Co-owners Michael Tedeschi and John Bizzozero grew up in the south shore area of Massachusetts, where boating, surfing and hanging out at the beach are part of the summer lifestyle. With that comes the constant checking and observation of the tides.
NexTide set out to reinvent the traditional tide clock that not only looks great but displays more valuable information with the added bonus of making people feel close to the ocean when they can’t be near it.
“We realized their needed to be a better way to easily see what the tides were going to do without always having to look it up,” says Bizzozero. The concept originated over 10 years ago as a bunch of lights taped to a straw, but that was functional.
Then in early 2021, the duo brought the concept to life. “We started with a simple prototype in January and seven prototypes later we had a final product.”
The Tide Gauges come in coastal styles, including specific light houses, a lobster and a surf board. They can be programmed using a smartphone and selecting the tide chart from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The first gauges were tested in the homes of about 25 friends and family over several weeks.
“Feedback was overwhelmingly positive and highlighted a recurring theme that guests of NexTide testers wanted to purchase the device as-is for themselves,” says Tedeschi.
As purchases rolled in through summer, the NexTide team wanted a way to interact with shop owners in coastal communities, both from a sales and product feedback perspective. The Ocean City Gift Show, Nov. 1-3, became the next move and learning experience for Tedeschi and Bizzozero.
According to Tedeschi and Bizzozero, initially being accepted as an exhibitor at the show was reassuring as they expanded their product offering but seeing NexTide win “Best New Exhibitor” was a welcomed surprise that seemed to validate the time and effort spent bringing the idea to life.
“The entire Ocean City Gift Show experience was invaluable to gauge how niche coastal brick and mortar retailers expect the product to resonate with their customers on shelf,” says Tedeschi. “Most of our feedback from retailers centered around requests for additional styles and bigger sizes, both of which are already in the works.”
