Tides and Sea Glass - When are the best times to look for Sea Glass?

Beach in Monterey, CA

After the Storm

The first low tide after a storm would be a great time to look for sea glass.  The wind will be stronger during the storm, causing higher tides and a likelihood that debris will be washed along the shore.  Then the first low tide will provide calmer waters for you to find what the storm has produced, and more of the beach will be revealed, since the water recedes during low tide.

 

Negative Tide or Low Tide

The low tide in my area is from 4-6pm today

Consult a tide table or graph for your area to determine when the low tides occur that day. There are typically two high and two low tides per day.  It is best to hunt for sea glass during what is called negative tide, which means the tide will have receded below the average low water line. Otherwise, if you hunt during a higher tide, the tide may be covering up any sea glass that has washed on the shore. Some beaches are completely covered during a high tide and are only accessible during low tide. Also note that during high tide it may be dangerous to wade in the water.

Perigean Spring Tides

The Perigean spring tides occur when the moon is closest to the earth during a spring tide. 

• Spring tides  - occur during a new moon and full moon when the earth, moon and sun are aligned. This causes the tides to be 20% higher and occurs every two weeks. 
• Perigean tides - occur every 28 days when the moon is closest to the earth, which causes an increase in the range of tides; high tides are higher and low tides are lower.

About 3 to 4 times per year, both events occur on the same day, when the moon is closest to the earth (perigee) and there is also a full moon or new moon (spring tide), termed the "Perigean Spring Tides."  On these days, the tides will be higher than most days during the year.  These would be prime days for searching for sea glass, during the first low or negative tide after a very high tide.


Visit my Etsy store to see the jewelry I've made from my sea glass finds.


Sources:

NOAA Tide Predictions
http://www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.shtml

Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perigean_spring_tide