A.   Locating Tide Tables and graphs

B.   Reading Tide Tables and graphs

The tide-graph above shows predicted tide levels for the Santa  Cruz Wharf and Harbor region of Monterey Bay in feet above the  mean local low-water level.
The graph goes from 8pm one night to 8pm of the next.  The picture shows a 2:32pm view with rocks exposed just after low tide.  Current realtime view
C.  Tidal Differences
  San Francisco (Golden Gate), California
       Tide Predictions (High and Low Waters)      March, 1999
       NOAA, National Ocean Service                        Standard Time
 
       Day      Time          Ht.        Time        Ht.      Time        Ht.       Time         Ht
       10  W    448am H   5.0     1156am L   1.0     732pm H   3.9     1156pm L   3.1
       11 Th    549am H   5.1     1258pm L    .7      831pm H   4.1
       12  F    104am L   3.0      651am H   5.2       150pm L    .4       913pm H   4.4
       13 Sa    159am L   2.8      749am H   5.4       236pm L    .1      947pm H   4.7
       14 Su    244am L   2.5      842am H   5.7       317pm L   -.1     1019pm H   4.9
       15  M    325am L   2.1      931am H   5.9      355pm L   -.3     1049pm H   5.2
       16 Tu    406am L   1.7     1019am H   6.0      433pm L   -.3     1120pm H   5.5
       17  W    447am L   1.2     1107am H   6.0      511pm L   -.1     1153pm H   5.7
       18 Th    531am L    .7     1157am H   5.9       550pm L    .1
from NOAA web site listing San Francisco - Outer Coast*

                                       Time Diff.         Height Diff.

Station                                                         High    Low        High    Low      Ref. Station
Monterey, Monterey Bay                           -1 08   -0 47       -0.5     0.0       San Francisco
General Fish Company Pier                        -1 08   -0 46      *0.88   *0.94   San Francisco
Moss Landing, Ocean Pier                         -1 10   -0 48       -0.7    -0.1      San Francisco
Elkhorn Slough, Highway 1 Bridge             -1 06   -0 49      *0.87   *0.91   San Francisco
Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay                     -1 15   -0 58        -0.6     0.0      San Francisco
Ano Nuevo Island                                     -1 24   -1 04       -0.7    -0.1      San Francisco
Half Moon Bay                                          -1 06   -0 50       -0.3     0.0       San Francisco
Southeast Farallon Island                           -0 39   -0 19       -0.3     0.0       San Francisco
 
Low tide is 58 minutes before the reference station.  The Sunday 3/14 lower Low Tide  is at 3:17 pm in SanFrancisco & 2:19 in Santa Cruz

* See the "How to" section at the top of the NOAA web site to understand the table.  Read about tide differences for Virginia Beach and Key Bridge near DC
 
 

 D.   Predicting Tides at  Hampton Road's, Virginia
Find a table like this for next month
       Day      Time      Ht.      Time      Ht.      Time      Ht.      Time      Ht.
        1  M    214am L   -.4      835am H   2.7      252pm L   -.3      853pm H   2.5
        2 Tu    301am L   -.4      917am H   2.7      331pm L   -.3      935pm H   2.6
        3  W    344am L   -.3      956am H   2.7      409pm L   -.2     1014pm H   2.6
        4 Th    426am L   -.2     1033am H   2.6      444pm L   -.2     1052pm H   2.6
        5  F    506am L   -.1     1110am H   2.5      519pm L   -.1     1129pm H   2.5
        6 Sa    546am L    .0     1146am H   2.4      555pm L    .1
        7 Su   1207am H   2.4      627am L    .2     1224pm H   2.2      632pm L    .2
        8  M   1247am H   2.4      711am L    .3      105pm H   2.1      713pm L    .3
        9 Tu    132am H   2.3      800am L    .5      152pm H   2.0      800pm L    .4
       10  W    223am H   2.3      856am L    .5      246pm H   2.0      854pm L    .4
       11 Th    321am H   2.3      956am L    .6      345pm H   2.0      954pm L    .4
       12  F    422am H   2.3     1056am L    .5      446pm H   2.1     1055pm L    .3
       13 Sa    521am H   2.5     1151am L    .4      544pm H   2.2     1153pm L    .2
       14 Su    615am H   2.6     1241pm L    .2      638pm H   2.4
For any day find the lower Low Tide, the higher Low Tide and the lower High Tide, the higher High Tide

(For March 3rd, above, they are 344am,  409pm and  1014pm,  956am )

G.   Chart Events
Notice the two peaks per day - high tides  and the two troughs  - low tides.  One of the high tides is higher than the other; it is called the Higher High Water

 
 
 
 
 


MHHW is Mean Higher High Water


Diagram and Web sites explain why we have daily differences in height every 12 hours 25 minutes.

Moon Phases can coordinate with the monthly tide graph as you'll see on the problem page.
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