Weather and tide schedules
in La Trinité-sur-Mer
Weather forecasts and tide times updated daily to help you plan your swimming, shellfish gathering or coastal walks. Understanding the tides means you can enjoy your stay to the full in complete safety!
-
-
Your weather forecast for the week
-
-
-
-
Here, seaside holidays follow the rhythm of the tides...
-
-
-
To make the most of your seaside holiday, it helps to understand how it all works. Follow the guide!
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
The tides
Yes, here in Brittany, on the Atlantic coast, the tides set the pace for daily life and transform our coastal landscapes several times a day. When organising beachcombing trips or planning swimming sessions, it is very useful to know the times of low tide (LT) and high tide (HT). It is also important to remember that these times shift by an average of 50 minutes each day. Want to know more? We'll explain!
-
-
-
In front of the campsite, Kervillen beach at low tide with a tidal coefficient of 108
-
In front of the campsite, Kervillen beach at high tide with a tidal coefficient of 108
-
-
-
What is a tide ?
The tide is the regular rise and fall of sea level. Every day, the ocean advances and retreats along our coasts, exposing or covering beaches and rocks.
How can this be explained ?
This phenomenon is mainly due to the gravitational pull exerted by the moon and, to a lesser extent, by the sun. These forces pull the water in the oceans towards them, creating giant ‘bumps’ or ‘waves’ that move around the globe as the Earth rotates.
Let's simplify it. Imagine that the Earth and the moon are dancing together in space, and that this dance causes the water in the oceans to move like a huge natural pendulum.
-
How many tides are there per day ?
On the coast of Brittany, there are generally two high tides and two low tides per day, or four tidal movements every 24 hours.
A complete tidal cycle lasts approximately 12 hours and 25 minutes. This means that there is just over 6 hours between high tide and low tide.
This 50-minute difference each day explains why tide times change daily. If the tide is high at 10 o'clock today, it will be high at around 10:50 tomorrow, and so on...
Does it rise and fall quickly ?
The speed at which the tide rises and falls is not constant. It starts slowly, accelerates in the middle of the cycle, then slows down again.
During the first hour after high tide, the water drops only one-twelfth of its total height, then two-twelfths in the second hour, and three-twelfths in the third and fourth hours, before slowing down again.
It is important to be aware of this variation in pace so that you can plan your activities safely.
-
What is the tidal coefficient ?
The higher the coefficient, the greater the difference between high tide and low tide.
What are tide times used for ?
They are essential for choosing and planning your water sports activities:
At high tide, to enjoy swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking or sailing in optimal conditions.
At low tide, to organise a beachcombing trip, a long walk on the beach or sandcastle building!
Important tip: always check the tide times before your excursions, especially if you plan to venture onto sandbanks or islets that are accessible on foot at low tide.
The sea sometimes rises faster than you think, and some places can quickly become isolated.
-
-
-
-
What about spring tides?
When the tidal coefficient is high (i.e. when the coefficient reaches 100), we refer to it as a spring tide (or neap tide).
Spring tides are spectacular natural phenomena where the sea rises and falls more than usual, creating sharp contrasts between high tide and low tide.
They occur when the sun, earth and moon are perfectly aligned (during full moons or new moons), which increases the gravitational pull on the oceans. The tides are strongest at the equinoxes (March and September).
In La Trinité-sur-Mer, it's a magical time to watch the coastal landscapes transform and enjoy shellfish gathering!
Important tip: avoid being caught out or isolated by a rapid rise in the water during a shellfish gathering trip: bear in mind that some places that are accessible at low tide may become inaccessible when the water rises!
-
