Does anyone know the tide patterns? I was wondering when the tide is fully out, whether it depends on the time of year or what.

Ta. Pete

It's mostly a lunar thing. Simply google "tide chart" and "location name", and you are bound to come up with a chart for your area.
It's cycle of usually just over 6 1/2 hours, progressing 40-60 min later every day, depending on location, geography, moon, sun and other factors.

I seeee. The tide was too far in to kite where i went.

I found this if anyone's interested in tide heights. Not quite sure what the height is of though..

OK here's how you read a tide chart:

There are generally 2 low tides each day. One of them is lower than the other. This is called the low - low tide. Now for the coming year, all of the predicted low - low tide heights are are averaged, and that height is designated as "0". The tide number is how many ft above that mark (or below that mark when preceded with a "-".

If you don't have a tide chart, here are some tips to help you determine what the tide will be:

The highest high tides and lowest low tides of the month occur at both full moons, and new moons. High tide will be roughly at noon and midnite on these days, and low tides will occur at around 6:00a.m. and 6:00p.m.

The lowest high tide and highest low tide of the month generally occur during the waxing and waining quarter moon (half the moon lit up). On these days, high tides will occur at around 6:00a.m. and 6:00p.m. Low tides will be around noon and midnight.

Each high and low tide cycle will be roughly 12 hours and 20 to 30 minutes later in than the previous one. That equals to 40 to 60 minutes later each day, or a complete 24 hour advance every 26.5 days (same as the moon's cycle)

So if you want a low tide, look for a moon low in the horizon.

If you want the lowest tide of the month (to give you beach to play on), look for a full or new moon, low on the horizon, late in the afternoon.

Hope that helps

GOOD POST BUCKY,

A bit more on Bucky's post...

Tides also change with the season.

Summer has the low-low tides early in the am.
Winter low-low tides are in the afternoon.

The further north of the equator you go, the larger the differences between high and low tides.

Southern California doesn't have as much tidal change as further up the Oregon and Washington coast.

The Bay of Fundy, famous for it's big tides, is way up north in Nova Scotia.

All of this is opposite when you venture south of the equator.
Winter is in July and the big summer holiday is Christmas.
Water goes the other way down a drain.

Best just to stay home.

Shameless Commercial Endorsement:

There is a great publication called "TIDELOG" published in Bolinas California, that graphically displays the tidal action a week-at-a-time, for the whole year.
The tide graphic is overlayed on a woodcut by M.C. Escher.

Much better than a simple tide-table that only shows the times of high and low tides, TIDELOG shows the rise and fall of tides daily, the entire week on facing pages, the whole year in a convenient booklet.

Even living in the desert, I still use my TIDELOG.

End of the Shameless Part.


Safen Up! Buggy On!

"Often wrong... Never in doubt"

the coreylama

Well... You got one right.... TIDELOG is a great tool!! (provided they make one for your particular area - as tide heights and times can differ from location to location)

On the other points.... not so good... I don't want to step on anyone's toes, but allow me to clarify some information that, though given with the best of intentions, is nevertheless incorrect.

Tides do change with the season, sort of... Actually whats going on, is that because the earth's orbit is an ellipse. Right now,its closer to the sun in winter (believe it, or not) and further away in the summer. This ellipse advances in an 30 year cycle. Which means 15 years from now, the sun will be further away in winter, and closer in the summer. It's not enough to affect the seasons, but is enough to influence tidal patterns.

The moon is also in an elliptical orbit around the earth. This is why we have high-high tides and low-high tides. This ellipse, also advances in an 18.6 year cycle. The interaction between the advancement these two ellipises is why every year, those perceived "seasonal" differences occur a few weeks later every year. Several years from now, so called "winter tides" will occur in the summer.


Technically speaking, the further North you go, the LESS tidal action there is. The moon's pull is along the equator, and the resulting tidal bulge proceeds westward along it. The arctic ocean, for example, has virtually no tides, because the moon is always on the horizon. The two examples that you gave to the contrary are the result of two different phenomena.

California has less extreme tides than Oregon or Washington only because its closer to an "amphidromic point" (locations around the globe that, because of land mass interference and currents, there is almost vertical movement.) Tahiti and New Zealand are other examples of amphidromic points.

