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🌊 Tide Calculator

High & low predictions

🌊 Why Track Tides: Tides govern nearly everything on the coast — when to wade, when to surf, when to explore tide pools. Each day usually has two highs and two lows, shifting about 50 minutes later each day. This tool pulls real predictions from NOAA for the nearest US coastal or Great Lakes station to your location.

⚠️ Safety Note: These are NOAA's official predictions for the nearest station, not a guarantee of conditions at your exact spot — local wind, storms, and geography can shift real water levels from the prediction. For anything safety-critical (swimming, boating, tide-pool exploring near cliffs or channels), verify conditions locally before heading out.

US coastal and Great Lakes areas only — NOAA doesn't have tide stations elsewhere. If your exact town isn't found, try the nearest larger coastal city.

Optional — Click Here if you know your exact coordinates

If both fields are filled in, they're used instead of the city lookup above — otherwise leave them blank.

Tide Predictions

💡 Pro tips:
• Spring tides (new/full moon) = biggest range
• Slack water is best for kayaking/paddleboarding
• Low tide reveals tide pools — best 2hrs after low
• Always double-check locally before any water activity

Did You Know?

The Bay of Fundy in Canada has the largest tidal range on Earth — up to 53 feet between high and low tide, enough to completely reshape the coastline twice a day.

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📖 Understanding Tides: A Complete Guide

How It's Calculated

Enter your city (or exact coordinates) and a date. This tool finds the nearest NOAA tide-prediction station to your location, then pulls real predicted high and low tide times and heights for that station and date directly from NOAA's CO-OPS service — the same source used for official U.S. tide charts.

Semidiurnal vs. Diurnal

Most coasts have semidiurnal tides (two highs/lows daily). The Gulf of Mexico has mixed or diurnal tides (one high/low) — you'll see this reflected in how many high/low cards appear in your results.

Tide Pooling

Low tide reveals incredible ecosystems. The best viewing is 1-2 hours after low. Spring low tides expose deeper pools with more species. Always check conditions — incoming tides can trap careless explorers.

Coverage & Limitations

NOAA's tide stations only cover US coastlines and the Great Lakes, so this tool can't provide real data for inland or non-US locations — it will tell you plainly if no nearby station exists rather than showing a misleading estimate. Predictions are also tied to the nearest station, which may be several miles from your exact spot; local geography can shift real conditions from the station's prediction.

🧮 Worked Example & FAQ

Example: Say you enter "Seattle" for today. The tool resolves that to coordinates, finds the nearest NOAA tide station (likely Seattle, WA — station 9447130), and pulls that station's real predicted highs and lows for today, such as a high around 6.5ft in the morning and a low near 1ft in the afternoon — actual predicted values for that specific station and date, not an estimate.

Where do these tide predictions come from?

Predictions come from NOAA's CO-OPS (Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services), the U.S. government agency responsible for official tide data. This tool finds the nearest NOAA tide station to your location and pulls real predicted high and low tide times and heights for it.

Why does this only work for US coastal areas?

NOAA's tide stations only cover US coastlines and the Great Lakes. If your location doesn't have a nearby station, real tide data simply isn't available from this source — the tool will tell you rather than showing an inaccurate guess.

Why do tides shift about 50 minutes later each day?

Tides follow the Moon's position, and the Moon takes about 24 hours and 50 minutes to return to the same position overhead due to its orbit around Earth — so the tide cycle runs on that same slightly-longer-than-a-day rhythm.

What's the difference between spring and neap tides?

Spring tides happen at new and full moon, when the Sun and Moon align and their gravity combines for the biggest tidal range. Neap tides happen at the first and last quarter, when the Sun and Moon are at right angles and partially cancel each other out, producing the smallest range.

Does every coast have two high tides and two low tides a day?

No. Most coasts are semidiurnal (two highs and two lows daily), but some areas like the Gulf of Mexico have mixed or diurnal patterns with just one high and one low. Check your specific location's pattern before relying on a general estimate.