Reef

both

Level 5/10

Tiger Tails

Isla Colón, Panama

🪸Sharp reef

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Tiger Tails is a quality reef break near Paunch on Isla Colón—offering an alternative when the main breaks are crowded. The wave delivers consistent surf with a mellow vibe and beautiful Bocas scenery.

Tiger Tails surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today5

Poor

0.7mNE@7s

7km/h

0.7m@7s

7km/h

Fri6

Poor

0.5mNE@7s

5km/h

0.5m@7s

5km/h

Sat7

Poor

0.4mNE@7s

5km/h

0.4m@7s

5km/h

Sun8

Poor

0.2mENE@7s

7km/h

0.2m@7s

7km/h

Mon9

Poor

0.1mNE@7s

8km/h

0.1m@7s

8km/h

Tue10

Poor

0.1mNE@10s

10km/h

0.1m@10s

10km/h

Wed11

Poor

0.4mNE@5s

11km/h

0.4m@5s

11km/h

Thu12

Poor

0.7mNE@7s

10km/h

0.7m@7s

10km/h

Fri13

Poor

0.9mNE@8s

8km/h

0.9m@8s

8km/h

Sat14

Poor

0.7mNE@8s

7km/h

0.7m@8s

7km/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 · Tide at 9am (0.4m)

Swell

0.7m

NE(55°)

Score: 2/25

Period

Short period

Score: 2/25

Wind

7km/h

NW(324°)

Score: 17/25

Weather

28°C

0.2mm93%

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

Windswell

—

Secondary

0.2m

Confidence

100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell0.7m @7s NE in window

Wind7 km/h NW onshore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 1:40–6:35pm · droppingIdeal tide: mid

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

26°

27°

29°

28°

27°

25°

26°

29°

27°

25°

27°

29°

28°

27°

25°

27°

28°

26°

25°

27°

29°

27°

25°

27°

29°

28°

24°

26°

28°

27°

25°

27°

28°

27°

26°

27°

29°

27°

25°

26°

29°

26°

2m1.0

sec

10s

swell

windkm/h

2g6

5g16

10g26

8g31

6g17

4g7

2g13

2g15

9g23

11g22

2g4

3g13

6g18

7g23

6g11

2g5

8g17

2g22

10g26

9g30

4g8

5g14

9g25

12g30

9g27

7g16

5g16

12g30

12g32

11g30

10g18

9g22

13g31

14g35

11g34

3g19

5g25

12g32

15g35

14g35

5g18

5g21

10g28

10g30

7g28

8g32

6g32

8g24

8g25

8g31

tidem

2:30am0.2m

9:30am0.4m

4:30pm0.3m

9:30pm0.3m

3:30am0.2m

11:00am0.5m

6:30pm0.2m

3:30am0.3m

11:30am0.5m

7:50pm0.1m

2:30am0.3m

12:06pm0.5m

8:30pm0.1m

4:00am0.3m

12:54pm0.5m

9:15pm0.0m

5:30am0.2m

1:30pm0.5m

9:50pm0.0m

4:30am0.2m

2:00pm0.4m

10:30pm0.0m

6:30am0.3m

2:45pm0.5m

6:30am0.2m

3:30pm0.5m

Ideal tide (from tide preference)Strike windowNight

Tide times today

2:30 am

Low · 0.22m

9:30 am

High · 0.44m

4:30 pm

Low · 0.26m

9:30 pm

High · 0.31m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Poor

Components

Swell Direction18/25

Swell Size2/25

Swell Period2/25

Wind17/25

Raw Score39/100

Adjustments

💨 Gusty Wind-4

📉 Undersized Swell-11

🚫 Undersized Capmax 30

Adjusted Score24/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score24

Plan Your Strike

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

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Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell0.7m @7s NE in window

Wind7 km/h NW onshore

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 - 2.5m
Ideal size: 1.8m - 2.2m
Height multiplier: 0.97×
Ideal period: 14s+

Wind Requirements

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

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: mid
Optimal range: 0.6m - 1.5m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

5/10

Crowd level

3/10

Access: Isla Colón. Near Paunch.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of wave is Tiger Tails?

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

What swell works best at Tiger Tails?

Tiger Tails 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 2.5m, with the sweet spot around 1.8 to 2.2m. 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 Tiger Tails?

A SW wind is dead offshore at Tiger Tails, 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 Tiger Tails?

Tiger Tails is at its best around mid tide, roughly 0.6m to 1.5m on the local chart.

When is the best time of year to surf Tiger Tails?

The most reliable run of swell at Tiger Tails comes Nov to Mar. There's a second window in Sep to Oct too. Quality reef option near Paunch.

How cold is the water at Tiger Tails?

The water at Tiger Tails 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 Tiger Tails good for beginners?

It's more of an intermediate wave, rated 5/10 for difficulty, so newer surfers are best off sticking to the smaller days. The lineup is usually quiet (crowd 3/10). Quality reef option near Paunch.

How do I get to Tiger Tails?

The nearest airport on our list is BOC, then it's roughly a 15-minute drive. Isla Colón. Near Paunch.

What other surf spots are near Tiger Tails?

The closest breaks we track are Dumpees (1.1 km), Paunch (1.1 km) and Bluff Beach (2.6 km), handy when Tiger Tails isn't working. We track 4 spots around Isla Colón in total. Fun fact: it's the third most northerly break we track in Panama.