The Red Sea at the Gulf of Eilat is a great spot for board surfers and kitesurfers. If surfing is your cup of tea, just come to Eilat with your equipment (or not! You can always rent the equipment here) and let the wind skim you over the blue waters.
The comfortable weather, the cool water, and waveless sea make Eilat ideal for learning windsurfing. Many professional surfers from all over the globe spend hours windsurfing the Red Sea, including Shahar Tzuberi, a native Eilati, who medaled at the Olympics and holds several other world titles in windsurfing. The Gulf of Eilat is also one of the best places in the world for kitesurfing, competing with locations on the West Coast of the United States, Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand.
There are several variations of surfing to enjoy or learn in Eilat:
Windsurfing is an Olympic sport that incorporates elements of surfing with elements of sailing. The surfer rides a board equipped with a sail that catches the wind and pushes the surfer forward. This is the sport in which Shahar Tzuberi, an Eilat native, took the bronze at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Kitesurfing is practiced by means of a special kite that harnesses the power of the wind to push the surfer, riding a small surfboard, over the surface of the water. Kitesurfing is an extreme exhibition sport as well. Many kitesurfers take advantage of the wind to go high in the air and perform breathtaking aerial stunts that earn the applause of the audience.
SUP , or stand-up paddle-boarding, is based on surfing though it's best suited to flatter and calmer waters. With SUP, practitioners stand on the surfboard and use a paddle to move. SUP thus incorporates elements of surfing and paddling to provide an overall water workout, because it requires continuous and strenuous physical effort to tone the body, burn calories, and build core muscles.
Surfers coming to Eilat can head straight for the water to have fun or take a few preliminary classes at any one of the several surf clubs and water sports beaches on the Red Sea:
The Surf Center: This surfing school is one of the oldest of its kind in Israel. Located on Coral Beach across from the Orchid Eilat Hotel, the club offers windsurfing, kitesurfing and SUP classes taught by skilled professionals.
Kioski Beach: This beach, located in the center of Eilat, features a restaurant with an extensive menu, charmingly designed seating areas, lawns, and bridges for easy access to the water. The beach also offers a range of water sports, including parasailing and kitesurfing. The activities are suited to the whole family and are run by an experienced, responsible team of water sports experts.
Hananya Beach: This tourist beach is located off the Eilat boardwalk on the northern shore near the marina. Locals know this beach as the home of Eilat water sports, because of the many aquatic attractions accessible from the shore. In addition, the largest water sports club is located right here. There are water activities for the children, such as paddle-boating, kayaking, and inner-tubing, as well as more adult offerings, including ski-jetting, parasailing, and water-skiing.
Electric Company Beach (aka Hashmal Beach): This beautiful stretch, home to a water sports and sailing club, is considered a surfer's paradise. It offers an exotic vibe and many fun aquatic activities. Popular with surfers and thrill-seekers, the beach offers rentals of surfing equipment, jet-skis, sailboats, SUPs, surf-skis, and catamarans.
Neviot Beach: This attractive beach operates Extreme Water Sports, one of the most popular water sports clubs in the city. The beach features a wide range of aquatic attractions for the whole family. It is handicapped-accessible and the beach amenities are top-notch.
