Reef
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Level 7/10

Silverbacks

Bocas del Toro, Panama
🪸Sharp reef🏝️Remote🦈Sharks

Silverbacks is Bocas del Toro's heavy-hitting secret—a powerful left-hand reef break that comes alive when Caribbean swells push into Panama's island archipelago. Named for the gorilla-like power of its waves (and the bull sharks that occasionally patrol its waters), this is not a spot for the faint-hearted. When winter storms send energy through the Caribbean, Silverbacks transforms into a serious wave, demanding respect and rewarding commitment with thick, grinding barrels. The boat ride out adds to the adventure, passing through Bocas' reggae-tinged island paradise before arriving at something altogether more primal.

3-Day Forecast
Today
16
40
Poor
1.7m
@10s
5km/h
Tue
17
31
Poor
1.5m
@10s
6km/h
Wed
18
38
Poor
1.6m
@11s
8km/h
+7
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Today's Conditions

Swell
1.7m
ENE(62°)
Score: 13/25
Period
10s
Medium period swell
Score: 14/25
Wind
5km/h
E(93°)
Score: 23/25
Weather
27°C
0.0mm64%
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
morning

Location & Conditions

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0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
View in OpenStreetMap
Showing forecast for today

Tide Times

2:30 am
Low tide - 0.10m
10:30 am
High tide - 0.24m
5:30 pm
Low tide - 0.07m
8:30 pm
High tide - 0.09m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

40
Poor
Components
Swell Direction0/25
Swell Size13/25
Swell Period14/25
Wind23/25
Raw Score50/100
Adjustments
⚠️ Weak Component-10
Adjusted Score40/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score40

Spot Details

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
N (350°)
Direction range
320° - 30°
Size range
1m - 3m
Ideal size
2.5m
Height multiplier
1.03×
Ideal period
12s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
S (180°)
Offshore range
140° - 220°
Best window
morning

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid
Optimal range
0.3m - 1.2m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

7/10

Crowd level

2/10

Access: Boat from Bocas Town.

Best Season

Peak: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar

Secondary: Jun, Jul

November-March Caribbean swells. June-July can work.

Getting There

Airport
BOC
Drive time
0 min
Boat required
$50
Data quality
community

Strike Log

Community Discussion