Esmeralda Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Gulf of Panama)

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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*:
Reef	3	inconsistent	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.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

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

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

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:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

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:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Wednesday, 6 May 2026, 12:34 Local Time

m, °C	Wednesday 06
ft, °F	10AM	1PM	4PM	7PM
Wave (m)	SSE	SSE	SSE	SSE
Period (s)	14	14	16	16
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross- off	cross	cross- off	cross- off

What does Esmeralda look like?

Latest photos from Esmeralda. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: Pedro

Tides at Esmeralda

Current tide and informaton

For El Palmer, 4 km from Esmeralda.

Next High Water: 06:42pm | 3.75m

Next Low Water: 12:37pm | 1.03m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Esmeralda Sea Temperature

Hot air temperatures, feeling like 30.0 °C once we account for wind, and very warm water temperature (28.9 °C) at Esmeralda. Clouds should reduce UV so boardshorts and a rash vest should be ok.

Today, many surfers would wear a rashvest wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 28.9°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite