tide makes the water go out much further than normal. The tidal range is the difference in height between low and high tides.

During Spring tides, the range will be at its greatest as the gravitational forces of the moon and sun are aligned. These occur at full and new moon phases.

Neap tides mean that the water moves more slowly, and the range will be much smaller. Neap tides happen in the first and third quarters of the moon’s phase.

On a personal level, knowing about the tide is essential for being safe at the beach or in the sea. It will also maximise your experience.

Fishing boats rely on tide knowledge to know when it is a good time to go out and get back before a low tide drains the harbour and to have the best chance to get a good catch.

This occurs for about an hour on either side of a low or high tide. Conditions and the current will be safer at this time, and it will be easier to paddle or swim.

Snorkelling and diving are best enjoyed just after a high slack tide with little current, and the water will be more transparent to create better visibility.

In general, surfing on an incoming tide, an hour after a low tide until an hour before the high tide, will help avoid rip currents but get longer waves and larger swells.

Often the best results will be two hours before a low tide as the fish are drawn into shallow waters to feed.

For regional conditions, it is always worth asking the locals who can advise you about various aspects of the local tides that can affect your experience. In addition to checking the local tide times and learning to look for clues, this will improve your safety and enjoyment of the sea.

Watersports Pro is managed by Ollie, who has been in the industry since 2007. A paddleboard and advanced windsurfing instructor, Ollie has travelled the world teaching these sports.

This NASA image from the Apollo 8 mission shows the Earth viewed over the horizon of the moon. While the moon and sun cause tides on our planet, the gravitational pull of these celestial bodies does not dictate when high or low tides occur.

Thanks to Sir Isaac Newton’s 1687 discovery, we know that tides are very long-period waves that move through the ocean in response to forces exerted by the moon and sun. However, these gravitational forces do not control when high or low tide events occur.

Many of them have to do with the geography and shape of the Earth. The shape of our planet has a lot to do with differences in gravitational pull at various locations.

The tidal “bulge” would move around the Earth with the moon, but this is not the case with our planet. The Earth is not a true sphere, but bulges slightly at the Equator.

Areas where the Earth’s surface is higher, such as mountains, have a stronger gravitational force than do places where the surface is lower, such as a valley or cavern. At the same time, the depth of the world ocean varies greatly.

Another thing to consider when thinking about tides is the dimension of time. There are lags in time when an observer experiences high or low tide, and the lag varies from one location to another.

East (known as the continental rise, continental slope, and continental shelf) slows down the tidal “bulge” or “wave” of water. The lag can be hours or even close to an entire day in some parts of the world.

The wave travels outward in a ring. If there is a tree or other obstruction in the pond, the ring of waves would travel and wrap around it.

NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services uses advanced acoustic and electronic equipment to measure and monitor the tides along our coasts. NOAA has water observation stations in more than 3,000 locations around the U.S.

Last updated: 01/20/23 Author: NOAA How to cite this article. Contact Us.

You are in: Home > Resources > Weather > Tides. Originating in the ocean tides are long-period waves that move through the ocean towards the coastlines where they appear as the regular rise (flood) and fall (ebb) of the sea surface.

Tides are influenced by the gravitational pull of the Moon, Sun and the Planets. When the sun, moon are in line with the earth earth you can expect the highest and lowest tides.known as Spring Tides) When there is a half moon you can expect very high or low tides.(known as Neap Tides) A “King Tide” refers to an exceptionally high tide which typically occur during a new or full moon period.

Spring tides occur at the time of a full moon. During this period the high tide will be higher and the low tide lower than average.

The use of the term “king tide” originated in Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific nations to refer to an especially high tide that occurs only a few times per year. The term is now used in North America as well, particularly in low-lying South Florida, where they cause sunny day tidal flooding.

When king tides occur during cyclones, floods or storms, water levels can rise to higher levels and have the potential to cause great damage to property and the coastline. During normal weather conditions the height of the king tides will be similar from year to year.

These higher than normal tides typically occur during a new or full moon and when the Moon is at its perigee.

This is the point at which the gravitational pull of the moon is strongest. During these periods there will be an increase in the average range of tides.

During these periods there will be a decrease in the average range of tides.

During this period the high tide is lower than usual and the low tides are higher than usual. Horizontal movement of water often accompanies the rising and falling of the tide.

The incoming tide along the coast and into the bays and estuaries is called a flood current. the outgoing tide is called an ebb current.

The weakest currents occur between the flood and ebb currents and are called slack tides. In the open ocean tidal currents are relatively weak.

