No longer just for 'troubled' teens: How surfing conquered Israel
Once considered troubled teens skipping school for the sea, today surfing is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country: tens of thousands of surfers, schools opening along the coast, the first-of-its-kind wave park, an industry with millions in turnover, rehabilitation programs running at full capacity since October 7, and thriving surf tourism abroad.
At 6:30 AM, when most Israelis are still dozing in bed or about to prepare their first coffee, Nati Badash from Tel Mond is already deep in the sea. A manager at a high-tech company, a father of three, 52 years old, who refuses to start the day without catching a few waves. "It's a feeling that an outsider won't understand," he says. "I come out of the water after two hours full of energy. It's much cheaper than a psychologist." Badash is just one of tens of thousands of Israelis who have fallen in love with surfing in recent years — a sport that once carried an image of a pastime for teens who ran away from school, and has become a real way of life and a powerful tool for healing and coping with trauma since October 7. The surfers come from all walks of life: from four-year-old children to 80-year-old retirees, from senior managers and doctors to combat soldiers with PTSD, who find among the waves not only sport and pleasure but also community, healing, and peace of mind. Along the way, dozens of surf clubs have grown from north to south, the first artificial surf park in the country, extensive surf tourism, and an industry with millions in turnover.
"It's never too late to start"
"It's an addiction," admits Badash. "My best friends today are from surfing. Even my partner, whose name, by the way, is coincidentally Gal (Wave), I met among the waves. We surf together and make sure to fly every year for our dream vacation in Sri Lanka. Surfing is life." Like Badash, Shira Furstenberg (37) from Jaffa, a PhD in education, starts the morning in the sea. And this is her way to arrive at the office focused. She started surfing eight years ago. "The inspiration came from a movie I saw about surfers in Iceland," she shares. "I took a few lessons, bought a surfboard, and since then I am in the sea every morning. If the sea is flat, I swim or dive, and if there are waves — I surf, and only then continue to work. For me, surfing is much more than a hobby, it is my way to start the day and arrive at work sharp and energetic." Do you surf abroad too? "Sure. In the last eight years, I managed to surf in Indonesia, El Salvador, and Sri Lanka, destinations I doubt I would have reached if not for surfing. I also surfed in a wave pool in Bristol, England, before they opened the Surf Park in Tel Aviv here in our country." This sport, it turns out, has no age. Today there are 70-year-old students in surf clubs, and surfers 80 plus. "The holistic nature of surfing allows you to enjoy it until a very old age," says Amit Wiesel, a veteran surfer who currently works with her husband Dor Damari in guiding surf trips abroad. According to her, the bug she and Dor have was immediately passed on to their baby daughter, who is also starting her way in the sport. "It's never too late to start, it turns out it's also never too early. There are babies who get on a surfboard from the moment they stand, and this sport maintains fitness, health, mentality, connection to nature, self-confidence, social ties, and surrounds surfers with a full life from every direction."
The surfing industry in Israel has grown over the last decade from a niche field into one of the most popular sports in the country. In recent years, there has been a continuous increase in the number of people involved in the field. Estimates speak of about 30,000–50,000 active surfers, while the number of those who surf casually reaches about 80,000. And actually, how not? Israel enjoys about 190 km of coastline on the Mediterranean Sea, and in most months of the year, there are conditions suitable for surfing, especially in autumn and winter. The main surfing centers are in Tel Aviv — Hilton Beach, Dolphinarium Beach, and HaTzuk Beach. Large centers for surfing studies are also found on the beaches of Herzliya, Netanya, Bat Galim Beach in Haifa, and also in Ashdod and Ashkelon, which are popular centers for surfers in the south. Alongside them, the Surf Park facility operates in Tel Aviv, which opened a little over a year ago and gave a big boost to the industry. In Israel, dozens of surf schools operate today along the coast — from Nahariya to Ashkelon. Already at a very young age, thousands of children and teenagers participate in surfing circles and summer and holiday camps. The current summer, they say in the industry, is the strongest in terms of the volume of registrants for surf camps for children and teenagers. Israel has also established its status in the competitive arena: surfer Anat Lelior represented Israel in two Olympics — Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. And there are quite a few Israeli surfers who participate in international competitions of the World Surf League (WSL).
Kobi Shafrir, married and a father of three from the Tel Aviv area, a veteran surfer for over 40 years and a private surf instructor, owner of the Kobe business, emphasizes that surfing also requires perseverance, true love for the sea and nature, and considerable physical ability. "To understand and speak the language, you need to practice for at least a year, both in self-training and in surf lessons," he says. "For me, teaching surfing is no less than teaching an approach to life that corresponds with Zen art or other Eastern approaches that are based on a deep connection to nature. I give private surf lessons one-on-one or a surf lesson in a small group, which will usually consist of only two or three trainees." Shafrir combines surf training with teaching at the Gymnasia Herzliya as a mathematics teacher and 10th-grade educator. "Teaching surfing, in the end, is not enough to make a living," he explains, "after all, it is a seasonal industry and there aren't always good waves in the sea." And yet, in an era of increasing demand for the industry, it looks like a business where you can earn not bad. "It looks like a glamorous industry, but it is a business with high expenses, and whoever wants to make money didn't choose correctly. Seasonality and ongoing wars are complex. It is an industry that is physically and mentally exhausting. Many hours in the sea and sun, not simple." Shafrir talks to me from Sri Lanka, where he flew to surf, according to him, alone and in silence. "Without students, without obligations. Freedom before the opening of another school year," he says. What kind of people come to learn from you? "The variety is large. The surfing trend sweeps surfers of all ages. I myself am approaching 60, and I train surfers older than me who successfully master this sport. It is a sport that makes you feel young forever at any age." And the financial cost? "I charge 280 shekels for a private lesson. It barely covers the large expenses that someone who operates a surf business has, on everything related like insurance, equipment, etc. I would be happy to charge 450 shekels per lesson, similar to a meeting with a psychologist. The results in surfing are no less good." The hobby of surfing is not cheap. The price of a new longboard surfboard ranges from 3,000 to 8,000 shekels. A good wetsuit for surfing in winter will cost about 2,000 shekels, and to know how to surf well, you need to persist in surfing courses and lessons.
