Simple Tides / Guides
Guides
Everything Simple Tides has written about reading tides and putting them to use on the water, organized by topic.
Tide Basics
Start here if you're new to tide charts and NOAA data.
- How to Read a Tide Chart
Highs, lows, tide range, and tide types explained.
- Understanding NOAA Tide Stations
What each station type reports and how Simple Tides picks yours.
- Tide Tables vs. Real-Time Water Levels
Why predictions and live gauges sometimes disagree.
- Spring Tides vs. Neap Tides
Why the tide range changes twice a month.
- What Is a King Tide?
The highest tides of the year, and why they can flood low areas.
Tide Phenomena & Records
The bigger, stranger side of tide science.
- Full Moon Tides
Why the moon's phase drives the biggest swings in tide range.
- Do Lakes Have Tides?
Why lake tides are nearly invisible, and what a seiche is.
- What Is a Tidal Bore?
When an incoming tide becomes a wave you can surf upriver.
- Highest Tides in the World
Inside the Bay of Fundy and the physics of extreme tidal range.
Fishing & Bite Timing
How the Smart Bite Score works, and the reasoning behind it.
- How the Smart Bite Score Works
The four inputs behind the score, and its limits.
- Best Tides for Fishing
Why moving water matters more than tide height.
- Solunar Theory Explained
Major and minor periods, and where the idea comes from.
- Moon Phases and Fishing
How the moon affects a trip through tide range and solunar timing.
- Barometric Pressure and Fish Behavior
What the pressure-and-bite theory actually says.
On the Water
Activity-specific guides for timing a trip around the tide.
- Surf Fishing and Tides
Scouting sandbars at low tide, fishing the incoming push.
- Best Tide for Surfing
How tide stage changes wave shape and quality.
- Clamming and Tides
Why bigger tides expose more flat, and how to time your dig.
- Crabbing and Tides
When to drop a trap based on tide movement.
- Tide Pooling: Finding the Best Low Tides
Aiming for the lowest tides of the month, safely.
- Kayaking and Paddleboarding: Tides and Currents
Planning routes around slack water and tidal current.
- Scuba Diving and Tides
Planning dives around slack water and current.
- Timing a Boat Launch Around the Tide
Avoiding a ramp that's too shallow to use.
- Metal Detecting the Beach
Why low tide exposes the best-hunting sand.
Beach & Ocean Safety
What to know before you get near the water.
- Rip Currents and Tides
How to spot one, and exactly what to do if you're caught.
- Sneaker Waves Explained
Why the ocean can surprise you at any tide.
- Storm Surge vs. Tide vs. Sea Level Rise
Three different things that combine into the worst flooding.
- What Is Red Tide?
What causes it, and how to check before you go.
Have a topic you'd like covered? Let us know.