Taking A Reading From Your Tide Clock
February 01, 2016
Taking a reading from your Tide Clock
Tides are caused mainly by the gravitational pull on the ocean. The time it takes the moon to reappear at the same place in the sky each day is 24 hours and 50 minutes.
Most areas in the world have two high tides and two low tides a day, so the tide clock has been specially designed to rotate twice each lunar day (every 12 hours and 25 minutes) giving you a quick and easy indication of high and low tide.
There are other influences on sea levels that can effect exact tide times that you should take into consideration such as; the suns own gravitational pull, when aligned with the moon creates higher and lower than normal ides and can alter tide times by up to an hour; atmospheric pressure; changing volume of river flows; strong on /off shore winds.
Good Beach SafetyDue to the variable nature of tides a tide clock is intended as a guide only. When you're heading to the beach or out for a day on the water we urge you to be careful and visit a lifeguarded beach. There are plenty of resources online including the brilliant safety information on the
RNLI website and the
Marine Conservation Society's Good Beach Guide. Make sure you and your family have a safe and fun trip to the coast.