Tide conditions at different beaches

[ShortbusElite]

Okay, so when I watch different videos of guys metal detecting beaches on youtube I notice that at low tide the water has receded 50,100, 200? Feet. I am metal detecting the beaches in the gulf while on vacation and am not seeing the beaches do anything remotely close to that. I am seeing the high water mark change by a few feet at best. Is this normal for this area? Do conditions change in say the wintertime?

 

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[Treasure_Hunter]

Normal, the gulf tide changes are not the same as the Atlantic or Pacific.

 

[ron lord]

the water in the Gulf of Mex. drop 2 to 3 feet, the closer you get to the North Pole the more the tide drops. the tide in Maine drop 18 to 20 feet. so if you have 6 foot of water at your beach 100 feet put , at low tide you will have all that wet sand.got it .

 

[CASPER-2]

in new England - I have spots that you have 100-200 yards to get to the water at low tide and others that you can barely tell the tide has changed

 

[ShortbusElite]

Thanks for the info guys. Now I know!

 

[Terry Soloman]

Watch the wind direction and wave size on the Gulf. It is an important aspect of beach hunting. Sustained winds of 20-25mph, tend to "sand in" beaches (not always), while gusty 35-55mph winds can leave "cuts" at the high tide mark, cutting deep into the old sand down much closer to the hard clay or shell/rock bottom.

 

[flgliderpilot]

Watch the wind direction and wave size on the Gulf. It is an important aspect of beach hunting. Sustained winds of 20-25mph, tend to "sand in" beaches (not always), while gusty 35-55mph winds can leave "cuts" at the high tide mark, cutting deep into the old sand down much closer to the hard clay or shell/rock bottom.

Actually, ANY wave action with short period (could be very light, or could be big waves but wind blown) tends to sand it in on the gulf side. The sand gets kicked up, and settles on the beach because there is never a long enough draw between swells to pull the sand out. We've had 6ft waves in storms (last hurricane), and the result was sand PILED UP on the beach.

A nice gulf storm, with a ground swell, but no wind, large but long period waves, will tear up the beach and pull the sand out into the water.

At least that's my experience where I am. Of course they just dredged the beach so now it's sand no matter what : |

 

[stoneshirt]

Read a Book.

 

[ShortbusElite]

Read a Book.

I've read many. You read a book.

 

[TommyB]

Another thing that affects the 'distance' the water recedes is the slope of the beach. Here in Ca., at some beaches with a steep slope at the waterline, even a big tide change doesn't change the low tide mark much. Flat beaches may go Waaaay out. Same tidal change.

 

[ShortbusElite]

That makes sense. Thank you all for the comments.

 

[Tommybuckets]

New and full moons affect the tide the most. Some people don't care but its what i work off. That and what the weathers doing (wave height, wind direction etc) .

 

[islamoradamark]

Like Tommybuckets said. the moon tides are the best for me alot more ground to cover