British Columbia Tide Charts
Worldwide Tides

Minus tides at Ladysmith

The lowest predicted waters at Ladysmith, through 2028. The days each year when the sea goes furthest out.

What a minus tide is

Tide heights are measured from a datum — here Chart Datum — which is roughly the average of the lower low waters. Most low tides sit a little above it. A few times a year one falls below, and the height is printed as a negative number: a minus tide.

They happen on the same days as the king tides, and for the same reason. When the sun and moon pull together the water comes up further than usual, and it also goes out further than usual. The big high and the big low are six hours apart on the same day.

A foot below datum does not sound like much. On a shallow shore it can mean a few hundred yards of ground uncovered that nobody sees the rest of the year.

What to do at low water at Ladysmith

The sheltered east coast has the shellfish. Fanny Bay and Baynes Sound produce most of British Columbia's oysters, and at low water the beds are walkable. Parksville and Qualicum uncover sand flats that run out the best part of a mile and warm in the sun, which is why those beaches are what they are.

Harvesting is managed by area and closed at times for biotoxins; check the current openings before collecting anything.

Minus tides still to come

22–26 December 2026

Date Low water Height
22 DecTue9:15 am3.4 m
22 DecTue9:33 pm-0.1 m
23 DecWed10:16 am3.4 m
23 DecWed10:18 pm-0.2 m
24 DecThu11:15 am3.4 m
24 DecThu11:04 pm-0.3 m
25 DecFri12:15 pm3.2 m
25 DecFri11:51 pm-0.2 m
26 DecSat1:17 pm3.0 m

19–23 January 2027

Date Low water Height
19 JanTue7:58 am3.4 m
19 JanTue8:28 pm0.2 m
20 JanWed9:17 am3.4 m
20 JanWed9:17 pm0.0 m
21 JanThu10:16 am3.3 m
21 JanThu10:04 pm-0.1 m
22 JanFri11:07 am3.1 m
22 JanFri10:51 pm0.0 m
23 JanSat11:58 am2.9 m
23 JanSat11:35 pm0.2 m

4–8 June 2027

Date Low water Height
4 JunFri11:14 am0.1 m
4 JunFri11:54 pm3.2 m
5 JunSat11:58 am-0.1 m
6 JunSun12:52 am3.2 m
6 JunSun12:44 pm-0.2 m
7 JunMon1:56 am3.1 m
7 JunMon1:32 pm-0.1 m
8 JunTue3:06 am3.0 m
8 JunTue2:20 pm0.2 m

2–6 July 2027

Date Low water Height
2 JulFri10:10 am0.1 m
2 JulFri10:47 pm3.3 m
3 JulSat10:56 am-0.1 m
3 JulSat11:44 pm3.2 m
4 JulSun11:43 am-0.2 m
5 JulMon12:41 am3.1 m
5 JulMon12:30 pm-0.1 m
6 JulTue1:40 am2.9 m
6 JulTue1:16 pm0.1 m

9–13 January 2028

Date Low water Height
9 JanSun8:29 am3.4 m
9 JanSun8:55 pm0.3 m
10 JanMon9:36 am3.4 m
10 JanMon9:39 pm0.1 m
11 JanTue10:30 am3.3 m
11 JanTue10:23 pm0.0 m
12 JanWed11:21 am3.2 m
12 JanWed11:07 pm0.0 m
13 JanThu12:14 pm2.9 m
13 JanThu11:51 pm0.1 m

15–19 November 2028

Date Low water Height
15 NovWed9:29 am2.8 m
15 NovWed9:52 pm0.2 m
16 NovThu10:25 am3.0 m
16 NovThu10:33 pm0.1 m
17 NovFri11:21 am3.1 m
17 NovFri11:16 pm0.0 m
18 NovSat12:21 pm3.1 m
19 NovSun12:00 am0.1 m
19 NovSun1:27 pm3.1 m

13–17 December 2028

Date Low water Height
13 DecWed8:19 am3.1 m
13 DecWed8:50 pm0.3 m
14 DecThu9:28 am3.2 m
14 DecThu9:33 pm0.1 m
15 DecFri10:28 am3.2 m
15 DecFri10:16 pm0.1 m
16 DecSat11:24 am3.2 m
16 DecSat10:59 pm0.1 m
17 DecSun12:18 pm3.1 m
17 DecSun11:42 pm0.2 m

Minus tides already past

31 December – 2 January 2026

Date Low water Height
31 DecWed8:29 pm0.2 m
1 JanThu9:03 am3.4 m
1 JanThu9:16 pm-0.1 m
2 JanFri10:10 am3.4 m
2 JanFri10:03 pm-0.2 m

16–20 May 2026

Date Low water Height
16 MaySat11:17 am0.2 m
16 MaySat11:43 pm3.0 m
17 MaySun11:59 am-0.1 m
18 MayMon12:39 am3.1 m
18 MayMon12:44 pm-0.2 m
19 MayTue1:43 am3.2 m
19 MayTue1:32 pm-0.2 m
20 MayWed2:59 am3.2 m
20 MayWed2:23 pm0.0 m

13–17 June 2026

Date Low water Height
13 JunSat10:09 am0.1 m
13 JunSat10:35 pm3.2 m
14 JunSun10:54 am-0.1 m
14 JunSun11:36 pm3.2 m
15 JunMon11:41 am-0.3 m
16 JunTue12:37 am3.2 m
16 JunTue12:29 pm-0.3 m
17 JunWed1:41 am3.1 m
17 JunWed1:17 pm-0.1 m

Going out safely

The water comes back. Work out when the tide turns before you walk out to anything, and allow more time than the return trip took — a rising tide fills channels behind you before it reaches where you are standing.

Wet rock is slippery, and what is exposed at a minus tide has been underwater long enough to be covered in weed. Anything living out there is usually protected by state or local rules; look it up before taking any of it home.