Bocas del Toro Province - Panama - page 374

SURFING IN BOCAS
With beginner beach swells, ripping reef breaks and some seriously suicidal bar-
rels, Bocas del Toro is emerging as an international surf destination. The following
is a rundown of the major surfing spots in the archipelago.
If you don't have your own board, you can rent from Tropix Surfshop ( Click here
) or Mondo Taitú ( Click here ) in Bocas town. If you're heading out to Isla Basti-
mentos, arrange your board in advance as there are no surf shops there.
Isla Colón
Beginner surfers looking for a bit of reef experience should check out Playa Punch
, which offers a good mix of lefts and rights. Although it can get heavy when big,
Punch generally offers some of the kindest waves around.
Just past Punch en route to Playa Bluff is a popular reef break known as Dump-
ers . This left break can get up to 3m and should only by ridden by experienced
surfers as wiping out on the reef here is a dangerous affair. There is also an inner
break known as Inner Dumps , which also breaks left but is more forgiving than its
outer brother.
Be careful walking out on the reefs as they are sharp and full of urchins - don't
go barefoot. If you wipe out and get cut up, be sure to properly disinfect your
wounds. Although saltwater heals, seawater doesn't, especially in the Caribbean
where the warm water temperature means the ocean is full of live bacteria.
The island's most notorious surf spot is Playa Bluff , which throws out powerful
barreling waves that break in shallow water along the beach, and have a reputation
for snapping boards (and occasionally bones). The waves close quickly, but the
tubes here are truly awesome, especially when the swells are strong.
Isla Bastimentos
If you're looking for a solid beach break, both Wizard Beach and Red Frog Beach
OFFLINE MAP offer fairly constant sets of lefts and rights perfect for beginners
and intermediates. When the swells are in, however, Wizard occasionally throws
out some huge barrels, though they tend to close up pretty quickly.
Isla Carenero
The truly experienced may want to tackle Silverbacks , an enormous barreling
right that breaks over a reef and can reach heights of over 5m. On a good day, Sil-
verbacks is a world-class break that wouldn't look out of place on Hawaii's North
Shore. Silverbacks breaks off the coast, so you're going to need to hire a water taxi
(around US$5) to get out there.