Norfolk Broads tide times

Not all of the Norfolk Broads are tidal, but a surprising amount is. The rivers below the tidal limit rise and fall with the North Sea, and the single most useful reference is low water at Great Yarmouth. Almost everything else is expressed as an offset from that time.

How Broads tides behave

The Broads are semidiurnal, with roughly two high waters and two low waters each day, and the times advancing a little each day. The tidal range and current strength are greatest near Great Yarmouth and weaken as you head inland. One quirk matters for planning: the ebb lasts longer than the flood, because friction in the channels holds the outgoing tide back. For the actual heights and times on the day, always check live data.

Why low water matters more than high water

For Broads boaters, low water is usually the number that counts. It's the moment of least flow, the safest window to cross Breydon Water, and it's also when you have the most clearance under the low bridges, because the water level is at its lowest. Plan your bridges and your Breydon crossing around it.

Reading the offsets, a local-time problem

The single most important principle is to never apply Great Yarmouth's tide time directly to an upstream bridge. Tides take time to travel inland, so the low water where you actually are will be later than at Great Yarmouth, and the further upstream, the bigger the lag. Because that lag shifts with wind and surge, there's no safe fixed figure. Confirm the live, location-specific time on the day rather than relying on a printed offset.

Tidal strength also fades inland: amplitude and current weaken the further upstream you go, and the upper Ant above Barton Broad is effectively non-tidal.

Why your tide table can be wrong: wind

Wind moves water. The prediction assumes calm, but the actual slack-water time and height can shift significantly with the wind direction:

• Northerly: HW slack later, LW slack earlier, with higher overall height.
• Southerly: HW slack earlier, LW slack later, often with lower height.
• North-westerly: The main surge driver, able to raise levels well above predicted.
• Easterly / SE: Roughest at the harbour entrance, most dangerous when opposing the ebb.