How Tides Affect Surfing Conditions

Tide knowledge can be an invaluable for timing a great surf session and reading a tide report is actually quite easy. Tides advance and retreat in wave-like motion. The row of numbers along the bottom represents the time of day, while the numbers along the left indicate the height of the tide. All you have to do is match the hour with the corresponding tide measurement.

Tides can affect surf spots differently. However, the general rule of thumb is most reef breaks will turn on when the tide is low-pushing-high, while beach breaks usually work better with a medium tide. Keep in mind though that this is just a guideline and not the rule. Surf spots can vary on how they handle tides, and there is no substitute for surf break familiarity.

So next time you go surfing at a specific surf break, take a mental note to what the tide is doing and how it is affecting the waves. Are they breaking slow and mushy on the higher tide, and fast and steep on the lower tide? Its all about experience, and understanding tides is an important skill for timing the best time to go surfing that will help you for as long as you're a surfer.

Note: Tides can vary dramatically by location so its important to find a tide chart that displays the tides for your local area. Most surf shops will carry local tide charts or you can try searching online. For an example of what a tide chart looks like visit the Nice Rack Beginner's Guide to Surfing.

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Surf Conditions: How To Find The Perfect Wave

Many people think that you can simply surf anywhere that there is some kind of a wave. While you can indeed surf any wave, there is so much more to it than that. Knowing and understanding ideal surf conditions is an important aspect of surfing. Not only will surfing in the correct conditions keep you safe, but it will also maximize the potential for you to catch the best waves possible.

So what does make ideal surf conditions? Well first and foremost we have to look at proper wave formation conditions. There are three main factors that will affect the size of a wave.

Wind Speed - More wind speed equals larger wave.Wind Direction - The Longer wind blows, the larger the wave will be.Fetch - The more space/area that wind affects will directly affect the size of a wave.

It may sound crazy, but what most surfers are looking for is a storm. This creates the most optimal waves (in most places at least). Before you get nervous about surfing in storms, a surfer is not particularly looking to surf in the middle of a storm, he/she is looking to surf the waves during a storm's build-up time or the waves directly following a big storm.

After you have taken a peek at wave formation conditions, you need to look at local weather formations. This will most directly effect you. The ideal wind a surfer wants to see is a light wind that is coming from directly offshore. The reason is because that an offshore wind blows from the shore, which smooths out the face of the wave and helps hold the lip of the wave up. This is what most any surfer is looking for.
Finally, we want to look at tides, or tide conditions. Technically speaking, tides can either make or break a sought after surf spot. Many surf spots are only surfable for a couple of hours every day because of the huge tidal range. When the depth of the water below you increases or decreases at too fast of a pace, then waves don't break in the same way. This makes it confusing when a surfer catches a wave, as they may expect the wave to do one thing and it does something totally different. This is why only the best surfers in the world surf waves on a shallow reef, because reefs are very susceptible to this kind of tide movement. Knowing your tide tables is an essential part of learning proper surf conditions.

Ideal surf conditions can be tough to find sometimes. The conditions you surf - or choose to surf, may also be made based on what level of surfer you are. If you are starting out and don't really understand tides and weather conditions that well yet, then it is best to surf at a local spot that you are familiar with.

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