Get to Know the Tides Near You

A helpful tool for navigating marine environments.

‣ Company: Tide Guide
‣ Founder: Tucker MacDonald
‣ Mission: To help people enjoy and experience the marine environment to the best of their ability
‣ App launched: 2018
‣ Team size: 1
‣ Go-to emoji: 🌊 or 🌅

As a cinematographer turned app developer, Tucker MacDonald is familiar with exploring uncharted waters.

It’s what led him to create Tide Guide, an app that helps you navigate the ocean’s tide and weather conditions. Since launching in 2018, it’s been an essential tool for the coast guard in Scotland, kayak tour leaders in the remote fjords of Alaska, and casual boaters alike. Tide Guide was recognized as a finalist for both the Apple Design Awards and the App Store Awards in 2023.

We spoke to MacDonald about what it takes to develop a jam-packed app as a team of one, how user feedback changed Tide Guide in unexpected ways, and why curiosity is a key ingredient to the app’s success.

What inspired you to create Tide Guide?
I grew up by the water and used to fish with my grandfather. My first introduction to the concept of a tide was going fishing with him at 5:30 in the morning—that’s when the low tide would be and when fishing would be the best. With Tide Guide, I wanted something very visual and simple that you could open and instantly see where you’re at in the tidal day—so I set out to build it myself. I’m a filmmaker by trade, and creating the first iteration of Tide Guide was how I learned to code and make apps.

What did you learn during the process of making the app?
On the East Coast of the United States, we have very predictable and normal tides. But it turns out a lot of locations around the world have tidal anomalies. As the app has grown and become more popular, I’ve learned more about those. There are places with two consecutive high tides a day, and places with two high tides and four low tides. Some have seven tides a day. I have to appreciate my user base—they’ll email me and I’ll dig into the data, add it to the app, and support the location in the next update. It’s been quite a learning process.

What role did design play when creating the app?
One thing I’m most proud of is that you can instantly see the current conditions—but the more time you spend with it, the more you can dig into different layers for tides and marine weather. It has an hour-by-hour 10-day forecast, and water temperatures, swell height, and swell direction. There are powerful tools in there, but the app doesn’t shove it in your face; you can seek it out if that’s what you need.

How does Tide Guide differ from other tide or weather-focused apps?
Its visual simplicity, but also the powerful platform features: Home Screen widgets, Lock Screen widgets, App Intents, Shortcuts support, Apple Watch support, an expanded iPad layout, and Live Activities. One of the great things about modern Apple platforms is that an app is no longer just an app. You can access the stuff you want in an app in so many different parts of the system.

Do you have any advice for other one-person development teams?
Follow your curiosity. For me, that’s been one of the most powerful things because I’m able to have passion and energy to solve problems in my own life that I otherwise wouldn’t have had. Also, following standard mobile-design practices and patterns. Being a good platform citizen makes users feel comfortable with your app even though they’re new to it.