Does a new moon influence tides more than a full moon?
During both new and full moon phases, the gravitational attraction of the moon is in line with the gravitational pull of the sun, producing high tides and low tides 20% higher and lower respectively than average tide levels. While there is little difference in the magnitude of tide heights during new and full moon phases, tides do reach unusual heights when the moon is both unusually close to the Earth and in the new moon phase, due to the combined pull of the moon and sun together. These proxigean spring tides occur approximately once every 1.5 years. Read an FAQ about oceans, tides and waves on this USA TODAY resource page.
