Reef

both

Level 6/10

Paunch

Isla Colón, Panama

🪸Sharp reef🦔Urchins

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Paunch is the wave that put Bocas del Toro on the surfing map. This versatile reef break offers something for everyone—hollow barrel sections for the chargers, long open walls for the cruisers. The wave breaks both ways with multiple takeoff zones, making it work through most tides and swell angles. A true Caribbean gem.

Paunch surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today4

Poor

0.8mNE@8s

5km/h

0.8m@8s

5km/h

Thu5

Poor

0.7mNE@7s

3km/h

0.7m@7s

3km/h

Fri6

Poor

0.5mNE@7s

6km/h

0.5m@7s

6km/h

Sat7

Poor

0.4mENE@7s

5km/h

0.4m@7s

5km/h

Sun8

Poor

0.3mENE@7s

6km/h

0.3m@7s

6km/h

Mon9

Poor

0.2mN@6s

10km/h

0.2m@6s

10km/h

Tue10

Poor

0.2mN@8s

17km/h

0.2m@8s

17km/h

Wed11

Poor

0.5mNE@6s

15km/h

0.5m@6s

15km/h

Thu12

Poor

0.9mNE@7s

13km/h

0.9m@7s

13km/h

Fri13

Poor

0.9mNE@8s

11km/h

0.9m@8s

11km/h

5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's ConditionsToday's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: MorningAM 4 km/h · PM 7 km/h

Swell

0.8m

NE(53°)

Score: 2/25

Period

Short period

Score: 2/25

Wind

5km/h

NNE(25°)

Score: 18/25

Weather

27°C

0.2mm90%

First light 5:49amSunrise 6:19amSunset 6:05pmLast light 6:35pm

Windswell

—

Secondary

0.1m

Confidence

100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell0.8m @8s NE in window

Wind5 km/h NNE glassy

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 5:49am–6:35pm · through highIdeal tide: 0.2–2.5m

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

°C

25°

29°

27°

25°

26°

28°

27°

25°

28°

30°

29°

27°

25°

28°

29°

27°

25°

27°

28°

29°

27°

26°

28°

29°

28°

27°

25°

26°

28°

27°

25°

26°

28°

27°

26°

27°

29°

27°

26°

27°

29°

27°

2m1.0

sec

swell

windkm/h

2g12

7g19

3g15

7g22

7g13

5g9

2g10

4g15

3g14

3g10

5g14

4g15

8g22

9g23

5g11

1g4

1g10

8g22

7g28

3g19

5g12

3g16

5g19

9g24

7g23

4g9

3g13

10g26

16g39

17g37

11g20

14g28

21g46

21g52

17g49

12g24

14g30

18g40

17g45

12g44

9g22

9g26

14g34

16g38

16g41

6g19

7g22

13g32

15g37

13g38

tidem

2:00am0.2m

8:10am0.4m

2:50pm0.3m

7:30pm0.4m

2:30am0.2m

9:30am0.5m

4:30pm0.3m

9:30pm0.3m

3:00am0.3m

10:50am0.5m

7:00pm0.2m

3:30am0.3m

11:30am0.5m

7:50pm0.1m

2:30am0.3m

12:00pm0.5m

8:30pm0.1m

3:30am0.3m

12:45pm0.5m

9:15pm0.0m

3:30am0.2m

1:30pm0.4m

9:50pm0.0m

5:30am0.3m

2:15pm0.5m

10:30pm0.0m

6:30am0.2m

2:54pm0.5m

Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

2:00 am

Low · 0.21m

8:10 am

High · 0.43m

2:50 pm

Low · 0.30m

7:30 pm

High · 0.38m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Poor

Components

Swell Direction19/25

Swell Size2/25

Swell Period2/25

Wind18/25

Raw Score41/100

Adjustments

🌊 Tide+5

📉 Undersized Swell-11

🚫 Undersized Capmax 30

Adjusted Score35/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score30

🌊 Optimal tide window

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to BOC, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

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Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell0.8m @8s NE in window

Wind5 km/h NNE glassy

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

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Spot Details

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: NE (45°)
Direction range: 20° - 80°
Size range: 1.2m - 3.7m
Ideal size: 2.3m - 3.1m
Height multiplier: 0.97×
Ideal period: 14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: SW (225°)
Offshore range: 190° - 260°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: all
Optimal range: 0.2m - 2.5m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

6/10

Crowd level

4/10

Access: Bocas del Toro. Near Bluff Beach.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of wave is Paunch?

Paunch is a reef break in Isla Colón, Panama, with peaks that run both left and right.

What swell works best at Paunch?

Paunch picks up swell from the NNE round to the E, and it's best when it's coming straight out of the NE. It starts working at around 1.2m and handles up to about 3.7m, with the sweet spot around 2.3 to 3.1m. Period matters too: aim for 14s or longer, as anything under 10s tends to be weak. These are the numbers our scoring uses, so treat them as a guide rather than a promise.

What wind is offshore at Paunch?

A SW wind is dead offshore at Paunch, and anything from the S round to the W keeps it clean. The morning is typically the best window, roughly 6am to 10am. Light winds from other directions can still be fine; strong offshores can make it hard to get into waves.

What tide is best at Paunch?

Paunch has a preferred tide range, roughly 0.2m to 2.5m on the local chart.

When is the best time of year to surf Paunch?

The most reliable run of swell at Paunch comes Nov to Mar. There's a second window in Sep to Oct too. Winter swells. Complete package wave.

How cold is the water at Paunch?

The water at Paunch averages around 28°C, so boardshorts or a rashguard will do. It shifts a few degrees through the year, so check the season before you pack.

Is Paunch good for beginners?

It's more of an intermediate wave, rated 6/10 for difficulty, so newer surfers are best off sticking to the smaller days. Expect a moderate crowd (4/10) when it's on. Reef break. Watch for urchins.

How do I get to Paunch?

The nearest airport on our list is BOC, then it's roughly a 15-minute drive. Bocas del Toro. Near Bluff Beach.

What other surf spots are near Paunch?

The closest breaks we track are Dumpees (0.5 km), Tiger Tails (1.1 km) and Bluff Beach (2.6 km), handy when Paunch isn't working. We track 4 spots around Isla Colón in total.