Surf in Haifa today
Haifa and the Carmel coast, Israel · 8 spots ranked
Nothing in Haifa is worth the drive today.The best is Hof Maxim: ankle to knee high, 4-second swell, rated flat.
Tomorrow, Wednesday 4 November
Nothing in Haifa is worth the drive tomorrow.The best is Hof Maxim: ankle to knee high, 4-second swell, rated flat.
Surfing in Haifa
Haifa is where the Israeli coast turns a corner. The Carmel shore faces north-west straight into the winter storms, and at Bat Galim the sand gives way to rock, so the city has the heaviest and best-shaped waves in the country - and a few hundred metres away, inside the bay at Kiryat Yam and Kiryat Haim, the smallest and softest.
That is the daily question here: whether today's swell is a Bat Galim day, a day for the sandy peaks south of it at The Peak and Hof Maxim, or a wrecked-wind day when only the bay is surfable. This page answers it from the forecast, using the same model as the app.
Where should a beginner surf in Haifa?
The Peak and Hof Maxim on a small day - sandy, spread out, with room for soft boards - and the bay beaches at Kiryat Yam when the open coast is too much, since the harbour and the headland take the edge off the swell.
Bat Galim and Backdoor are not for learning: both break over rock, both hold the biggest swells on the coast, and both are crowded with surfers who have waited all week for them. Watch from the promenade on a big day instead.
When is the best time to surf Haifa?
October to April, like the whole coast, but Haifa gets more of it: the north-west exposure catches the storm swell first and holds it longest. December to February is the reef season at Bat Galim, with a 3/2 wetsuit and water around 17°C. Summer is flat, and the bay goes back to being a swimming beach.
Common questions
Which Haifa spot should I surf today?
Bat Galim or Backdoor when a north-west swell has size and the wind is light or offshore; The Peak, Kadarim and Hof Maxim when it is smaller or crowded; Kiryat Yam when the wind has ruined the open coast. The ranking above weighs them from today's forecast.
Is Bat Galim good for beginners?
No. It breaks over rock, holds the largest swells in Israel and draws a committed local crowd. Start on the sandy peaks at The Peak or Hof Maxim.
Does Haifa get bigger waves than Tel Aviv?
Usually, yes. The Carmel coast faces north-west into the storm track and the rock bottom at Bat Galim holds shape at a size where the Tel Aviv beaches close out.
When is the surf season in Haifa?
October to April, with December to February the most consistent. From May to September the Mediterranean is essentially flat.