MapIsraelHerzliyaHerzliya Marina / HaTzukHerzliya

Herzliya Marina / HaTzuk

Tel-Aviv District · Herzliya · Tel Aviv Subdistrict

also known as Herzliya Marina, Dromi - Herzliya Marina, Hof HaTzuk / Tzuk Beach (nearby, Tel Aviv border), Hasharon Beach / Herzliya

Part of Herzliya →

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

beginner-friendlymedium crowds

On this page

The spot
Wind
Forecast
Month by month
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Riding essentials

Season

Apr–Oct

Months riders and schools name

How windy

15-30 kt

Character: mixed

Room to launch

access rules on record, below

Water

mixed

24–28 °C in summerExposed sandy Mediterranean coast with breakwaters and groynes around the marina

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Beginner to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

medium crowds · busy Jul Aug Jun Sep

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

Ben Gurion Airport (TLV)

Transfer times under Getting there

When it fills in

Winter southerlies arrive with the system rather than on a daily cycle. On summer sea-breeze days the wind is a midday-into-afternoon affair, and lessons are normally scheduled from when the wind starts until about two hours before sunset.

Nearbystraight-line distance

Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.

Poleg Beach
Beit Yanaino page yet
Tel Aviv Dolfinariumno page yet
Tel Aviv Hiltonno page yet
Tel Baruch / HaTzukno page yet
Sdot Yamno page yet

The spot

Overview

Herzliya is an urban forecast spot rather than a kite destination: you watch the chart, and when a southerly lands you drive over from Tel Aviv. The launch that matters is Elevators Beach, Hof HaMa'aliyot, below the Daniel hotel, about 50 m north of the elevators themselves. It is a narrow strip with a breakwater at the south end, then umbrellas and posts at the north end and the cliff close behind, which is why nobody sensible learns here.

Conditions

The breakwaters do make flatter pockets, and outside them the open beach turns to chop or beach-break waves when west swell and wind build. Good days are winter and shoulder-season southerlies: S, SW or W work, while NE, E or SE blow straight off the land and leave the sea looking deceptively smooth. Marina traffic is close, so give the harbour mouth a wide berth and stay out of the swimming areas.

Info and alternatives

Kite shops and schools sit in Herzliya and Rishpon, and Ben Gurion is 30-45 minutes away by car. HaTzuk is a different beach on the Tel Aviv border, so confirm the meeting point with a local rider or school before you go.

The wind

locals call it sea breeze / northerly

Direction

cross-onoffshorewind blows away from land — rescue cover matters here

Direction to shore

Cross-on to onshore. S, SW or W are the directions that work. NE, E or SE are the dangerous ones: they blow straight off the land, and an offshore day on this coast looks deceptively smooth from the sand.

Dominant direction

S, SW or W. Southerlies are what this launch is known for, mostly with winter systems; the NW summer sea breeze is the lighter and more crowded option. NE, E or SE are offshore and unsafe.

Kite sizes

567891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

The quiver, in words

A 75-85 kg rider is on a 9 m for most of the 15-25 kt southerly days this spot is known for, dropping to a 7 m once it is over 25 kt and gusting, and taking a 12 m only for the lighter summer sea-breeze afternoons. With a narrow strip, a breakwater at one end and the cliff behind, being slightly underpowered is worth more than the last of the range. Chart-derived planning sizes, not published local club practice.

Character

mixed

When it fills in: see above ↑

Typical strength

15-30 kt is the working band. Winter systems can be strong and gusty, so read swell height and your ability to get back in as carefully as the raw wind number. Lighter 10-15 kt summer sea-breeze days are common and are foil territory.

Urban Mediterranean wind that you take when the forecast gives it. Handy and close to town, but nothing like as reliable as Beit Yanai, Poleg or Eilat.

Southerlies are what fill this beach, which means winter and shoulder-season fronts rather than the summer sea breeze.

In the bathing season it is busier and more restricted, and whether kiting works on a given day has to be checked rather than assumed.

The Israeli Mediterranean season is usually given as April to October, but this launch is a winter spot and no monthly statistics are published for it at all.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

riding season from the spot record · no wind series here is trusted enough to name a season

No month-by-month share of windy days is held for this spot. The months riders and schools name are May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Apr, Oct, and whatever the series does hold is in the table below.

Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid, not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds.

Every figure, month by monthKnots · Wind from · Air · Water

Month	Knots	Wind from	Air	Water
Jan	7.6 kt	W	13.3 °C	18.3 °C
Feb	7.6 kt	W	13.9 °C	17.2 °C
Mar	7.1 kt	W	15.6 °C	17.2 °C
Apr	6.6 kt	W	18.9 °C	18.3 °C
May	6.4 kt	W	21.7 °C	21.1 °C
Jun	6.8 kt	W	24.4 °C	24.4 °C
Jul	6.9 kt	W	26.7 °C	26.7 °C
Aug	6.8 kt	W	27.2 °C	27.8 °C
Sep	6.8 kt	N	26.1 °C	27.8 °C
Oct	6.8 kt	N	23.3 °C	26.1 °C
Nov	7.1 kt	W	18.9 °C	23.3 °C
Dec	7.4 kt	W	15 °C	20.6 °C

About these figuresriders' months

Riders and schools name these months. The model reads lower here, and both are shown rather than averaged.

