A Panama charter's weather policy should say three things: the captain decides go or no-go on safety grounds, a trip cancelled by the operator for weather or an AMP departure restriction is rescheduled or refunded, and a guest who cancels follows the deadlines in the booking terms. Build it around rainy-season lightning, dry-season northerlies, Caribbean swell and the Pacific tide.
Panama's weather, from a charter's point of view
- Rainy season (roughly May to November). IMHPA's climatology director told Panamá América in 2024 that the season runs from mid-May to early December, with September to November the wettest months. For a charter that means calm mornings and afternoon thunderstorms with gusts and lightning. Sell mornings and plan to be back before the storms build.
- Dry season (mid-December to April). Northerly trade winds funnel into the Gulf of Panama: a short chop on the bay in the afternoon and rougher water on the run to Las Perlas. Mornings are the calm window.
- Caribbean coast. The north-east trades are strongest in the dry season and build swell on the outer reefs of San Blas and the coast toward Colón. Open anchorages get rolly.
- Pacific tides. Spring tides move about 5.7 m of water at Amador. They decide when you can fuel, board at a fixed pier or land on a beach.
The detail is in Panama boating seasons and Pacific tides and currents.
Who decides: the captain, and sometimes the AMP
The captain decides whether the trip goes, changes route or comes back early. Your terms should say so plainly, and say that the decision is not open to negotiation at the dock.
Sometimes the decision is made for you. The AMP can restrict departures. In November 2024 it suspended departures for small outboard boats and pleasure yachts for 48 hours in Chiriquí, Bocas del Toro, Veraguas, Herrera, Los Santos and the Ngäbe-Buglé comarca, following a red alert from SINAPROC, and said the restriction could be extended with the weather. During the Fiestas Patrias the same month it suspended small-boat departures for some hours at points including Taboga and Pedasí. Check AMP notices and IMHPA forecasts before every trip, and treat a restriction as an operator cancellation.
Refund, reschedule or credit
| Situation | Usual approach |
|---|---|
| Captain cancels before departure for weather or safety | Offer a new date first; full refund if no date suits |
| AMP departure restriction | Treat as an operator cancellation |
| Trip cut short for weather | State in advance: partial credit, or no refund once a set share of the trip is complete |
| Guest cancels early | Deposit or full refund depending on how far ahead, by fixed deadlines |
| Guest cancels late or does not show | Deposit or full price kept, as the terms say |
| Rain without lightning or wind | Say whether it is a reason to cancel; many operators sail |
Whatever you choose, a draft tourism quality standard published by the commerce ministry in 2026 expects cancellation conditions, penalties and deadlines to be stated clearly before the guest books, and changes caused by force majeure to be documented. Platforms impose their own cancellation rules on bookings made through them.
A sample policy outline
- Safety. The captain may cancel, delay, shorten or reroute a trip for weather, sea state, mechanical or safety reasons, or official restrictions. The captain's decision is final.
- When we call it. We confirm by a stated time before departure.
- Operator cancellation. Choose a new date within a stated period, or receive a full refund.
- Shortened trips. State whether a credit applies, and from what point.
- Guest cancellation. Fixed deadlines and what is refunded at each.
- Late arrival. The trip still ends at the booked time.
- Rain. State whether rain alone is a reason to cancel.
- Platform bookings. The platform's policy applies where it differs.
Put it in the booking terms the guest accepts, on the confirmation, and on your website. Payment handling is in bookings, deposits and payments.
Making and communicating the call
A good weather call is early, specific and in writing. Look at the forecast the evening before and again at first light, and decide at the time your terms promise. Tell the guest what you saw ("northerly 20 knots in the Gulf this afternoon" or "thunderstorms forecast from midday"), what you propose (an earlier start, a sheltered route, a new date) and what they can choose. Send it by message so there is a record. If the trip goes ahead in marginal conditions, brief the guests at the dock on what may change and where you will turn back.
Design the product around the weather
- Rainy season: morning departures, shorter Taboga and bay trips, whale watching from about July to October under MiAmbiente rules (see whale-watching tours).
- Dry season: early starts for Las Perlas and a back-up plan in the lee of the islands; sailing products for the afternoon breeze.
- Caribbean: anchorages chosen for swell, and longer itineraries with a weather day built in.
The US comparison is charter cancellation and weather policies.
Your practical starting checklist
- Write the captain's authority to cancel, delay or shorten a trip into your terms.
- Set the time you will confirm or cancel before each departure.
- Choose reschedule, refund or credit for operator cancellations and AMP restrictions.
- Set guest-cancellation deadlines and what each one refunds.
- Check IMHPA forecasts, AMP notices and the tide table before every trip.
- Record every weather cancellation and the reason with the booking.
Frequently asked questions
Who decides if a charter is cancelled for weather in Panama?
The captain, on safety grounds. The AMP can also restrict departures for small boats in bad weather, and that should count as an operator cancellation.
Is the rainy season a bad time to run charters?
Not necessarily. Mornings are often calm; the risk is afternoon thunderstorms and lightning. Schedule early departures and plan to be back before the storms build.
Do I have to refund a guest if the AMP closes departures?
Your terms decide, but treating it as an operator cancellation with a new date or a full refund is fair and avoids chargebacks.
Should rain alone cancel a charter?
Usually not; wind, sea state and lightning are the real hazards. Say in your policy whether rain alone is a reason to cancel.
¿Qué política de cancelación debe tener un chárter en Panamá?
Que el capitán decide por seguridad, que una cancelación por clima o restricción de zarpe de la AMP se reprograma o reembolsa, y plazos claros para cancelaciones del cliente.
En español: cancelaciones por clima
El capitán decide si el paseo sale. La AMP puede restringir el zarpe de embarcaciones menores cuando hay alertas, como hizo en noviembre de 2024. Escriba en sus condiciones qué pasa en cada caso: nueva fecha, reembolso o crédito, y los plazos para que el cliente cancele. Infórmelo antes de cobrar el depósito.
The next question to answer
Dry vs rainy, swell and lightning. Read Panama boating seasons.
Planning around 5–6 m. Read Panama Pacific tides and currents.
Where the deposit goes. Read Bookings, deposits and payments.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare One moment, please....
Official resources
Use the relevant Panamanian authority for current requirements and fees. These resources are the next place to check; a practical recommendation is not an agency determination.
- AMP: zarpe restringido por 48 horas para embarcaciones menores (Nov 2024) ↗
- AMP: vigilancia en Fiestas Patrias, suspensión de zarpes (Nov 2024) ↗
- Panamá América: IMHPA, septiembre a noviembre los meses más lluviosos (Oct 2024, secondary, press) ↗
- MICI / DGNTI: draft technical norm on tourism quality, land and maritime transport (2026) ↗