How does a tide clock work ?
The moon is primarily responsible for the tides. The time from
one moonrise to the next is 24 hours and 48.7 minutes. This is why the time
of the next high tide keeps changing.
The sun also affects the tides, but has less than half the influence of the
moon. So when the sun, moon and earth are all lined up, as they are at times
of new moon and full moon, their gravitational influences co-incide, making
the high tide, higher, and the low tide, lower. When the sun and the moon are
at right angles, during the first and last quarters of the moon, the sun cancels
some of the moon's effect and the range of tide is smaller than normal. Also,
at these times the sun's gravitational pull makes the tides come earlier or
later than usual, which is why the tide clock can be up to half an hour out.
Download our instruction sheet here.
This is why it is so IMPORTANT to first set your Tide Clock at the high tide on the day of a full moon, as the moon has the dominating effect with the tides. Have a look at our links page for more information about tides. The clock does not tell you how high the tide will be, only when the next tide will happen.
Will it work in my area?
Because tides all over the world rely on the cycle of the moon,
it doesn't really matter where you are. The time-tide clock will work anywhere
in the world as long as the tides are regular. Most places have two high tides
and two low tides each day. But local currents, wind, and landforms can change
that. You should check your local area. If you do not have regular tides, the
tide clock may not work. Known areas for this are Shark Bay in Western Australia
and Portland in Victoria, where occasionally only one change of tide occurs.
And some parts of the west coast of the USA
Test: Your tides are regular if:
The high tide from one day to the next keeps getting later by about 48 minutes:
for example, if we take the morning high tide on a Tuesday, if it is at 10am,
then on the next day, Wednesday, it will be 10:48am (There may, of course be 2 high tides within the day)
What about Daylight Saving?
The tide clock tells you how long until the next tide, not what time it will occur. Therefore it is not affected by daylight saving.
How do I use my Barometer?
To read more about using your aneroid barometer
and predicting the weather please visit these websites:
How
to Use the Aneroid Barometer - Bureau of Meterology
Applying
the Barometer to Weather Watching - The Weather Doctor
How does the moon phase and tide, affect when I should fish?
Read this
useful guide to find out when to fish, and how to make best use of your
moon-tide clock to catch the big one!
Learn more about tides here.
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