High and low tides both appear two times each in a 24-hour day, but since the moon rises 50 minutes later each day, the tide cycles will differ by the same 50 minutes daily. Spring Tides. The phases of the moon also affect tides. When the moon is at its full or new moon phase, high tides are at their highest, while low tides are lower than usual. Called spring tides, these tides occur when the sun, moon and the Earth all line up. The added gravity of the sun can make the oceans bulge more than at other times. Neap Tides