What’s the Difference Between Waves and Tides?

Waves vs Tides: What’s the Difference?

Are tides considered waves? Not quite.

Waves are made by wind blowing over the water. This makes water move up and down in a circular motion. Waves can travel thousands of miles before reaching land.

Tides, on the other hand, are the rise and fall of sea levels. When the moon pulls on the Earth, the ocean either swells or shrinks. This creates high and low tides.

Are waves worse at high or low tide?

When can surfers find the biggest wave? It’s it during high or low tide?

In general, the biggest waves are more common during high tide. Why? Because the deeper water level can boost the wave’s power. But, remember, strong winds and storms are the main makers of big waves.

Even worse are tsunamis. During a tsunami in Lituya Bay, Alaska, this was the world’s highest recorded wave in history. This wave reached 1,720 feet, 5x higher than the Statue of Liberty.

So, if all things are equal, then high tide is the best time to surf. But an even better time to surf is during windy days.

Where do currents fit in?

Ocean currents are steady flows of water. Currents travel long distances across the globe, like rivers in the ocean. Factors like wind, the Earth’s rotation, and temperature differences drive ocean currents.

For example, the Gulf Stream carries warm water from the Gulf of Mexico towards Europe. Because of this ocean current, it influences the climate in Europe. Another example is the California Current. This current carries cold water from the polar regions in the southern direction.

Meanwhile, tides are the rise and fall of sea levels. This happens because the Moon and Sun’s gravity pull on Earth’s waters. The result is that it creates high and low tides as the Earth rotates.

But it’s mostly because of wind blowing over the water’s surface that causes waves. So, while tides and currents affect the water’s movement on a larger scale, waves are more about surface action.

Explanation of the Rise and Fall of Tides

I want to hit the point home for the rise and fall of tides. We’ve already discussed the cause of ocean tides in more detail. Remember it’s because of the gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun and the rotation of the Earth that causes the rise and fall of the sea.

When the Moon is close to a part of the Earth, it pulls on the water. This causes it to rise, creating a high tide. On the opposite side of the Earth, another high tide occurs. This is because the Earth is also being pulled slightly toward the Moon.

Low tides happen in the areas between these two high tides, where the water level is lower. This cycle of high and low tides repeats approximately every 12 hours and 25 minutes.

Waves vs Tides: What’s the Difference?

Ocean currents are steady, large-scale movements of water traveling long distances. Whereas tides are the regular rise and fall of sea levels from the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun. Finally, waves are like ripples in the water from wind blowing across the ocean’s surface.