Surfers and body boarders are taking advantage of king tides which are submerging parts of Pilot Bay and Mount Maunganui beaches this weekend.

Surfers take to the waters as king tides reach Mount Main Beach. Photo: Ruth Bell.

A cluster of king tides are hitting Tauranga and Mount Maunganui during February 1-4 and the tides were at their biggest last night, says NIWA Programme Leader for Hazards and Risk Rob Bell, who was at Mount Maunganui Main Beach on Saturday.

'There was quite a surge coming in right at the bottom of the stairs by Motoriki Island between the two islands. But this morning's tide was one of the biggest particular cluster of king tides.”

"The first, second and third of February are the biggest of the cluster that we're in right now.”

A photo of the king tide on Pilot Bay taken around 11am on Sunday. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

Rob says when high tide predictions coincide with a low pressure system, high swells, storm surges or strong winds the chances of coastal flooding are high.

'They [king tides] peak in clusters every seven months. So we're in the middle of the peak of the clusters now and then in another seven months about August we'll peak on another lot of king tides.”

He says king tides are basically a combination of the spring and neap tides when there's a new or full moon.

'But the other slightly more complicated factor is that the moon just doesn't go round in a circle around the earth, it does an elliptical oval shaped orbit around the earth every month.

'So at any particular point in that month it's much closer to the earth than in other parts of the month – and when all of those combine with a new or full moon, that's when it all compounds into a larger king tide.”

Large tides also came into Mount Maunganui beaches on January 1-3 and Rob predicts bigger tides to arrive in March before dying off.

They will then build up again in August when the combination lines up once again, says Rob, who reckons the January tides could have been due to a high pressure system which tends to push the sea level down.

But this time, Rob says low offshore pressures are causing the tides to increase.

'Normally people notice the tides, but we've got a slightly lower atmospheric pressure and we've got waves as well on your coast.

'The waves aren't big but anything like that – a low pressure, or it's got waves or swell coming in – it all compounds the king tide to produce some pretty dramatic effects sometimes.”

Noticing surfers hitting the waters last night, Rob says beach-goers need to be aware of the ocean's behaviour.

'You get these long waves that come in about every seven minutes sort of like a surging wave. It's just being aware that you can get these wave generated surges on the beaches when the tides quite high.

'Just keep a constant look out to sea and make sure you've got a good eye on it.”

Have you seen the king tide? Send your photographs and information to newsroom@thesun.co.nz

Rob captured some pictures on his visit to the Bay of Plenty.

King tides at Ohiwa Estuary on Saturday morning.

King tides at Moturiki Island.

Waves were small at Ohiwa, but combined with the king tide, they still managed to cut a scarp in the back beach on this point near Ohiwa Inlet, says Rob.