King Tides

Winter visitors to Yachats are often amazed by the spectacular storms that build and erupt over the ocean and crash onto the beach and shoreline below town. These wild acts of nature most often occur between October and March, when massive waves rise out of the water to surge inland and pound our sandy beaches and rocky outcroppings. When winter storms occur during a new or full moon, King Tides form and swell out of the tumultuous waves to provide a spectacular show for locals and visitors alike!

Standing on the basalt cliff edges of Yachats looking out due west – the next land to be encountered is: Kushiro Japan 4,730.87 mi (7,613.60 km) of open ocean away.

Facing northwest and peer as though you could see – 1,691.95 mi (2,722.93 km) and if you were able your focus would alight upon Kodiak Alaska.

Gazing southwest – 2,537.29 mi (4,083.38 km) and Hawaii could be seen if our vision was so clear and the earth had no curve.

But round she is; easily observed looking out from atop Cape Perpetua, 800 feet (244 meters) above sea level at its highest point, just south of town.

All of this open ocean makes the central coast a magical place to observe the affect of tide and storm surges expressed over open ocean for distances greater than the length across our country itself.

Storms are unpredictable in the long term but tides are not. Thanks to Newton and his amazing math – we can predict with accuracy the time and dates and now even the height of a tide on any given hour of any given day. Amazing isn’t it? And really useful if you live near the oceans shore. Always watch the tides when visiting.

All tides are a result of the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun. Each day, any given location will go thru 4 tidal expressions as the earth makes one full turn per day thus shifting its angular position to the gravitational force of our beloved moon. This turning gives us our daily tides, simply referred to as high tides and lows.

But our moon circumnavigates the earth as an elliptic not a circle, thus it moves closer and further from our homes surface. This shifts the gravitational force on the waters below, causing some tides to bulge higher, literally, reaching for the moon.

A syzygy ( remember this for your next game of scrabble), is a term that refers to an alignment; in this case when the sun, moon and earth align. This occurs at the new and full moon every 28 days. Both the sun and the moon have a gravitational pull so at new moon the pull is the greatest, whereas during a full moon the opposing celestial force is divided. Still even under this opposing strain, the low tides forming at right angles to the planetary pull causes extreme lows which of course translates back into particularly dynamic highs.

These monthly high tides occurring at the new and full moon are also known as Spring tides ( as in springing forth, not the season).

A Neap tide; itself a cool word we are still using from the 12th century refers to the monthly low tide which occurs when the gravitational force is the weakest. This happens at the first and last quarters of our moons presentation.

When Lunas force is greatest, during the full and new moon phases – it is closest in its ecliptic thus at its perigee.
These neap and spring tides occur each month in 28 day patterns. Simply following this calendar one can assure dynamic days, from crashing waves to long exposed beaches ideal for beach combing or agate hunting.

But – there is more!

The Sun too has a nearly equal pull upon our waters. Our earth simultaneously traverses our Sun in an elliptic too. This creates a dynamic each year where the gravitational force from our Sun is at its apex. As with the new and full moons of each month, this Solar cycle occurs annually near the summer and winter solstice.

This perihelion (when the gravitational solar pull is greatest) coupled with the perigee (when the moons force is strongest) gives us the tide of tides – The King Tides.

These massive bulges of colossal proportions bring to the coast the most extreme high tides of the year, and while we can time their moments to a clock, because we are speaking of tidal surges and the mutability of water, the actual time of these expressions take place over a period of time lasting several days.

This is good news for scheduling as you don’t need to be present at a given moment, it is not like positioning yourself to view an eclipse. These King Tides, happen over a span of time allowing you to watch the oceans dynamic moods of epic expression dance over time.

Plan your visit on the days around the full moons of November, December and January. Check in with the Oregon King Tides Project for more information

If, by chance, these King tides are coupled with storm surge from a common pacific storm, the beaches themselves will be inaccessible, even the cliff edges might be too close for safety, but what a time to embody your salty tar and lean into the storm!

It is wise to be prepared – as being safe can make the difference between a joy filled memory worthy of retelling over and over and disaster.

Umbrellas are of little use in the wind, so are seldom used by those of us who live near the coast. A warm wool hat and water resistant coverings are of use. Nothing other than foul weather gear is truly water proof and no one wants to wear this heavy clothing unless the situation demands it!

You can watch these incredible storms from many places around Yachats that overlook the ocean, but make sure to bring rain gear and durable shoes or boots with non-skid soles. Because winds can blow more than 50 miles per hour and waves may exceed 30 feet tall, never turn your back on the ocean. The US Coast Guard warns against getting too close to the raging King Tides, so always stay a safe distance away from the beach and the rocky outcroppings around town, don’t climb on logs that have drifted inland, and plan an escape route inland from your location to ensure against sneaker waves. Sneaker waves can suddenly advance much further up the beach than the other waves and can be extremely dangerous.

Plan a storm-watching trip to Yachats, where you’ll be able to experience these fantastic events up close or from a comfortable distance away. The best place to watch King Tides and other winter storms is from the safety and comfort of your hotel room or favorite local lodging spot with views of the ocean below. We also have some great restaurants that provide the perfect view to complement your seafood dinner or relaxing nightcap.