Spring Tides, Neap Tides and Perigean Spring Tides: How the Moon Shapes Your Beach Day
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How we wrote this: A plain-English summary of NOAA National Ocean Service explainers on tides, spring and neap tides, and perigean spring tides, checked October 29, 2026.
Tides are giant waves
NOAA describes tides as very long-period waves that move through the ocean in response to the pull of the moon and sun. High tide is the crest of that wave reaching your beach, low tide is the trough, and the difference is the tidal range. The moon matters more: NOAA says its pull on the tides is about twice as strong as the sun's because it's so much closer.
Spring tides: new and full moon
"Spring" has nothing to do with the season. It comes from the tide "springing forth." Around new and full moons, the Earth, sun and moon line up and their pulls add together:
- High tides are higher and low tides are lower than average.
- They happen twice each lunar month, all year round.
For beachgoers, that means the widest stretch of sand at low tide and the highest water at high tide.
Neap tides: quarter moons
About seven days after a spring tide, at the first and third quarter moon, the sun and moon are at right angles. Their pulls partly cancel, so tides are moderate: high tides are a little lower and low tides a little higher. Neap tides also come twice a month.
Perigean spring tides
Once about every 28 days, the moon reaches perigee, its closest point to Earth, and tidal ranges grow. Several times a year a new or full moon lines up closely with perigee. These are perigean spring tides, popularly called king tides.
NOAA says the extra height is usually only a couple of inches above normal spring tides in most places, although some locations see more. They can cause minor high tide flooding in low-lying areas, and if a storm hits during one, flooding can be much worse. See king tides and high tide flooding.
Plan your beach day
Check NOAA's tide predictions for the nearest station, and see our guide to reading a tide chart. On spring-tide days, watch for faster-rising water around sandbars and jetties. See also moon phases and storm surge vs. storm tide.