Surf Size and Tide?

Generally speaking, how does the tide effect the size of the surf? Depends on the beach, swell, period? What I really want to know is when in the tide is the surf usually smallest?  And if I got out when its small, what would I expect going in?

Saturday the ocean was slick after you got through a 1/4 mile of 1.5 head high surf. The surfers were in heaven and wearing it out. I  saw about 5 or 6 stand up paddlers but they were not wailing on it like the surfers were.

 Wannabe and I took a rain check as re-entry would have produced more entertaining video (heck, entry would have been interesting!). I went back after I picked up my boat (about 4pm, tide going out) and it was still 1/4 mile wide but it was almost all 2'-3' breaking soup (?).

Tough one there FFTW. Essentially you need to know the beach that you're launching and where the waves break at what tide. Since a wave will only break in water half as deep as the wave is tall, the depth of the water is most important. The way beaches are shaped, some break better in high tides and some break better on low tides depending on current etc.. Each beach has their own characteristics.

It took a long time to figure out all the beaches where I surfed in California and which tide was best for which spot. But one very general rule is that beaches are more calm on a higher tide. I don't want to say that it's always so because with sand constantly shifting and tides and swell constantly changing, the unpredictable factor is always there. In short be careful.

So what the hell am I trying to say?? Are beaches readable? Yes. Get to know the beach you launch at most and watch it A LOT. Learn where the action is and isn't under the current situations and memorize it (or take notes). Knowledge of a certain spot shows so well in a local surfer. A crazy set could come through in bad conditions and a local would go one way and duck through everything w/ little or no effort and the newb would get washed into the rocks. Be the local.

Z