Whether you’re setting up your beach chair and umbrella, doing a little fishing or taking your 4WD vehicle for a drive on one of the beaches, it’s always wise to watch the times of low and high Outer Banks tides . Click the button below to find a NC tide table on the U.S. Harbor website for viewing and/or printing.

A few tips:

• Shell seeking and beach combing are best after the sea retreats and leaves its treasures behind
• Surfers have their best sessions on the incoming tide
• Fishermen prefer a tide running in or out with hope of catching fish while they’re feeding
• Swimmers should be alert to the potential for stronger rip currents when the tide is low
• Those living or vacationing in the 4×4 beaches of Corolla are perhaps the most tide-dependent on the Outer Banks
• Low tide is always best when driving on the beaches
• If you’re parking on the beach for the day on Hatteras, be sure to time your departure off the beach well ahead of the incoming tide