Think about the websites you frequent the most during a fishing season. Social media platforms come to mind, but for anglers, boaters, and surfers alike, the sites that report local tide readings get bookmarked for daily viewing. My fiancée, bless her heart, was tired of seeing me frantically skip around different sites for accurate readings from April through November, so last Christmas, she gifted me a practical and decorative new tide clock modeled after Nobska Light. This historic lighthouse overlooks Vineyard Sound, just a short drive down the road, and with her permission, I proudly displayed my new toy in our home. It’s a desk-sized replica that was created by NexTide—a small business based in Pembroke, Massachusetts, that was established by Mike Tedeschi and John Bizzozero in 2021.
Tedeschi and Bizzozero have been friends since grade school. Their families owned homes next door to each other in Rexhame Beach on Massachusetts’ South Shore, where they spent summers swimming, wakeboarding, surfing, and occasionally fishing in Cape Cod Bay. Like many watermen of leisure, the duo recognized the inaccuracies of standard tide clocks, which often inconvenienced them when planning surfing and boating sessions. “The idea came from seeing water levels drastically differ from what our tide clocks were showing,” said Tedeschi. “In some areas, we had a 2-foot tide swing, but those old tide clocks didn’t account for minor changes in the time of the tide shift, and they didn’t tell you the tide height.” Tedeschi, who went to Bryant University’s business school and studied computer information systems, wanted tide readings in real time before leaving Boston for the weekend, so he went to work making a prototype.
The first NexTide clock was nothing more than a series of lights taped to a straw that indicated tide height and time, but in order to receive a more accurate reading, Tedeschi had the bright idea of making it Wi-Fi connected. Today, their tide clocks pull updated tide information from NOAA, providing anglers, boaters, and surfers with timely and near-precise readings in a nautically themed package.
One of their first clocks was modeled after Sankaty Head Lighthouse on Nantucket, and it was very well received by the community. Before long, Tedeschi and Bizzozero had people asking them how and where they could get a tide clock of their own. They realized the potential for these clocks to become a hot commodity in coastal homes and businesses across the Northeast, so they turned Tedeschi’s garage into a makeshift workshop. Eventually, they needed more space for equipment and fulfilling orders, so operations shifted to Bizzozero’s slightly larger garage before they finally landed in a warehouse in Pembroke. There, each clock is cut, laser engraved, and colored by Tedeschi. There are clocks modeled after lobsters, surfboards, tuna tails, and lighthouses, all of which are made from wood and undergo the same 12-step building process.
Each lighthouse design begins with Tedeschi tracking down photos and original architectural outlines. He taught himself to work with a computer numerical control (CNC) machine, which he uses to set the dimensions of each lighthouse to create the most realistic rendition. The computer then tells the motorized, maneuverable machine the exact movements needed to achieve the proper shape and size, which varies depending on the model. Desktop models, which measure anywhere from 10.5 to 12.5 inches, are the most popular size, but they have made larger wall mounts in the past, like the 50-inch Barnegat Light tide clock behind the host stand at B2 Bistro in Bayville, New Jersey.
Following the cutting process, Tedeschi uses a laser engraver to etch unique features—down to every window and brick—into the lighthouse. These seemingly minor details provide texture and depth, which help to make a flat piece of wood appear three-dimensional. “It’s the little things you can’t always see in photos that shine through in our models,” said Bizzozero. “There’s no computer setting to create that fine level of detail; it all comes from Mike’s laser engraving, which is time-consuming, but leads to a better product.”
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Following the design process, appropriately sized circuit boards are fitted and glued to each clock. Once connected to a Wi-Fi network, the tide direction can be read in two ways on lighthouse models. The lighthouse beacon moves from left to right on an incoming tide, and right to left on a dropping tide. However, the series of blue lights in the middle of the clock, which also indicate tide height, brighten and fade in subtle upward or downward waves—a secondary indicator as to whether the tide is rising or falling. Depending on whether the tide is coming in or receding, the clock also lights up to the nearest hour to show the next high or low tide.
“The best part” said Tedeschi, “is that you don’t need to choose the lighthouse nearest to you for it to read your desired tide location.” For example, the Fire Island Light model, which is one of their most popular, is capable of reading tides from any NOAA station, whether it’s Fall River, Massachusetts, or Cape May, New Jersey. They are not limited to reading tides within the immediate area. This is what makes NexTide’s lighthouse clocks such a valuable gift to seafaring friends and family—they’re a little slice of home, but they do not exclusively present tides for that region. The location can be changed at any time.
Much like recreational fishing in the Northeast, NexTide is a highly seasonal business. “There are periods of busy insanity, and periods when we work on building inventory and planning ahead,” said Tedeschi. “Peak season begins with Mother’s Day and Father’s Day to kick off summer, then it’s a lot of wedding gifts and housewarming gifts until Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
Since 2021, NexTide has expanded to cover not only the Northeast with their lighthouse tide clocks, but the entire East Coast and even the Pacific Coast from Los Angeles to Washington.
