I’m not sure I could have even explained what a minus tide was prior to moving to Oregon’s North Coast a little over two years ago. Now I’m simply fascinated by them and eagerly await the chance to see the ocean retreat to extremely low levels along the shoreline.
The question about tide levels is a popular one in our Visitor Center. And those that have the chance to use the low tides to their visiting advantage very often leave the coast having witnessed an impressive tide pool or stood in an area they probably could have only imagined if they were swimming in the ocean.
Minus tides happen year round, but the best ones usually happen in the evening hours during the winter months. And so it’s not until mid spring rolls around that those visiting or residing along the coast are able to take advantage of those ultra-low water levels that happen during the day. Those negative levels generally peak during the summer months too which can make the experience that much more memorable.
