California minus tides

Every predicted low tide at or below 0.0 ft — a minus tide — at every Great Tides place, in date order. A minus tide falls below the MLLW datum (Mean Lower Low Water), so its height is a negative number, and it uncovers the lowest, richest band of the shore. Rankings cover October 19, 2026 to January 16, 2027.

Not every minus tide is usable: many fall after dark. The tables below flag the ones that fall between sunrise and sunset — those are the tidepooling dates worth planning around — and mark weekend dates too. Counts and the next minus tide at each place are summarised first, then the full chronological list for each place follows. New to tidepooling? Read what tidepooling is and how to do it well first.

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Minus tides at a glance

Heights are relative to each station's MLLW datum and are not directly interchangeable between places; times are local station time.

Minus tides at Crescent City

All 46 predicted minus tides at Crescent City (CRESCENT CITY station 9419750) in the window, in date order. Daylight flags use that day's sunrise and sunset at the place.

Minus tides at Half Moon Bay

All 48 predicted minus tides at Half Moon Bay (Pillar Point Harbor station 9414131) in the window, in date order. Daylight flags use that day's sunrise and sunset at the place.

Minus tides at Santa Cruz

All 48 predicted minus tides at Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay station 9413745) in the window, in date order. Daylight flags use that day's sunrise and sunset at the place.

Minus tides at Port San Luis & Avila Beach

All 47 predicted minus tides at Port San Luis & Avila Beach (PORT SAN LUIS station 9412110) in the window, in date order. Daylight flags use that day's sunrise and sunset at the place.

Minus tides at La Jolla

All 46 predicted minus tides at La Jolla (La Jolla (Scripps Institution Wharf) station 9410230) in the window, in date order. Daylight flags use that day's sunrise and sunset at the place.

Questions

What is a minus tide?

A low tide predicted to fall below the MLLW datum (Mean Lower Low Water), so its height is written as a negative number of feet, such as −1.5 ft. Minus tides happen on the days of the largest tidal ranges — the same alignment that produces king tides — and they uncover shore that stays submerged on ordinary days.

Are all minus tides good for tidepooling?

Only the daylight ones are practical to visit. A minus tide at 3 AM, or one that falls before a reserve opens, is a tide you cannot use, which is why the tables above flag every minus tide that falls between sunrise and sunset, and why each place page ranks daylight lows separately from the lowest lows overall.

Are these the actual water levels I will see?

No. These are astronomical predictions from NOAA CO-OPS. Wind, storms and air pressure push real water levels above or below the prediction, sometimes by a foot or more. Check the local forecast and conditions before you go, and do not use these predictions for navigation.

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