Before you get your Current Clock set up, we want to explain how it all works.
The moon is the biggest factor in determining the cause of tides.
24 hours and 50 minutes is the time it takes for a specific site on the Earth to rotate from an exact point under the moon to the same point under the moon. Every full completion is called a lunar day (also known as a ‘tidal day’). Or to put it all more simply, a lunar day is the time it takes for the moon to appear in the same place in the sky.
The moon’s gravitational pull generates a tidal force by pulling the water from the sea towards it. This causes a bulge or a high tide on the side of the earth that is closest to the moon.
Current Tide Clocks are designed to track the moon’s effect on the tide. To do this the hand on our tide clocks complete a full rotation every 12 hours, 25 minutes and 14 seconds – this is the average time it takes the tide to come in and out on semidiurnal coasts.
Although not as much as the moon, the sun also impacts the tides – so all tide clocks will have deviations in accuracy throughout the month. Read below to find out how to set your tide clock and minimise these deviations.
The best time to set your tide clock is during a full moon or new moon.
When there is a full or a new moon, the sun moon and earth are in alignment. As a result, this is when high tides are at their highest and low tides at their lowest.
This is why it is so important to set your Current Clock on the day of a full moon so that you have the most accurate reading.
You will need to use a tide table. There are a number of places you will find tide tables online or in a local newspaper, we recommend using this website.
You can also do the above steps using low tide.
Important: All Tide Clocks have deviations of up to one hour when set correctly. It is important not to readjust the clock during these deviations as it will upset the overall accuracy. Only set the clock on days of full moons or new moons for accurate results.