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Spring Tide
The highest natural tides, called spring tides, occur when the sun, moon and Earth are in perfect alignment or nearly so. This can occur when the moon is positioned directly between the Earth and sun, or when the moon is positioned nearly exactly on the side of the Earth opposite the sun. In either configuration, the gravitational affects on the Earth's seas are maximized. Spring tides have nothing to do with the spring season and can occur at any time of the year.
Neap Tide
The neap tide, the tides with the smallest fluctuation, occur when the position of the Earth, moon and sun are nearly at right angles to one another. In this situation, the gravitational affects of the sun and moon tend to offset one another, and the pull on the sea water is minimized.
Wind Tides
A strong and continual blowing wind can actually push enough water in the ocean (and even on lakes and ponds) that the water level along the lee shore actually recedes as the water blows away or increases on the windward shore. When this occurs in conjunction with normal high or low tidal periods, unusually high or low tides can occur. The most massive wind tides, called storm surges, occur in conjunction with hurricanes and typhoons.
Tidal Waves
Underwater earthquakes can release enough energy to the water to create an uplift or wave to the surface of the water above the quake. As this wave radiates away from the epicenter it can come ashore causing an unusually high tide. If the wave is higher than the normal high tide for the area (and they often are), it's called a tsunami and can devastate shoreline areas.