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
Wed
29
0
Poor
0.8m
@8s
12km/h
Today
30
6
Poor
1.4m
@9s
13km/h
Fri
1
15
Poor
1.4m
@9s
8km/h
+7
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Today's Conditions

Swell
0.8m
NE(55°)
Score: 3/25
Period
8s
Short period / windswell
Score: 6/25
Wind
12km/h
NNW(331°)
Score: 5/25
Weather
28°C
0.0mm92%
Secondary Swell
0.1mNNE
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
morning
AM: 6 km/h WNW|PM: 12 km/h N
6 km/h vs 12 km/h afternoon
Tide at 7am (0.0m)

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

7:00 am
Low tide - 0.03m
2:00 pm
High tide - 0.18m
3:30 pm
Low tide - 0.17m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

0
Poor
Components
Swell Direction0/25
Swell Size3/25
Swell Period6/25
Wind5/25
Raw Score14/100
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