How Tides Work

What causes tides

Tides are caused mainly by the gravitational pull of the moon, with a smaller contribution from the sun. As the Earth rotates, different points on the coast move through the bulges of water this pull creates, giving most of the UK two high tides and two low tides roughly every 24 hours and 50 minutes.

Springs and neaps

Around new moon and full moon, the sun and moon line up and their pull combines, giving bigger tidal ranges — these are “spring tides”. Around the first and last quarter moon, the sun and moon pull at right angles to each other, giving smaller ranges — “neap tides”. Spring tides generally mean stronger currents and bigger swings between high and low water, which many anglers find changes how marks fish.

Why anglers care about the state of tide

Fish often feed in response to moving water, not still water — a strong tidal flow stirs up food and concentrates it in predictable places like gullies, drop-offs and the edges of sandbanks. That is why many experienced anglers plan around two hours either side of a tide turning, rather than fishing at a fixed time of day.

Reading a tide table

• High water (HW): the point the tide stops rising and begins to fall.
• Low water (LW): the point the tide stops falling and begins to rise.
• Tidal range: the difference in height between high and low water — bigger on springs, smaller on neaps.
• Datum: tide heights are measured against a fixed reference level for that station, so heights are only meaningful compared to each other, not as an absolute depth of water.

A safety note

Tide tables are predictions, not guarantees — strong winds, low pressure and heavy rain can all push actual tide levels higher or lower than forecast. Always check current conditions locally, be aware of your escape route on any beach or rock mark, and never rely solely on an app or website when safety is involved.