The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

Herzliya (WeatherSpark modeled climatology) · weatherspark

The water

Type

mixed

Standing depth

Variable depth with reef and rock in places and a bathing zone next door. No lagoon and no long shallow shelf, and no measured standing depth is published for the launch. The pockets behind the breakwaters are flatter, not shallower.

Tides

Small Mediterranean tides. Tables for 27 August 2026 put the range at roughly 0.06-0.42 m depending which one you read, so tide is a minor factor next to the swell, the wind and the state of the beach.

Temperature

Summer (°C) 24–28 °C across the summer, with monthly averages around 28–29 °C from July to September

Winter (°C) 16–19 °C across the winter, with January and February averaging about 18–19 °C

Modelled monthly average: 17–28 °C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts/lycra or a thin top in summer; spring suit or 3/2 mm in winter depending on cold tolerance and wind chill.

Currents

No current chart is published for this launch. What matters is structural: the breakwater at the southern end of the strip, the posts and umbrellas at the northern end, and the drift that builds along hard structures in westerly swell or winter storm conditions.

Conditions

Exposed sandy Mediterranean coast with breakwaters and groynes around the marina.

Behind the breakwaters the water flattens off, which is where the schools teach; the Dromi stretch itself is classed as a beach break, so outside the shelter it is chop or small waves.

There is no shallow lagoon here, and no standing-depth figure has ever been published for it.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Beginners belong with a school here, not on their own. Schools do teach at Herzliya and rate the water behind the breakwaters as a decent learning site, but the beach around it is urban, with swimmers, hard structures, marina traffic close by and chop that changes through the day.

Intermediate is the safe independent level. Advanced riders get the stronger winter and frontal days, which bring more swell, more drift and more exposure if something breaks.

The scene

What riders come here for

freerideflat waterfreestylelearning with a schoolurban after-work sessionslight-wind/foil when marginal

Central-Israel urban watersports: kite shops, schools, marina traffic, beachgoers, riders who come after work. Social and convenient rather than remote.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

2 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: ok

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

3 spots nearby

All 3 spots within 40 km are under Nearby

Rescue

No kite rescue exists here.

Lifeguards cover the declared bathing beaches in season and are not a pickup service, and in winter, when this launch works best, there is often no normal beach staffing at all.

Know where the breakwater is and where you would land if you could not get back, agree that before you enter, and ride with somebody.

National ambulance is 101 and police 100.

Launch

The Herzliya kite launch is Elevators Beach, Hof HaMa'aliyot, below the Daniel hotel area, with riders gathering roughly 50 m north of the elevators themselves. Access down through the elevator area is easy, and in winter the wooden deck and covered space there are the reason people rig at this exact point.The beach and facilitiesThe strip is narrow: a breakwater at the southern end, umbrellas and posts at the northern end, and the cliff close behind. Parking, showers, toilets, a kiosk and lifeguard cover exist on the beach.Herzliya Marina's south beach further along is a separate thing - a declared non-bathing beach set aside for non-motorised watersports, lit at night for sessions when the swell is over 60 cm.

Hazards riders report 20 reported

Wind

Offshore/easterly wind on Israel's Mediterranean beaches can make the sea look smooth but is unsafe for kiting without rescue
NE, E and SE are offshore here: the sea looks smooth and is unsafe to kite without arranged rescue.

Crowds and zones

marina boat traffic near the harbor mouth
Marina entrance, yachts, boats and other marina traffic close to the launch area
Urban crowding in summer, weekends and holidays
Marina entrance, yachts and boat traffic along the marina stretch; give the harbour mouth a very wide berth.
Urban crowding in summer, at weekends and on holidays, with parking under pressure.

Bottom

Reef and rock with variable depth close in.

Waves and currents

Hard breakwaters/groynes/rocks and possible circulation or rip currents near their ends
Marked swimming beaches and lifeguard zones where surf activity may be restricted
Winter/front conditions can produce larger Mediterranean waves and stronger drift
Adjacent declared bathing beaches and lifeguard zones where surf activity is restricted during season hours.
Wave surfers sharing the same water on southerly and westerly days.

Other

cliffs (HaTzuk = 'the cliff') along parts of the shoreline
Cliffs and unstable coastal sections farther north along the Herzliya shore; municipal guidance closes some cliff-adjacent sections because of collapse risk
Narrow beach strip at Elevators Beach with very little room to lay out lines; do not launch unless the space behind you is clear.
Breakwater at the southern end of the strip - know where it is and plan the exit before entering the water.
Umbrellas, posts and beach furniture at the northern end of the strip.
Cliff close behind the beach, with unstable sections farther north that the municipality closes for collapse risk.
Winter fronts bring a high sea and stronger drift; this is not a beginner's beach.

