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Spring tide
The biggest tides of the lunar month — higher highs and lower lows when sun and moon line up at new or full moon.
Also known as: springs
Spring tides occur twice a month, at new moon and full moon, when sun and moon line up and their gravitational pulls stack. The result is the biggest vertical range of the cycle — higher highs, lower lows, more water moving through inlets and channels.
The name comes from “spring forth” — nothing to do with the season. The biggest springs of the year fall around the equinoxes in March and September.
Why they reshape a session:
- More bottom exposed at low water — reefs, sandbars, lagoon flats
- Stronger tidal currents between phases, especially through narrow gaps
- Bigger wind-against-tide chop on the ebb
- Sandbar surf spots that need shallow bottom often peak on a spring drop
- Lagoon kite spots sometimes drain past sailable depth on a spring low
Spring vs neap is the first number to check after the wind forecast at any spot with real range. Full breakdown for kiters in Tides for Kiters and for surfers in Tides for Surfers.
Related terms
- Neap tide The smallest tides of the lunar month — compressed highs and lows when sun and moon pull at right angles, at first and last quarter.
- Tidal range The vertical distance between high and low water on a given cycle — the number that decides whether tide is a footnote or the headline.
- Wind against tide When wind blows against tidal current — waves stack up short and steep, the surface gets chattery, and a downed rider can drift fast.