If you're planning on going fishing, the best times are usually between high and low tide. If you are crossing a coastal area on foot, it’s best to cross it an hour or so before low tide, as the water is receding, rather than at low tide, after which the tide will be rising again. Again, this may occur twice in one day and refers to the height of the tide in feet or meters in relation to chart datum. Low tide predicts the water level at its lowest point – because chart datum is an average, low tide can fall below this number in which case this will be indicated as a negative number, otherwise it will just be indicated as a small number. You also want to know when the tide will be at its lowest, particularly if you’re planning to walk across a headland that sometimes disappears under water, camping on the beach or just hoping to build sand castles. In an area that experiences high tide twice a day, it generally takes about six hours for the tide to completely recede from high to low, so you generally have quite a lot of time to enjoy the water, but you may want to hit the water an hour or so before high tide while it’s still rising, rather than just afterwards when it is already receding. Be aware that high tide may occur twice in one day – these are called semidurnal tides. Look at what time high tide will occur (this may be indicated using a 24 hour clock). In an area that experiences high tide twice a day, it generally takes about six hours for the tide to completely recede from high to low (Image credit: Peter Cade) For example, a high tide of ten feet (3 metres) means the tide will be ten feet higher than the average low water mark. It’s indicated as a positive number and may be preceded by a plus (+) sign. High tide predicts how high above chart datum the tide will be at its biggest swell. Be aware that in the US, this number will be indicated in feet but in other areas it may be in meters. If you actually want to get out in the water, either for wild swimming or boating and kayaking, you will want to know how high the tide will be at its highest, and at what time. Chart datum is the average of low tide heights for the area, not the ocean floor, and it is set low so that tides don’t dip below it. Determine high tideīefore you look at the high and low tides, you have to understand what these terms actually mean. Once you know what information you’re looking for and you have the appropriate tide table, find the date you will be visiting – tides change day by day so there’s no point in looking at today’s data if you’re not going for another week. Are you trying to find out when low tide is so you can cut across the beach on foot? Do you want to go wild swimming or are you seeking the best surf conditions? If so, you’ll probably want to know when the tide is high, and how high it will be.ĭo you want to go wild swimming or are you seeking the best surf conditions? If so, you’ll probably want to know when the tide is high, and how high it will be (Image credit: Thomas Barwick) 1. How to read a tide chartīefore using a tide chart, it’s helpful to know what kind of information you’re looking for. It’s worth knowing that all tide tables are slightly different, but generally speaking, once you have the tide table for where you’re going, there are three important pieces of information to pay attention to: date, time and tide height. Tide tables are often posted at the beach, and you can find them online. It’s important to know that tides can be vastly different from one location to another, so you’ll want the specific tide table for the area where you’re going. They will tell you when low tide will be, when high tide will be, and how low and high the water will be. Tide charts indicate the times of low and high tides for a specific area on specific dates. Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels, which occur at regular intervals (Image credit: Jen and Sim Benson)
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