The idea that the tides are two bulges following the moon is wrong

The old primitive model of how the tides work, in the oceans, is wrong.

Satellite data has confirmed that the new model is correct, and tides behave in a manner consistent with the new model.

The old idea (which as always, is taking a very long time to die), is that the ocean has two bulges, and the earth rotates under them and this is why there are two high tides and two low tides a day. (all tide theories assume the energy for the tides comes from the gravity of the sun and moon)

The two bulge theory never matched up with observations, especially the following.

The bulges are gravity waves travelling along the ocean's surface, so they must follow the laws for waves. For a wave to travel along the equator of 40,000 km in 25 hours, requires a speed of around 1600 km/hr, which is impossible, as the depth of the ocean is around 3800m. 800 km/hr would be the maximum speed a tide could move.

As the bulges reach a continent, most of it will be bounced back off the continental shelf, or the land itself, causing a bulge of almost equal height to run in the opposite direction. This is not observed, it just doesn't happen.

As the bulge reached a continent (where it would have to stop) it would have to go back the other way. This is never observed.

There are either one and two tides each day: there are places without tides at all, and places where it's a mixture. This cannot be explained by bulges. Nor can the tides at the poles be explained by bulges.

The height of the tide, the difference between high and low tide, does not follow the two-bulge idea which suggests that the tide should be maximal around the equator or on opposite sides of a large ocean. Near the equator one can find places without tides and places with near-maximal tides. The poles can also have large tides.

High (and low) tide occurs at different times of the lunar cycle, depending more on one's place on Earth than on the position of the moon. In fact, there can be both high and low tide at the same time, like New Zealand experiences every day.

The balancing bulge on the other side is missing, and nowhere is there any evidence for it.

The new model is that tide waves run in ways to prevent loss of energy. Instead of running east to west, tide waves run around in circles (clockwise and CCW on both hemispheres) around islands, and certain points in the sea, called nodes. 

This new model does away with the objections mentioned for the bulge model

Tide waves follow shorter paths in twelve hour rotations, never exceeding the maximum wave speed of about 800 km/hr.

Tide waves do not bounce off continents by hitting them squarely. Instead, they follow along their coasts.

There is no starting and stopping but a continuous motion. The standing waves absorb minimal energy.

There is no balancing bulge. Instead, tide waves run in twelve hour circles.

There can be none, one or two tides per day. Looking at the animation of how tides actually behave shows why.

The time of high tide depends both on the lunar cycle and the place on Earth. The high and low tides at the same time (New Zealand) makes sense.

Tide waves are standing waves, expending the least energy.

Computer models, and later satellite data has shown the new model matches with reality. 

The two bulge model does not.