Tide Levels

Mofisi--the beginning of the turning of the tide as it comes in. 

Ufiafua--when the rocks at the edge of the reef disappear

Liku-- the area of the ocean between the beach 

Funohaki-- when the incoming tide covers half of the sand on the beach

Hu’a--The incoming tide when it gets deep. 

Tau--tide is full and is at its highest

Taumatala-- When the tide turns and it begins to recede from the beach. 

matuku--the tide is going out, and the sand is left further up the beach dry

Fonohifo--The tide has gone out more than halfway on the sandy beach

Tu’ungakiu--The big boulders at the edge of the reef are exposed, and the birds can stop and rest on them 

Mamaha--The tide is at its lowest leaving everything high and dry. 

Taumalie--A flood--the tide goes to the highest point on the beach that it can reach. 

Taul_o_fu’u--The tide is all the way to the low crawling weeds near the beach, and the waves rush in one after the next, as if they’re piled up one after another.

mamaha fu’u--extraordinarily low tide

mamaha pakupaku-- The tide is all the way out, and when the edge of the reef is left high and dry. 

A’afa or Hohoko--the tide just left and it comes back in. high tide is followed once again by another high tide

Fakalolo--the outgoing tide is low enough that the incoming tide comes in right away. (similar to a’afa or hohoko)

Fakafuli--the sea is rough with lots of waves and a strong current