How to read a tide chart
A tide chart lists each high and low tide with its time and height. The height is measured from MLLW, the average lowest tide.
Santa Monica12:18 AMTue, Oct 200.7 ftLa Jolla12:08 AMTue, Oct 200.7 ftSan Diego12:11 AMTue, Oct 200.8 ftNewport Beach12:15 AMTue, Oct 200.7 ftSanta Cruz12:50 AMTue, Oct 200.6 ftHalf Moon Bay1:01 AMTue, Oct 200.7 ftSan Francisco1:35 AMTue, Oct 200.6 ftMonterey1:01 AMTue, Oct 200.6 ftLong Beach12:14 AMTue, Oct 200.6 ftOcean Beach San Francisco1:00 AMTue, Oct 200.6 ftAvalon, Catalina Island12:10 AMTue, Oct 200.6 ftMyrtle Beach3:03 AMTue, Oct 204.4 ftCharleston3:27 AMTue, Oct 204.9 ftHilton Head3:39 AMTue, Oct 205.7 ftOcean City3:36 AMTue, Oct 201.9 ftVirginia Beach3:31 AMTue, Oct 203.1 ftChatham, Cape Cod2:14 AMTue, Oct 200.3 ftProvincetown7:18 AMTue, Oct 208.1 ftBoston7:15 AMTue, Oct 208.2 ftNantucket1:42 AMTue, Oct 200.6 ftHampton Beach7:23 AMTue, Oct 207.1 ftAtlantic City3:26 AMTue, Oct 203.3 ftCape May4:00 AMTue, Oct 203.7 ftWildwood3:36 AMTue, Oct 203.4 ft
Read the time first, then the height. A bigger gap between high and low means stronger currents.
Heights below 0 are minus tides. They are the lowest of the month and best for tide pools.
Between high and low the water moves fastest in the middle, slowest near the turn.
Tide FAQ
What is a good tide height?
For beach walks look for a low tide under 1 ft. For tide pools look for a minus tide.
What does the time zone mean on a tide chart?
Our charts use local time at the beach, including daylight saving time.