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Public Atlas / Coastal field guide / North & South CarolinaCoastal field guide / North & South Carolina

Start with the station, then the tide.

Four place pages, four distinct references. Match the station ID and setting before you compare a time or height.

Brass markers on a layered paper coastline in ivory and sea green.
Generated editorial illustration · no named location
REFERENCE, NOT BEACH-WIDE COVERAGE

What does your place name point to?

Public Atlas uses these NOAA prediction stations for its covered Carolina locations. Their coordinates identify the station reference; they are not a shoreline boundary, an access point or a recommendation for an activity.

All four pages display predicted high and low water in feet relative to MLLW, with times converted to America/New_York. NOAA events arrive in UTC. Always keep the local date beside a printed time.

Our covered Carolina references · station metadata checked 2026-09-28
Place pageNOAA station and IDStation coordinatesReference limits
Emerald IsleBogue Inlet
TEC2837		34.6500°, -77.1000°Bogue Inlet is near the western end of Emerald Isle. This reference does not describe the full beach or every sound-side location.
Holden BeachBOWEN POINT, SHALLOTTE INLET
8659665		33.9150°, -78.3733°Bowen Point is at Shallotte Inlet, near the western end of Holden Beach. Keep that inlet context when using the reference.
Oak IslandOak Island, Atlantic Ocean
8659182		33.9017°, -78.0817°The station is the Yaupon Beach / Atlantic Ocean reference on Oak Island. It is not a prediction for every inland creek or inlet.
CharlestonCharleston
8665530		32.7808°, -79.9236°This is the Charleston Harbor reference. Do not silently substitute it for a separate barrier-island beach.
SAME ID, DIFFERENT LABELS

Follow identifiers through name differences.

The NOAA station-list snapshot calls 8659182 “Oak Island, Yaupon Beach”; its individual station response uses “Oak Island, Atlantic Ocean.” Charleston appears with and without “Customhouse Wharf.” The matching identifier is the useful connection between these records.

These are differences between source labels, not evidence of a relocated gauge. We keep both the place context and the official station ID.

Common questions

Why do two NOAA labels appear for Oak Island?

Our retained records use different names for station 8659182. The matching ID connects those labels; it does not prove a relocation.

Read the supporting source ↗

Can Charleston tides stand in for every nearby beach?

Our page uses a Charleston Harbor reference. Check the appropriate station for a separate beach before transferring that prediction.

Read the supporting source ↗

How to read a NOAA high and low tide chart

A station, a time zone and a datum make the table meaningful.

Read the resource →

Why a nearby tide station can differ from your beach

Follow the water connection and station coverage before trusting a nearby name.

Read the resource →

Tide-day worksheet

Record NOAA reference-station predictions and their limits.

Read the resource →

Before you trust a number

Check place, measurement, dates, issuing source and limitations.

Read the resource →
A SHARED UNIT HAS LIMITS

MLLW is a local reference.

A tide height is relative to the station’s tidal datum. Two stations sharing the label MLLW do not thereby share one fixed absolute zero. This table identifies the reference; it does not calculate a beach correction or convert heights between stations.

For actual events and their valid dates, open the tide planner. Use the printable worksheet to keep the station, local date, source and checks together.

Common questions

Why do two NOAA labels appear for Oak Island?

Our retained records use different names for station 8659182. The matching ID connects those labels; it does not prove a relocation.

Read the supporting source ↗

Can Charleston tides stand in for every nearby beach?

Our page uses a Charleston Harbor reference. Check the appropriate station for a separate beach before transferring that prediction.

Read the supporting source ↗

How to read a NOAA high and low tide chart

A station, a time zone and a datum make the table meaningful.

Read the resource →

Why a nearby tide station can differ from your beach

Follow the water connection and station coverage before trusting a nearby name.

Read the resource →

Tide-day worksheet

Record NOAA reference-station predictions and their limits.

Read the resource →

Before you trust a number

Check place, measurement, dates, issuing source and limitations.

Read the resource →

Check the station records yourself

Individual NOAA metadata responses were retrieved separately from the live prediction snapshots. Metadata checks do not renew a prediction window or constitute human editorial signoff.

Public Atlas Editorial · Published 2026-09-29 · Updated 2026-09-29. Independent human review pending. Next scheduled review: 2026-10-29. AI-assisted resource.

The short answer

Compare the NOAA station behind each Carolina place page before comparing tides. Keep the station ID and local date; a destination name does not define the prediction’s entire coverage.