Malibu 49.6
#4491 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇵🇦 Panama · Panama · near Balboa
Wind is the enemy here, peaks in July, boardshorts water.
Warm waterBeginner friendlyBeginner
Surf score49.6 /100
Surfable days62% of the year
Clean days8% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell8% period 11 s+
Typical size0.6 m 2.1 ft median
Water28°C boardshorts
Best time to surf Malibu
The best time to surf Malibu is May, July, September. It rarely works. In July the water sits around 29°C, so pack boardshorts, and the typical wave is 0.7 m. The nearest airport is PTY (76 km) and the nearest town is Balboa (53 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31% | 1% | 0.5 m | 28°C | boardies |
| Feb | 33% | 1% | 0.5 m | 25°C | vest |
| Mar | 43% | 3% | 0.6 m | 25°C | vest |
| Apr | 56% | 9% | 0.6 m | 27°C | boardies |
| May | 71% | 12% | 0.7 m | 29°C | boardies |
| Jun | 81% | 12% | 0.7 m | 29°C | boardies |
| Jul | 79% | 17% | 0.7 m | 29°C | boardies |
| Aug | 77% | 8% | 0.7 m | 29°C | boardies |
| Sep | 79% | 17% | 0.7 m | 29°C | boardies |
| Oct | 77% | 9% | 0.7 m | 28°C | boardies |
| Nov | 75% | 9% | 0.7 m | 28°C | boardies |
| Dec | 35% | 0% | 0.6 m | 28°C | boardies |
Why 49.6
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
Consistency 26%
18.1
Clean days 24%
4.4
Groundswell 12%
1.3
Season spread 10%
6.4
Wave size 8%
0.6
Water comfort 10%
10.0
Access 10%
7.6
The detail
Faces 160° with 47% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 98% of days. Mean peak period 11.3 s. Days over 3 m: 0%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 95%. Months that work: 8 of 12. Coordinates 8.557, -79.841 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
Serena🇵🇦 Panama · score 45.9Tetas🇵🇦 Panama · score 51.1Chame Banks🇵🇦 Panama · score 59.5El palmar point🇵🇦 Panama · score 50.4
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