High tides occur 12 hours and 25 minutes apart, taking approximately six hours for the water at the shore to go from high to low, or from low to high.

Strong offshore winds can move water away from coastlines, exaggerating low tide exposures. Onshore winds may act to pile up water onto the shoreline, virtually eliminating low tide exposures.

Conversely, low pressure systems that contribute to cloudy, rainy conditions typically are associated with tides than are much higher than predicted.

Both high and low tides are caused by the Moon and its gravitational pull. As the Earth rotates, the Moon’s gravity pulls on different parts of the planet, even the land in very small amounts.

This is called the tidal force, and those opposite “bulges” of water are high tides. Tides are one of the most reliable phenomena in the world.

Tides are very long-period waves that move through the ocean in response to the forces exerted by the moon and sun. Tides originate in the ocean and progress toward the coastlines where they appear as the regular rise and fall of the sea surface.

Tides change through four phases: The currents produced by tides are called “tidal streams.” The moment this tidal current stops pulling and the water ceases, it is called a “slack tide” and indicates the impending reversal of the tide.

low tide corresponds to the lowest part of the wave, or its trough. The difference in height between the high tide and the low tide is called the tidal range.

Continents get in the way, preventing the water from perfectly following the Moon’s gravitational pull. Therefore, in some locations, there is not much difference between high and low tides, but in others, the difference is dramatic.

When the Earth, Moon, and Sun line up (such as during full or new moons), the solar and lunar tides reinforce one another. This leads to more extreme tides, also known as “spring tides.”.

The lunar day is 50 minutes longer than a solar day because the moon revolves around the Earth in the same direction that the Earth rotates around its axis. That means it takes the Earth an extra 50-minute to “catch up” to the moon.

Because the Earth rotates through two tidal “bulges” each lunar day, most coastal areas experience two high and two low tides every 24 hours and 50 minutes. High tides occur every 12 hours and 25 minutes apart.

Analog or digital tide clocks are most accurate for use on the Atlantic coasts of America and Europe. This is because along the Atlantic coastline the moon controls the tides predictably, ebbing and flowing on a regular schedule.

The Pacific Ocean is so vast that the moon cannot control the entire ocean at once. The result is that parts of the Pacific Coast can have 3 low tides a day.

Mechanical tide clocks used on the Pacific Coast must be adjusted frequently, often as much as weekly, and are not useful in diurnal areas (those with one tide per day). If you live near the Atlantic Ocean and are curious to know when high and low tide is at your location, be sure to check out the Maximum Harbormaster Tide Clock or the Cronus digital tide clock on Maximum-inc.com.

You cannot account for all the possible variables when choosing the best timing for a Costa Rica vacation – rainy vs. dry season, micro-climates, weekend beach traffic, school vacations (both in Costa Rica and at home), turtle nesting and hatching seasons, flight schedules and costs, and many more – but there’s one variable you probably haven’t thought of that’s worth taking a few minutes to learn about – la marea.

The first thing to know is there is one high and one low tide during the day plus one of each at night. Second, the maximums are about an hour later every day.

| who cares. | best time.

Kayaks waiting at sunrise for our exploration of the mangroves and laguna Javilla. The lake was empty 4 hours later – at Playa San Miguel, Nicoya peninsula.

Even if all you plan to do is lounge in the sun drinking piña coladas you may want to take a peek at the tide tables. Many beaches get very thin or disappear altogether at high tide or you may have to hike over a quarter of a mile from the water to the bar to get a refill at low tide.

| who cares. | best time.

There are two ways to plan around the tides. First, you can arrange your day taking the tides into account.

Otherwise you’d be trying to paddle across mud flats. Second, you can arrange the order of your itinerary to match the favorable tides.

That means it takes about a week for high tide and low tide to switch positions on the clock. If high tide is at noon one Monday then low tide will be around noon the following Monday.

In reality unless we’re doing something extremely tide dependent like a long trek in Corcovado we don’t worry about scheduling the whole week around perfect timing. We will re-schedule a Stand Up Paddle board lesson a couple of days earlier in our beach stay to hit a lower tide and smaller waves though.

| who cares. | best time.

In order to adjust your plans you’ll need to know when the tides are high or low so we maintain a handy calendar with an integrated tide table for the upcoming year.

The high (↑) and low (↓) tides for each day are shown are shown along with all the other info you might need to plan travel. tides when I visit.

| best time. | adjusting | Caribbean.

None is a bit of an exaggeration but they are very small, on the order of a few inches rather than feet. A number of factors conspire to minimize the rise and fall in the Gulf of Mexico.

The tidal bulge comes from the east following the moon and as a high tide propagates across the Atlantic from the shores of Africa it’s reflected back by Florida, the Yucatan peninsula and Cuba blocking the mouth. Another factor is the length of time it takes for a wave to travel through the ocean.

And then there’s the shape of the Gulf itself. The swells that do manage to form are soon reflected by a beach and slosh around in the bowl canceling each other out.

If you plan to do a long hike on the Caribbean (Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo is highly recommended) you should at least ask locally about points that might be difficult to pass. tides when I visit.

| best time. | adjusting | Caribbean.

The ocean : what is better than contemplating waves. You probably got surprised one day when the water level interrupted your sunbath and soaked your towel, and you probably asked yourself why the tide goes up and down.

Before we get into details concerning the origin of tides (without using complicated scientific explanations), let us start by answering a simple question : what is a tide. It is a regular motion of the sea’s and ocean’s level.

So how do tides work.

You do not have a clue when the tide will get high or low. It is for you a real conundrum to decide when to have a walk on the beach or have a swim during your favourite tide.

Essential tool for your seaside outings, it will indicate you the tidal state at a glance.

The way tides work is not simple as there are many factors to take into account : it is mainly due to the Moon’s and Sun’s gravitational pull exerted on the Earth. Tides are strongly influenced by the gravitational force of the Moon (due to its proximity with the Earth).

As for the Sun, it attracts the water surface the same way, but slightly less than the Moon does (as it is further away). They are not the only ones which affect the ocean and sea levels.

When you turn, your car is attracted to the road outside, it works the same way with water surface.

© timeanddate.com.

And what is low tide and high tide.

The tide will get low once the water surface is no longer in front of the Moon and attracted by the centrifugal force. Interestingly, other factors have an impact on tides : water surface’s size, weather….

From now on, you will not see the Moon the same way as you used to and you will now look at its position before you decide to swim or surf. Now that you have understood how tides work, we are going to discuss tidal cycles.In theory, there are two low tides and two high tides a day (Earth’s rotation).

This means that the level of both high tides are almost even, and it is the same thing with both low tides. This phenomenon can be observed in the Atlantic Ocean.

All oceans have a tidal cycle. However, there are different types of tides throughout the planet.

This scientific expression means that there are two high tides as well as two low tides, but they can be very different from one another. It is the case on the west coast of the United States.

Some tides are called “diurnal”, which means that there are only one high tide and one low tide within 24 hours, and some are called “mixed” (diurnal tides and semi-diurnal tides). However, the latter only concern very few seas in the world.

Well then wait for one of our next “Ocean” articles which will deal with another fascinating topic.

Low tide is the time when the sea is at its lowest level because the tide is out at the coast. At this time, more of the seabed is exposed to the air.

The gravitational forces exerted on the earth by the moon, as well as to a lesser extent the sun, cause a low tide. When the highest point in the wave, or the crest, reaches a coast, there is a high tide.

Low tide occurs when the sea is at its lowest level because the tide has receded. Because the Earth spins through two tidal “bulges” every lunar day, coastal regions experience two high and two low tides every 24 hours and 50 minutes.

The water at the beach takes six hours and 12.5 minutes to go from high to low (or vice versa). Yes, a low tide is a good thing because it means there are lots to see at the coast.

It can be amazing to see what you find.

It’s fun to go crabbing at low tide because the water is not very deep, so it’s easy for them to crawl onto your string.

The most apparent modification is the depth, as the heights and dips of tide waves go by. For expert swimmers, this isn’t an issue, but for those who are less confident or have little children, it’s preferable to swim at low tide when the water stays shallower.

A riptide is an area where the waves are too strong for people. When they get dragged quickly away from the coast, they can drown and never be seen again.

The waves break too near to the beach at high tide, so there isn’t much of a ride. Uncovered rocks or seaweed might get in the way at low tide.

Since the moon can be in the sky a different times of the day, this means it can have an affect on tides at different times of the day. A low tide might happen at night, but it may also happen during the day.

There is always a certain amount of water in the sea and this stays at a constant level. Low tide happens because of the gravitational forces caused by the sun and moon and does not vary depending on whether it has rained recently at your location or where you are in the world.

Tides happen every day all over the globe due to many factors such as longitude and latitude. Tides are repeated every 12 hours and 25 minutes, because this is how long it takes for the water to go from high tide to low tide or vice versa.