Outgoing vs Incoming Tide

[BoMan]

I like riding in the morning on an outgoing tide! The waves rise and pitch quickly, and the faces are glassy. It's easier for me to find the best takeoff spot, angle down the line and pump.

When the tide comes in its a pain to enter/exit through the shore dump, and the waves roll before finally crumbling. I have a harder time judging where to sit and often paddle my @$$ off to catch a ride.

What do you think?

[LostAtSea]

I really should keep a surf journal so i can make better decisions where to go based on the tides. I have a about 6 beaches in my area that are all different based on tides in/out or rising/falling.

I pretty much have them dialed for high and low tides, but not for rising /falling.

I just waste gas and drive around till it looks good.

[BaNZ]

I used to do that until I moved to SoCal and only surf in reef spots.

Don't even bother looking at forecast these days, just go to the place that is the least crowded.

Mornings are usually the best as it's glassy waves. Sunset can be good but it's usually too bright and constantly blinded by the sun.

[ConcreteVitamin]

When possible, I always try to time incoming tides. My spots don't like little tide movement (around low/high tide), or dropping tides (sets are more lully and have less push).

[Oldie]

The spots where I surf typically are better at a certain tide - high nowhere works, mid works mostly, low works in some places. All beach breakes. I prefer incoming tide as I feel it has more push, though the typically beach break inconsistencies maybe play a bigger role. I pay more attention to wind and tide level.

[Oldie]

Interesting Article:

https://de.magicseaweed.com/news/are-wa ... ide/10943/

[Naeco78]

Interesting Article:

https://de.magicseaweed.com/news/are-wa ... ide/10943/
At high tide, the water might be deep enough for the shoal to have no effect on the waves, leaving them to propagate straight in to the beach. But when the tide goes out, and the water is shallower, the shoal might re-direct the swell to one side, causing wave heights on the beach to be much smaller.

Thats a good read, thanks! I've always thought that was the most likely reason too.. Outgoing tidal currents remove energy from the waves.

But I've been surprised how much that second theory (shoaling) seems to affect the surf in the Northeast US, after the Beach Replenishment projects in the last 20 years. They basically took sand from a few hundred yards offshore and redeposited it directly onto the shoreline, so the deeper seafloor doesn't interact with (reduce) the wave energy, until its much closer to the shoreline.
Ever since the Beach Replenishment projects were completed, the surfs been noticeably bigger and there's almost always ride-able waves for most of the summer. Before that, it would be much more like a lake for weeks at a time. And the waves are usually steeper now.. from the abrupt change in water depth. It's like our own mini version of Teahupoo.. except with MUCH more average waves