What is the relatioinship between tides and waves?
Question:Is it true that low tides create bigger waves and high tides generally create smaller waves?
This is in relation to boogie board. i want to know when is the best time to go boogie boarding.
Answers:
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12 noon to 3pm I've never boogie board but will like to learn from you if these times are troublesome to you try another time when it is not to hooootttt:"/.<>:'!!Tides can have an effect upon the way a wave breaks. It depends on where you're paddling out to, the composition of the bottom, swell/no swell, winds-onshore/offshore, etc. I've found that high tide is usually worse than low tide.
To answer your question: no its not necessarily true, but tides can have an effect upon the wave.
Generally, waves depend upon wind (speed, length of time blowing, and fetch-the distance over which the wind travels).
Tides are the movement of a mass of water, and this is controlled by the moon. Yes! I'm not kidding on this. You can get tide charts in the newspaper, or from the coast guard, or at any dive shops. When the tide comes in, the rolling action under the water does create waves. These are nice, regular rollers.
There is another type of wave, that is generally created by wind, or by the interaction of tidal flows -- for example, if you have two bays coming together into a harbour, the spot where the bays run together will have wave action generated by the tidal water moving in slightly different directions as it comes down the bays. Waves are also created by anomalies such as passing boats, etc.
It isn't the low or high tide that governs the height of the waves that accompany the tide, but how high or low the tide is. That sounds confusing, but a high tide can be 15 feet at its crest during one phase of the moon, and 5 feet at its crest during another. A low tide can be 1 foot, or even lower at its lowest point, or 5 feet at its highest point. So what you have to look at is the difference between the high and low. If you're in the middle of the cycle, you aren't going to get much in the line of waves unless you have wind pushing the water to increase the force of the waves. If you're at an extreme point in the cycle, you'll get good waves, wind or no wind. But if it starts to blow, you'll get even better waves.
Does this make sense? Hope so.
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The relationship between good surf and tides/waves depends on the spot you are surfing. Some things to remember about waves; 1) waves travel faster in deeper water, 2) waves break in water that is double its height, and 3) type of wave is dictated by the type or break - reef vs. sand bottom.Waves travel faster in deeper water. This will help to create better waves if waves come out of deep water and quickly enter a shallower water break. If the bottom of the break slopes correctly, a higher tide my cause stronger more powerful waves to hit your break.
The depth of your break will determine at what height your wave will be. If your break is 6 feet deep, your waves will break at 3 feet (measured form the back). Places with larger surf, like Pipeline can break at heights of 2 feet but the nicer, optimum surf will break in deeper water, at heights of 8 feet or greater.
The composition of the bottom will also dictate when the tide will be optimum for surf. A solid, sand bottom is usually more at the mercy of the tide because the tide effects the movement of the sand. A reef break will consistently break in the same place depending on the water depth or tide.
Lower tides usually create steeper, hollower waves. Higher tides usually create slope-ier, less powerful waves. I like to surf when the tide is starting to go down.
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