Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Strong Tides Over Christmas Carry Dangers for Swimming, Boating, Surfing & Diving

22nd December 2019
There will be a new moon on St. Stephen's Day causing higher tides There will be a new moon on St. Stephen's Day causing higher tides

Water Safety Ireland has issued a warning over the dangers of strong tidal streams tides over the Christmas period.

On St. Stephen’s Day there will be a new moon. A new moon will increase the range of our tides causing higher and lower tides. This will expose large areas of beach and rocks which we don’t see during neap tides. Many people enjoy exploring these new areas of beach and in particular, enjoy picking shellfish to eat.

As you walk shorelines, keep a close eye on new moon tidal advances and carry your mobile phone in case you are cut off. 

"On St. Stephen’s Day there will be a new moon"

The risk of becoming stranded as the tide advances can quickly leave people cut off from the shore which is why people should carry their mobile phone and call 112 if required.

All those swimming, boating, surfing, or diving should be aware of stronger tidal streams around our coast over the Christmas period.

Swimmers need to be aware of the risks rip currents will have on our beaches. The public is encouraged to access tidal information through newspapers and online.

Published in Water Safety
Afloat.ie Team

About The Author

Afloat.ie Team

Email The Author

Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.

Have you got a story for our reporters? Email us here.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven’t put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full–time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

Direct Donation to Afloat button