How to Read the Tide for Surf Photos
When I walked into a stairwell in Santa Cruz and saw the photograph I wanted to make, the tide was wrong. The frame was there, but the wave was not doing much. It was a good reminder that in surf photography, the tide can matter as much as the light. Here is how I think about it, with the caveat that I am a photographer who surfs, not a forecaster, and every spot behaves differently.
This print comes from Santa Cruz, CA during the string of summer swells in 2026. I noticed the wave aligning with the stairwell while scouting a place to surf. At the time, nobody was surfing the wave, but I decided to head back to my van for the camera.
I waited for almost an hour in the stairwell for a surfer and wave to align.
Thankfully, I stuck out the wait as I love this image.
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Start with the basics. Tides rise and fall on a predictable schedule, and you can look up a tide chart for almost any stretch of coast. At many surf breaks, the height of the tide changes the shape of the waves. A wave that is mushy at one tide can stand up and peel at another. Some places work best on a rising tide, some on a falling tide, and some only near high or low. I do not know your local break, so ask surfers who do, or watch it over a few days.
In my case, I found the frame in early summer 2026, and strong south swells were in the water. I had no surfer and an uncooperative tide, so I ran back to the van for my Sony and Tamron 70-180 G2, returned to the stairwell, and waited. The tide began to change, and the wave started to pick up. It stood taller and peeled with more shape. Then, late in the morning, a surfer dropped in. That took about an hour.
There is a lesson in that. You can scout a location at the wrong time and still see its potential. If a composition works, ask what conditions it needs. Does it need more water, less water, a bigger swell, or different light? Then come back at the right time, or stay put and wait, as I did.
Check a tide chart before you go, and combine it with a surf forecast. Look at the swell size, the direction, and the wind. Morning hours are often calmer and glassier before the wind comes up, although that varies by place and season. A forecast cannot promise a perfect session, but it can help you avoid wasting the day.
Pay attention to safety too. Tide changes affect what is exposed on rocks and shoreline, and a spot that feels comfortable at low tide can feel different when the water rises. Stay well back from the water, expect slippery rocks, and never turn your back on the ocean. Respect local rules and the surfers who use the spot.
Above all, treat the tide as part of the story. Waiting on it is a form of respect for the place. The Stairwell exists because I stayed long enough for the water to cooperate.
A simple habit helps here. Keep a small log of each outing, noting the tide, the swell, the wind, and what the wave did. After a few sessions you will start to see patterns that no chart can tell you. Surfers do this naturally, and photographers can borrow the habit. Over time, you will arrive at the right moment more often, and wait less. Even a few notes on your phone will pay off the next time you head out.
The print is an open edition, available in seven sizes starting at $26.95, and I try to sign each one, though I cannot guarantee it.
Go check out all the prints by Dalton Johnson.
About the Author
Dalton Johnson is a photographer, writer, and filmmaker who tells stories about real people pushing themselves in the outdoors, from the High Sierra to the far reaches of every continent. He has shot and written for brands, tourism boards, and editorial outlets, including Nike, Patagonia, Four Seasons, PBS, GoPro, and Ford, with more than 160 campaigns and hundreds of published articles to his name. Off assignment, he bikepacks, trail runs, swims open water, chases big waves, and rock climbs.
