Paunch Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Bocas del Toro, Panama)

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- 16 Day Forecast
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Spot Information

Paunch Reef Surf Guide

Paunch Reef in Bocas del Torro is an exposed reef break that has fairly consistent surf Offshore winds blow from the west. Windswells are much more typical than groudswells and the ideal wave angle is from the northeast. Both left (best) and right reef breaks.. Good surf at all stages of the tide. Relatively few surfers here, even on good days. Beware of urchins,rocks,etc.

Paunch Reef Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef	3	fairly consistent	29.3°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Paunch Reef:

The best conditions reported for surf at Paunch Reef occur when a Northeast swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the West.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

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

decemberBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Paunch Reef with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of December. Clean surfable waves are typically found 91% of the time in December while 9% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 0% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

91%

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

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Paunch Reef Location Map

Interactive Paunch Reef 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 Paunch Reef is Bocas Del Toro Airport (BOC) in Panama, 4 km (2 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Paunch Reef is Cap Manuel Nino International (Changuinola) Airport (CHX), also in Panama, 32 km (20 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.

Paunch Reef Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Monday, 4 May 2026, 22:56 Local Time

m, °C	Mon	Tuesday 05
ft, °F	10PM	1AM	4AM	7AM
Wave (m)	NE	NE	NE	NE
Period (s)	8	8	8	8
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross- off	cross- off	cross- off	off

What does Paunch Reef look like?

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

Credit: Ernesto Gutierrez Credit: Ernesto Gutierrez

Paunch Reef Sea Temperature

Very warm air temperatures and very warm water(29.3 °C) too at Paunch Reef, warm enough for wearing board shorts and a rash vest in the surf. Cloudy, but feeling very pleasant in and out of the water.

Today, many surfers would wear a rashvest wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 29.3°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite