Tel Aviv's surf runs along one straight west-facing city beach, and what tells the spots apart is the concrete: the marina breakwater that makes Hilton hold size and shape, the groynes that pin the sand at Gordon and the Dolphinarium, and the open stretch north of the Yarkon at Tel Baruch and HaTzuk that takes the swell raw. The swell itself is Mediterranean wind swell - it arrives with a winter storm and is gone a day or two later.

So the daily question is not which coast but which hundred metres of this one: where the banks and the breakwaters are holding today's swell and today's wind. This page answers it from the forecast, using the same model as the app, trained on these beaches.

Where should a beginner surf in Tel Aviv?

Gordon on a small clean day, and the Dolphinarium on most surfable days - both sandy, both with surf schools and board rental on the sand, both a walk from the city. Maaravi at Jaffa is a quieter third choice.

Hilton is the wrong place to learn: it breaks over rock and sand beside the breakwater, holds the biggest swells in the city, and is crowded with the people who surf it every day. On a storm day every Tel Aviv beach is too much; wait for the swell to drop.

When is the best time to surf Tel Aviv?

October to April. The first autumn storms in October bring warm-water surf with light wind behind the front - the best-feeling weeks of the year. December to February is the most consistent, with a 3/2 wetsuit and the full Hilton crowd. May to September is flat apart from the odd late system, and the city goes swimming instead.

Common questions

Which Tel Aviv beach should I surf today?

Hilton when the swell has size and the wind has turned offshore; Topsea and Tel Baruch when Hilton is too crowded or too big; Gordon and the Dolphinarium when it is small. The ranking above already weighs all of them from today's forecast.

Is Hilton Beach good for beginners?

No. It is Tel Aviv's heaviest and most crowded spot, over a rock and sand bottom beside the marina wall. Learn at Gordon or the Dolphinarium and come back to Hilton later.

Does Tel Aviv have surf in summer?

Almost none. The Mediterranean has no groundswell, so from about May to September the city beaches are flat apart from a rare summer system and a small afternoon sea-breeze bump.

How big do the waves get in Tel Aviv?

Most surfable winter days are waist to head high. A strong western storm can bring well-overhead sets to Hilton for a day or two, and those are the days the whole city is in the water.

Where can I rent a surfboard in Tel Aviv?

The surf schools on Gordon and Hilton beach rent boards and give lessons through the winter season; several keep soft boards on the sand all week.