Monterey Tides

Newbie question. I've seen people mentioning tides in dive reports, but am never sure which is best for dive conditions (high vs. low, incoming vs. outgoing). Does anyone have a quick explanation?

First off I use an Iphone app for tides. Works well since I can change the tide chart based on where I am diving or launching from. Of course that is assuming I have the internet available.

There is some correlation to the water clarity, but often it seems to reverse. For instance I have seen excellent vis inside Point Lobos on a really low tide. Then as the tide came in it deteriorated. Often the vis outside the cove is better on an incoming tide. I have seen excellent vis on the North Coast during high tide and deteriorate on low tide. Sometimes Gerstle Cove is much clearer than the ocean, with double the vis no matter what the tide is doing. The low tide often has less surge and the incoming tide brings stronger currents and more surge which kicks up more sediment. So in closing yes the tides affect vis, but it can go either direction depending on the other ocean conditions.

In short, the answer to your question is "depends."

Infuriating though it may be, the ocean just isn't that simple.


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I don't see that they make any difference as far as the vis goes.

I like high tide. Low tides may have more surge around reef/rock areas. Also, in general for shore divers it is best to go when the tide is not going out. Why? Out flowing tide may make it harder to get back into shore. Try swimming in on an outflowing tide near Carmel River SB with the Bull Kelp bent over due to the outflowing current. This may only be a problem around rivers. High tide also seems to have more sea life and it is easier to get some depth for shore divers. I think there may actually be more sealife on an outgoing tide if the food source is washing out also. If you are a bird watcher, sea otter observer or into tide pools and benthic muddy areas such as Moss Landing, Elkhorn Slough, Natural Bridges SB then low tide is best.

I read the preceding posts after writing which seem just the opposite from my views.

The relative current of low-tide to high-tide is microscopic in an
open bay like Monterey. Do the math.

Chuck

Update: We were at Gerstle Cove last Sunday. The vis in the morning was better than in the afternoon. The swells deteriorated in the afternoon and the water was much flatter. So in this case the swells did not cause a deterioration of the vis, but it did get worse as the tides came in. The surge lessened too. The cove was calm, calm, calm.