The Bay of Fundy has extremely high tides, not because it is so far north, but because of "resonance". It just so happens that it takes a wave approximately 24.25 hours to cross from the east end of the Bay of Fundy to the west end and back. This is so close to the natural tidal pulse, that it serves to amplify the movement. (think of gently rocking a big tub of water in time with the movement of the waves in it.) Just outside of the Bay of Fundy, the tides are not extreme at all.

And finally, the notion that toilets flush in the opposite direction south of the equator is a complete urban myth. The "Coriolis Effect" determines the direction of large scale rotations such as hurricanes and oceanic currents, but has no effect on little ones. Toilets flush the same direction regardless of where on earth they're located.

This may all seem like just semantics, and have little to do with deciding when to go buggying, but bad information seems to have a way of spreading (just look at the toilet thing!)

No hard feelings I hope, Corey. 99% of the time you're spot on.

Bucky, these posts are printed keepers for the file, thanks!

I've hung around sailor tyes and have read up much on marine topics and have never heard a more concise and useful explanation of the topic.

Corey, thanks as well; As a relatively new buggier, I find your posts entertaining and useful.

I've been out-of-town.
Not wanting to let this pass by however.

Re-read my post - The reference to water down the drain in OZ was a JOKE.
Of course, I understand that if something is read on the internet, it must be true... But a little discernment when it comes to sarcasm, please.

I tried to stay away from obtuse explanations of sol and lunar orbital influences on tides.
But I was not wrong.

"Technically"

The size of the Bay of Fundy has precisely what effect on the large tidal changes along the coast of Wales?
Or the Severn River in Bristol England?

The geography of the surrounding land at Fundy is more a cause of the "phenomenon" of such a large, visible tidal change than any 24'25" tidal pulse.

Or the lack of significant tidal changes along most of the south Atlantic seaboard?

A high tide of +1' (over norm) would flood much of Florida (more sarcasm?)

Funny how "amphidromic points" extend along the same axis as equatorial distance. (Note: equatorial distance implies a comparison of equator to pole. The equator is usually assumed to represent the half-way point between the poles. The Central Oregon Coast straddles the 45th parallel - Half-way between the equator and either pole)

"Amphidromic"? Doesn't that mean the tides go in and out?

BTW... TIDELOG publishes editions for So Cal and Nor Cal and Puget Sound on the West Coast as well as editions for New England, Long Island and the Outer Banks.

Tidelog is awesome and it isn't technical.


Safen Up! Buggy On!

"Often wrong... Never in doubt"

the coreylama

Well Coreylama.....In an effort to avoid being too "obtuse", let me clarify and simplify my answer.

Quote:

The further north of the equator you go, the larger the differences between high and low tides. Southern California doesn't have as much tidal change as further up the Oregon and Washington coast.

WRONG!!!!! WRONG!!!!! WRONG!!!!! Want to know why....Look it up. Take a class. Avoid talking out your ass.

You offer no explanation other than "Corey says so!!"

Quote:

The Bay of Fundy, famous for it's big tides, is way up north in Nova Scotia.

Quote:

The size of the Bay of Fundy has precisely what effect on the large tidal changes along the coast of Wales? Or the Severn River in Bristol England? The geography of the surrounding land at Fundy is more a cause of the "phenomenon" of such a large, visible tidal change than any 24'25" tidal pulse.

WRONG!!!! AGAIN (notice a pattern)

"Resonance" has EVERYTHING to do with why the Bay of Fundy has such large tides! NOT how far up North it is.

Don't believe me..... Look it up. (you're on a computer!!) Or take a class. Or better yet take Earth Sciences as a minor at Washinton State University (I did!!)

Quote:

"Amphidromic"? Doesn't that mean the tides go in and out?

No..... Those are places where the tide DOESN'T go in and out.

Not convinced...hmmmm......Hey! I have an idea. LOOK IT UP!!!!!

Quote:

Re-read my post - The reference to water down the drain in OZ was a JOKE. Of course, I understand that if something is read on the internet, it must be true... But a little discernment when it comes to sarcasm, please.

Please forgive my apparent inability to discern the MISINFORMATION given in earnest from the MISINFORMATION given in jest.

Have you ever heard the saying "Just enough knowledge to completely miss the point." Well Corey........ THATS YOU!!!

With everything I'VE said, I invite anyone to check my facts. Feel free. There are several thousand sites that will validate what I'm saying. Tell me Corey; Where are we to go to check yours?!?

Stick to kiting info. And stop trying to live up to your own motto:

Quote:

"Often wrong... Never in doubt"

It's a funny motto......... except when it's true.

Note;
Upon personal observation, the toilets in Australia don't swirl.
Clockwise or counter-clockwise.
They swoosh.

Never found a swirling toilet in two trips down-under.
They have good beer there so I was able to search many places.

Water pours in one end and swooshes out the other.


Now to the meat...
Boy you rose to the bait.

I have never claimed any degree in earth sciences.
I do pay attention when I travel.

I've notice almost no tidal movement along the Pacific coast of Japan, and my grandfather's stories of WW2 in the South Pacific (he was a Seabee) mentioned the lack of dramatic tidal movement among the islands there.

That's confusing at first, until earth rotation is considered.

I see less and less tidal action the further south I travel along the Pacific coast of North and Central America.
From Canada to Mexico.

Are you saying that isn't so?


I lament the inability of the internet to convey the subtle nuances of conversation, reducing us to the literal appearance of words.

(nudge, nudge.. wink, wink... know what I mean?)


Safen Up! Buggy On!

"Often wrong... Never in doubt"

the coreylama

Oh I see!!!!

Subtle nuances.....Yeh.....I get it......clever!!!

Your not really blatently wrong.......I just didn't understand the subtle nuances of your your wrongness.

I think the only thing swirling and\or sloshing around here is the crap your trying to pass off as valid information. :puzzled:

Now how does that saying go? "You can fool some people, all of the time, and all of the people some of the time........ So see, there is hope for you.

Its entertaining when someone's ego is such, that they act offended and defensive when shown that they were incorrect about something. Or, barring that, try to pass off what they said as merely a joke, or a "nuanced" form of sarcasm (How's that been workin' for ya'?)

Everyone's wrong sometimes Corey. Even you. Just let it gooooooo.... :wink2:

If I'm wrong, point me to where it says I am. Otherwise, I think this stupid banter has run its course. Don't you? What is point in insisting that you're right over and over again, without supplying proof?

To all of you other fine kiters reading this mindless dribble: Please do not believe anything Corey says about this subject! Nor should you believe anything I say just because I say its true. For all you know, we could both be completely full of it. You do however, have a computer right in front of you that can be used to validate anything either of us have said. I encourage you to use it. (You too, Corey)

Please pass the Halon. My eyebrows are singed.

I'm sorry. I did seem to be getting a little hot in here. :D

For years now I've been seeking a spot along the Baja coast with a large exposure of hard-pack beach.
Seems to me a hard-pack beach would imply that it would be underwater during high tide.
I've asked the question many times.
I have not been able to explore most of the coast line myself, so I've been seeking those who have.
Baja Off-Road racers have been very helpful, but they don't pay attention to surface and wind features I find critical.
More and more kiteboarders are finding Baja, but they don't pay attention to the land and beach like buggy'ers do.

This heated discussion might have jogged somebody's memory.

"Oh No!" They might have said... "I know a place in Mexico with a large low-tide beach."

Bingo.

My comments were based on my observations.
Not "...look it up"
I was attempting to convey information based on those observations.
Not delve into the science.

The main point I originally tried to add was that the high and low tidal offset changes with the seasons.
In living on the Monterey, CA peninsula for 15 years and buggying the beaches there, the winter low-low tides occurred in the afternoon while the summer low-lows were in the morning.

A quick glance at my Tidelog confirms this.

The rest of it is interesting discussion, but hardly worth getting heated up over.

Sometimes I just ask questions.
Sometimes I like to try to stir the pot a bit and see what bubbles to the top.

I thought the personal comments were un-called-for.

Please disagree with anything I say.
But defend the point with facts or something, not mud.

My observations were valid.
Your explanation contains facts I had not included.
Don't understand how that makes my observations wrong.

Hubert Humphery once said "The right to be heard does not include the right to be taken seriously"

It's up to the individual to decide which is which.

But I'm still looking for a Baja Buggy Beach.


Safen Up! Buggy On!

"Often wrong... Never in doubt"

the coreylama

If someone looks up at the sun, he might be inclined to think that its a little yellow ball that moves across the sky everyday. The reality of what the sun actually is, is far different.

My point?!?

Indivual uninformed observations do not make "FACT". They are called "opinions". Thats why we use qualifiers such as "It looks to me like...." or "It seems to be....." or "My grandfather suspected that...."

"FACTS" on the other hand, are based on mutually agreed upon factors by informed individuals.

One shouldn't confuse the two.

And by the way Corey, I like to stir the pot as well. No hard feelings. :P