On most coasts the sea rises and falls twice a day. High and low water come round roughly every twelve and a half hours, so they arrive about 50 minutes later each day. That is why a surf school’s lesson times can move during the week.
How the tide changes the waves
As the water gets deeper or shallower over sandbanks and rocks, the waves break in different places and in different ways. On some beaches the gentlest white water for learners comes around low or mid tide; on others it is the other way round. Local instructors learn which stage of the tide works best on their beach.
Safety and the tide
- Rip currents can get stronger or move at different stages of the tide.
- A rising tide can cover the beach quickly and cut off rocky corners.
- Lifeguarded areas and flags can move during the day as the tide changes.
If you surf on your own after a lesson, check a tide table for that beach, read the safety signs, stay in the area the lifeguards mark with flags where there are lifeguards, and ask a lifeguard or the surf school about conditions before you go in.