Esmeralda Surf Guide

Esmeralda in Golfo de Panama is a fairly exposed reef break that does not work very often The best wind direction is from the northwest. Groundswells more frequent than windswells and the best swell direction is from the south southwest. The reef provides both left and right breaks. Unlikely to be too crowded, even when the surf is up. Rocks are a hazard.

Esmeralda Spot Info

Type:Rating:Reliability:Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef3inconsistent
28.9°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Esmeralda:

The best conditions reported for surf at Esmeralda occur when a South-southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the Northwest.

What's the best time of year to surf Esmeralda (for consistent clean waves)?

januaryBest Season: winter
The best time of year for surfing Esmeralda with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter  and most often the month of January. Clean surfable waves are typically found 0% of the time in January while 0% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 100% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
0%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
0%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
100%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Esmeralda Location Map

Interactive Esmeralda surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Esmeralda is Howard Afb Airport (HOW) in Panama, which is 60 km (37 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Esmeralda is Marcos A Gelabert International (Panama) Airport (PAC), also in Panama, 68 km (42 miles) away.

  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.
Esmeralda Surf Forecasts:
Todays Surf Summary
Wednesday, 6 May 2026, 11:01 Local Time
Wednesday 06
10AM1PM4PM7PM
Wave (m)
0.3
SSE
0.3
SSE
0.3
SSE
0.4
SSE
Period (s) 14 14 16 16
Wind (km/h)
10
10
10
15
Wind State cross-
off
cross cross-
off
cross-
off

Swell History at Esmeralda

Surf stats for Esmeralda, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

Wind History at Esmeralda

Wind stats for Esmeralda, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.


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