Rules & access

1 min read

2026: Herzliya's surf-club procedure requires clubs to apply annually by 1 January, hold written approval and insurance, operate sunrise to sunset only, report the start and end of activity, stay off declared bathing beaches during lifeguard hours, run only in non-bathing sections or areas set by the beach authority, and hold competitions only with beach-authority approval; the learning types it names are classic surfing, windsurfing and SUP, and kitesurfing is not among them.

Bathing areas

Under the 2004 national bathing-places order the Herzliya Marina strip, 1,031 m of it, is a place where bathing is prohibited, along with the sections north of Nof Yam, between Nof Yam and HaSharon, south of Hof HaKochavim and south of the separate beach; Herzliya's declared bathing beaches are Nof Yam, HaSharon, Zvulun, the three Acadia sections, Hof HaKochavim and the separate beach, each about 150 m of shoreline extending 80-200 m seaward. Inside a declared bathing beach the 2016 order bans wave boards and sail boards and confines sport to allocated areas.

In practice

In practice kite courses are openly sold at Elevators Beach, so instruction does happen there; in the bathing season, check the day's arrangement before you rig.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Schools that ride here

Rider tips

The kite launch is Elevators Beach, below the Daniel hotel, about 50 m north of the elevators. It is not the marina, which is a separate non-bathing watersports beach further along.
This is a southerly spot. S, SW or W work; NE, E or SE are offshore and not worth the risk here.
It is at its best on winter fronts, so read the swell height and the gust spread, not only the average wind.
Not a first-lesson beach. Narrow strip, breakwater at one end, cliff behind: come here once you can land where you intend to.
In winter, rig on the wooden deck by the elevators. The covered space is the reason people use this exact point in bad weather.
Work out where you would come ashore if you could not get back upwind, before you go out. Nobody is coming to fetch you.
Give the harbour mouth a very wide berth. Yachts come out of it with no idea you are there.
A 9 m covers most of the 15-25 kt southerly days for a 75-85 kg rider, with a 7 m over 25 kt and a 12 m for the light summer sea breeze.
Being slightly underpowered is worth more than the last of the range on a strip this narrow.
In the bathing season, check whether the spot is usable at all that day, because lifeguard zones and crowds change what is possible.
For a lesson, confirm the school is teaching at Herzliya that day rather than redirecting to Poleg or Beit Yanai.
Parking in Herzliya Pituah near the beach fills up, so arrive with time in hand.
Do not park on the cliff edge on the marina dirt road. It is forbidden and the edge is not stable.
Boardshorts or a thin top in summer, a spring suit or a 3/2 in winter: the water sits about 28-29 C in July-September and about 18-19 C in January-February.
Tide barely matters here, roughly 0.06-0.42 m, so plan around swell and beach state instead.
Save 101 for an ambulance and 100 for police, and ride with somebody.

Getting there

Airport

Ben Gurion Airport (TLV)

Route

Drive or taxi from Ben Gurion up the Tel Aviv coastal highways, or take the train to Herzliya station and finish by local bus or taxi to the marina and the beach. Direct airport to Herzliya trains ran about 31-34 minutes at 16-21 shekels in 2026, before that last leg.

Transfer

30-45 minutes by car from Ben Gurion in normal traffic; about 31-34 minutes airport to Herzliya station by train, plus a local taxi or bus leg to the beach.

Cost level

high

Staying

Herzliya Pituah has marina and beachfront hotels/apartments, including The Ritz-Carlton at the marina, Dan Accadia, Daniel Herzliya, NYX Herzliya and apartment-style stays; Tel Aviv adds many more options 20-30 minutes south by car when traffic is reasonable.

No-wind days

Marina restaurants/cafes and yacht watching, Tel Michal by the marina, Apollonia National Park/Sidna Ali farther north, Tel Aviv beaches and museums, SUP/surf in small waves, diving or yacht charters from the marina.

Photos

Marina Of Herzliyya, 132m closest, direct marina photo — Ori~ / Attribution via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ

Is it suitable for beginners?

Beginners should use a school: sheltered breakwater and cove sections are described as good for learning, but the open beach outside brings swimmers and marina traffic that suit intermediate riders better on their own.

What is the wind like?

Good days are mostly driven by sea-breeze or northerly patterns from spring through autumn, typically 15-25 knots, while winter fronts bring stronger but more demanding SW/W wind and waves.

Are there kite schools or rental?

Yes, KiteLab and MY-Point are listed teaching at Herzliya, and Surf Academy Herzliya operates near the marina.

Are there rules or restrictions?

Herzliya's 2026 municipal guidance for surf clubs restricts activity to non-bathing sections or beach-authority-designated areas, though the listed permitted activities are classic surfing, windsurfing and SUP rather than kitesurfing specifically, so local status should be confirmed before launching.

What are the main hazards?

Marina boat traffic near the harbor mouth, breakwaters and groynes, and offshore/easterly wind that can look deceptively calm are the main risks.

The bigger pictureEverything about Herzliya

Last updated: August 2026