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
30
0
Poor
0.7m
@8s
7km/h
Tue
31
11
Poor
0.9m
@9s
7km/h
Wed
1
11
Poor
0.9m
@9s
7km/h
+7
Unlock

Today's Conditions

Swell
0.7m
NE(50°)
Score: 3/25
Period
8s
Short period / windswell
Score: 6/25
Wind
7km/h
NNW(332°)
Score: 15/25
Weather
27°C
0.1mm89%
Windswell Component
0.1mNNW@1s
0
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
morning
AM: 4 km/h W|PM: 8 km/h N
Lighter winds early (4 km/h)
Tide at 10am (0.2m)

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

3:50 am
Low tide - 0.08m
10:50 am
High tide - 0.23m
5:30 pm
Low tide - 0.11m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

0
Poor
Components
Swell Direction0/25
Swell Size3/25
Swell Period6/25
Wind15/25
Raw Score24/100
Adjustments
⚠️ Weak Component-15
📉 Undersized Swell-9
🚫 Undersized Capmax 44
Adjusted Score0/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score0

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°

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