Guides

Sneaker waves arrive after 10–20 minutes of small surf and run 150+ feet up dry beach. The NWS rules, the infragravity science, and the dawn-window link.

The 2026 daylight minus-tide season region by region: how low is low enough, when to arrive, and why the deepest windows land on weekday mornings.

Semidiurnal tides on an 11 ft range make Maine tide pooling run on a different clock than SoCal. Computed 2026 lows, daylight shares, and timing.

Earth's tilt decides which of the West Coast's two unequal daily lows goes deep, and in summer it lands at dawn. The 2026 hour histogram shows the math.

A minus tide is any low tide below 0.0 ft MLLW. What the datum means, why minus tides cluster around new and full moons, and how many land in daylight.

What tide-table heights above MLLW mean, why the two daily lows differ, and how one Newport, OR table row becomes a 285-minute beach window.

The '−0.5 ft or lower' rule for tide pools is a Southern California number. We test it against 2026 NOAA data at Seattle, La Jolla, and Bar Harbor.

Puget Sound's last Exceptional minus tides of 2026 run August 8–13. Port Townsend posts a perfect 100 Sunday, Aug 9; Seattle bottoms at −2.63 ft Tuesday.

Oregon's four tidepool stations share one last deep 2026 dawn run, Aug 11-14 — then deep water moves to December dusk, deeper the farther south you go.

California's four tidepool coasts run dawn minus tides this July, but the year's deepest daylight lows land Dec 22-25 — afternoon water down to −1.90 ft.

Washington's three tidepool coasts hit their deepest daylight lows of 2026 the same day — July 14 — from −3.00 ft at La Push to −3.80 ft at Seattle.

July 11–14 was the deepest daylight run of the 2026 Pacific summer. The next comparable West Coast minus tides land August 9–12 — dates, times, and depths from NOAA predictions.

The last big run of 2026 is August 8–13: Sunday the 9th brings −1.91 ft at Seattle and −2.05 ft at Port Townsend. Full calendars, plus the weekend math.

Every daylight minus tide on the Oregon coast, July–December 2026, computed from NOAA predictions for Garibaldi, Newport, Charleston, and Port Orford.

Oregon's deepest daylight low of 2026 is −2.21 ft at Port Orford on Dec 24 (NOAA 9431647). Battle Rock access, Redfish Rocks rules, the Aug 11–14 dawn run.

Newport's deepest 2026 daylight low is −1.91 ft at dawn on August 12 (NOAA 9435380). Yaquina Head gate math, Otter Rock's Marine Gardens, winter dusk lows.

The best remaining 2026 low at Cape Arago is −2.00 ft on July 16 (NOAA 9432780). Sunset Bay and South Cove windows, the August dawn run, winter dusk tides.

Seattle's deepest daylight tide of 2026 is −3.80 ft on Tuesday, July 14 (NOAA 9447130). Here's the Alki and Constellation Park low-tide run, July 12–16.

La Push's best 2026 tidepool run is July 12–17 (NOAA 9442396). But Rialto Beach and Hole-in-the-Wall are closed until Oct 15 — go to Second Beach.

Port Townsend's best 2026 tide-pool days at Fort Worden from NOAA station 9444900 — a July 11–16 Exceptional run, what to look for, and the Discover Pass.

Pacific Grove's best 2026 tide-pool days from NOAA Monterey station 9413450 — a July dawn run, a December dusk run, and the no-take reserve rules.

Every remaining daylight low at Pillar Point reef in 2026, from NOAA station 9414131: the Aug 11-14 dawn run, December king lows, parking, and species.

La Jolla's best 2026 tide pool dates from NOAA station 9410230 — early-morning July minus tides, big December afternoons, spot notes, and recent species logs.

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve's best 2026 low tides, computed from NOAA station 9414131, and which of them actually fit inside the reserve's posted hours.

Cabrillo's gate opens at 9 AM and the tidepools close at 4:30 PM, erasing July's minus tides. The usable 2026 dates are Oct 25, Nov 25, and Dec 22–24.

Acadia's 2026 low tide schedule for tide poolers: every daylight minus tide at Bar Harbor (NOAA 8413320), plus the National Park Service crossing rule for the Bar Island land bridge.

Haystack Rock's remaining 2026 tide windows from NOAA Garibaldi station 9437540: the August 11–14 dawn run bottoms at −1.77 ft, plus Marine Garden rules.

Winter swell strips sand and restocks the wrack line. The 2026-27 daylight minus-tide windows at La Push and Port Orford, plus NWS sneaker-wave rules.

Winter storms expose Oregon's agate gravel. Computed 2026-27 daylight minus windows at Port Orford and Newport, plus the state's one-gallon rule.

Winter swell strips the sand; a daylight minus tide reaches the gravel it hides. Computed winter sea glass windows at Port Orford, OR (NOAA 9431647).

The last golden-hour minus tides of 2026 land August 10-13 at La Push and Garibaldi. Full calendars with sun bearings for four West Coast stations.

How to pick a kid-friendly tide window, what to pack, and the best 2026 weekend low tides for families in Washington, Oregon, and California.

Dates and predictions for the 2026-2027 king tide season's lowest daylight tides, coast by coast: Newport -1.91 ft, La Jolla -1.89 ft, Bar Harbor -1.89 ft, Seattle just -0.65 ft.