Best time of the year for Bocas del Toro, Panama?

[MilenaSurf]

Hey there!
Im thinking of heading to panama in september - wondering what the swells are like during that time of year in Bocas del Toro? If it's super inconsistent, would I be better off on the pacific side (which I've heard is hard to get to) or just coming back at a different time in the year?
Also, I've never surfed reef bottom before - heard all the horror stories, but wondering how bad it it really is (any tips to make my first reef experiences better?) thanks in advance
Cheers!
Milena