If you've ever been to the beach in coastal areas that see plenty of tidal variation, you'll know how quickly the tide can come in. At best, it can have you quickly grabbing all of your stuff and heading up to drier land. In the worst case scenario, it can cut you off, placing you in a potentially dangerous situation. This is why knowing how to read a tide chart is essential, whether you're hiking a coast path, surfing, swimming, or looking to access a sea-cliff climb.
Though some areas, like the Mediterranean, don’t see much variation at all in terms of tides, others see big swings with the largest tidal range in the world being Fundy Bay in Canada which sees a difference of over 53 feet between high and low tide.
