Tides & Weather

Tides & weather

Tides

We have a relatively high tide range in Maine, so tides do play a big role in planning your outing. Some areas are completely inaccessible during lower tide stages. Basically we have 2 high and 2 low tides every day. Low tide is about 6 hours before and after high tide. They change every day, so the best way to figure out when they are is by looking at a tide chart. This will show tide times and heights, though in most cases the height is not important. Generally tides are an hour later each day, and repeat themselves every 2 weeks, though that is only an approximation.

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Any tidal river or marsh (if it’s connected to the ocean, it’s tidal) will have current flowing in on the incoming tide (from low to high tide) and flowing out on the outgoing tide (from high to low tide). At high and low tide, there is no current at all, and the current is strongest at half tide (half way between high and low tide, or 3 hours before and after low and high tide). When paddling into these areas, it’s best to time your trip so the high tide is halfway through the length of your trip (if the tide is high at noon, and you’re going paddling for 3 hours, leave at 10:30). This means that you will have the incoming tide (current) going with you on the way up river, and then turning and again going with you on the way down river.


If you’re having a hard time figuring this out, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Just give us a call, and we’ll make sure you can take advantage of the best tides.

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