Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the questions we hear most about how Simple Tides works, where the data comes from, and what we do (and don't do) with your information.
What is Simple Tides?
Simple Tides is a free, map-first tool for finding nearby NOAA tide stations and seeing upcoming tides, weather, marine conditions, and solunar activity in one place. Pick a station on the map and it pulls together a tide chart, timeline, and a Smart Bite Score to help you plan a trip.
Is Simple Tides free to use?
Yes. Simple Tides is free with no account, subscription, or paywall. The site is supported by ads, which is also why you may see a cookie notice on your first visit.
Where does Simple Tides get its tide predictions?
Tide predictions and water level data come from NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS). Weather comes from the National Weather Service (weather.gov) with Open-Meteo as a fallback, marine conditions come from Open-Meteo Marine, and sun and moon data come from Sunrise-Sunset.org and FarmSense.
How accurate are the tide predictions?
NOAA's predicted tides are generally very reliable under normal conditions, since they're based on long-term harmonic analysis of each station's tidal patterns. That said, predictions can be thrown off by storms, strong winds, or unusual river flow, and not every station has the same length of historical record behind it. For the technical differences between station types, see our guide to NOAA tide stations.
What is the Smart Bite Score?
It's a quick, heuristic estimate of how favorable current conditions look for fishing, based on tide movement, solunar activity, moon phase, and weather. It's meant as a helpful starting point, not a guarantee. See our full Smart Bite Score guide for how it's put together.
What is solunar activity?
Solunar theory holds that fish and wildlife are more active around certain positions of the sun and moon. Simple Tides shows solunar activity as one input alongside tide movement. Read more in our solunar theory guide.
Do I need to create an account or share personal information?
No. Simple Tides doesn't require an account, login, or any personal information to use. See our Privacy Policy for full details on what data is requested and why.
Why does Simple Tides ask for my location?
Location access is optional. If you allow it, Simple Tides centers the map near you and estimates distance and travel time to nearby stations. You can skip this and search for a city or station by name instead.
What if a station near me shows no tide chart data?
Some NOAA stations only report water levels, currents, or weather rather than full tide predictions. If a station has no usable tide data, Simple Tides will say so and you can try a nearby station instead — the map will keep the radius filter active so you can quickly compare options.
Who maintains Simple Tides and how do I report a problem?
Simple Tides is an independent project, not affiliated with NOAA or any government agency. If you spot a bug, a station with bad data, or have general feedback, visit the Contact page.
What time is high tide today?
High tide times are different for every location and shift about 50 minutes later each day. For today's exact high tides near you, open our tides today page or pick your city from the tide map — every page shows live NOAA high and low tide times.
What time is low tide today?
Low tide times depend on your exact spot on the coast and move later by roughly 50 minutes daily. Check today's tides or any of our city tide charts for live NOAA low tide times near you.
Where can I find a simple tide chart?
You're looking at one. Simple Tides is built to be a simple tide chart: open the homepage map, tap the station nearest you, and you get today's highs and lows, a visual tide curve, and marine conditions with no clutter. Every city tide page also shows a clean upcoming-tides table.
What is the difference between a tide chart and a tide table?
A tide table lists high and low tide times and heights as numbers; a tide chart plots them as a curve so you can see the water rising and falling through the day. Simple Tides gives you both. Learn more in our guide to reading tide charts.
Are tide times the same every day?
No. Because the moon orbits Earth, each day's tides arrive about 50 minutes later than the day before, and the heights change with the moon phase — biggest around full and new moons (spring tides), smallest at quarter moons (neap tides). See spring vs neap tides for the full picture.