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.
Also known as: tide range
Tidal range is the height difference between consecutive high and low water at a spot. It varies through the lunar cycle (springs bigger, neaps smaller) and varies wildly between coasts:
- 20–40 cm — most of the Mediterranean. Effectively no tide for riding purposes.
- 1–2 m — Baltic, parts of the Caribbean. Matters at shallow lagoon spots.
- 3–5 m — Atlantic Europe, US East Coast. Reshapes most spots across a session.
- 6–10 m — Brittany, southwest UK, parts of Patagonia. Tide is the headline.
- 10–16 m — Bay of Fundy, Severn Estuary. Extreme; safety first.
Range is the single number that tells you how much of a spot’s character lives in the tide table. A 30 cm range means you can usually ignore it. A 6 m range means you check it before the wind. The exceptions to the Mediterranean rule (Northern Adriatic, Gulf of Gabès) reach ~1 m and matter on the few rideable days.
See Tides for Kiters for how to read it into a session, and Tides for Surfers for how it reshapes a wave.
Related terms
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.