Tide chart

What is a tide chart?

A tide chart is a published table of predicted high and low water times and heights for a specific location. In Ocean City it governs practical decisions: how wide the beach will be when you arrive, whether a paddle route stays navigable, when surf fishing is likely to produce, and how much room a large group has above the wrack line. Tides run roughly two highs and two lows per day, shifting about an hour later each day.

Also called: tide table, tide times, high tide, low tide.

How tide changes a beach day

High tide narrows the beach. On a steep post-storm profile it narrows sharply, and groups end up stacked near the dune. At low tide the beach widens, tidal pools appear, and shelling and walking improve. Arriving at a rising high tide with a large group and a wagon is a solvable problem if you expect it and a frustrating one if you do not.

Tide for water activities

Paddlers on the back bays care about current direction and shallow flats. Surfers care about how tide interacts with the bar on a given swell. Anglers care about moving water. In each case the tide chart is an input, not an answer, and it pairs with wind and swell information rather than replacing it.

Where to get a reliable tide chart

Use a NOAA-derived prediction for an Ocean City station rather than a generic beach app. Predictions are astronomical. Sustained onshore wind, storms, and coastal flooding events can push actual water levels well above predicted heights, which is exactly when the difference matters most.

Planning around the tide

Current source: Ocean City Tourism fishing guide. Fees, hours, posted rules: all of it moves without much notice, so confirm anything time-sensitive on the day you go.

Related terms in this glossary

Tide chart rarely settles a plan on its own. These come up in the same decision, and each one has its own page, so open whichever part you're still unsure about.