Several thousand shekels for a surfboard. There is almost no surfer who doesn't know the studio of Hani Ovadia, a homemade surfboard manufacturer in south Tel Aviv. Here, beginners and experienced surfers alike make a pilgrimage. Part of the surfing trend includes the experience of purchasing a surfboard made especially for the surfer's measurements. With adjustment to height, body structure, weight, type of waves they are used to surfing, etc. "There is also the gimmick, as in any accessories, also in the surfing industry," says Ovadia, "clients come to me who want to dedicate to a friend, partner, or child celebrating a Bar Mitzvah — a surfboard with a special dedication, designed with an original drawing." We met in Ovadia's studio Ben Tzarfati, 51, from Tel Aviv, a competitive surf coach for the Israeli national team. He has been surfing since age 13. "I was a hyperactive child, and in the sea, I found my peace," he says, "only then, in those days, we surfers were non-conformists. Our parents didn't exactly support this hobby and treated us then as those who go surfing because they dropped out of school benches. Today, surfing is already rooted in kindergarten and elementary school ages and has become a trend among children, teenagers, adults, women, and men alike, and is no longer identified only with the wild teenagers in the group." Ovadia, who crossed the age of 50, builds surfboards for the best surfers in the country and abroad. "I produce surfboards from the initial stage from materials like foamed polyurethane and foamed polystyrene, by hand from A to Z. It is a lot of work to produce a surfboard. It mainly requires professional sanding work to reach the optimal result with individual adjustment for each surfer. Just this stage of sanding the board takes several days, unlike a branded product that is an assembly line. I have models that I build individually, and therefore it can take months — there is no serial production here. I also have a whole line of surfboards that I produce uniquely for use in the surfers' pool at the Surf Park because it requires, among other things, adjusting the raw material of the board for use in a wave pool, including adjustment to the transformation power of the wave. The surfboards are not cheap, obviously, it is about invested manual labor, it is a matter of several thousand shekels per surfboard." Is this a good living? "My occupation, actually, is not economically profitable. But it is enjoyable big time and gives me huge satisfaction in every production of a unique surfboard by my hands. I also, of course, surf from a very young age. For me, surfing is silence and disconnection beyond the sports practice that is in it. It is an experience that involves a complex of senses, spiritual and physical." How did you get into the field? "I was magnetized to the profession after I was exposed to it in work I did in California in my youth with professional shapers like Tom Curren, and very quickly I realized that this is what we lack in the country. Sticker surfboards from assembly lines are abundant, but producing surfboards by hand is a different story. I returned to the country and opened my studio here." Did you believe this hobby would spread so much? "There is no doubt that the change in the attitude of parents who today support their children and register them for surfing courses and surf camps makes the difference. In the past, we surfers were treated as idlers. I am happy that this has changed." Give an example of special orders you receive. "In the day-to-day, I receive orders for surfboards with a dedication to a friend who is getting married, a surfboard with a portrait of the owner's dog who passed away, a surfboard with a dedication to a commander whom his soldiers in the company want to surprise. I was also asked to prepare a surfboard for a bride whose hobby is surfing, with a blessing from her new husband engraved on it with an illustration of their nicknames. There are endless requests, and I commit to them every day. This is part of the excitement in my profession, to give the one who gets on the surfboard the maximum experience. The sky is the limit."
The first wave pool: "No jellyfish and no crowding"
More than a year ago, an artificial surfing complex, Surf Park, was established in Tel Aviv, with an investment of about 180 million shekels. Among surfers, it is called "the lagoon of happiness." It is a surfing pool that does not shame the waves in Sri Lanka. 30 types of waves, different styles, and 40 dunams of paradise for surfers. The amount of water in the facility is about 29,000 cubic meters. The wave machine is built from 56 models capable of producing up to 700 waves per hour. The variety of waves here is suitable for beginners and veteran surfers alike. The water in the wave pool is turquoise, and the waves resemble those seen in Sri Lanka, and even the temperature is identical to what only surfers know on their own skin. "Considering the fact that in Israel there are close to 70 days of surfing with good waves in the sea, the wave pool completely completes the experience," says Dor, a sworn surfer. "There are surfing conditions here that are hard for us to find even in the Mediterranean Sea." The entrepreneur and owner, Simon Tal-Doyev, a former Israeli surfing champion, adds: "The surfing beaches in Israel are becoming very crowded, in the sea there are also jellyfish — so, without a doubt, it is a game-changer." After being crowned as the country's surfing champion in 1984, Tal-Doyev founded the surfing organization a year later and was among the founders of the "Gazoz" company for surfing equipment. "It is a way of life for me," he says, "and today, finally, after a journey of over 15 years, there is a real solution to the problem of waves in the country. A surfing lagoon in an area of 22 dunams, it is a dream that became a reality. We received from the municipality an area of 40 dunams for 20 years, and we managed to create here a paradise for surfers — from beginners to professionals. Everyone in their turn, without wars and without stealing waves. When the basic premise is that there aren't always good waves in the sea." According to him, the path to realizing the dream was not simple: "First, it was difficult to build the project and find an area with a Tabu suitable for such a park. Also, the financial recruitment was challenging. Most of the investment is ours, the entrepreneurs. Luckily, the municipality and the Ganei Yehoshua company gave huge support. They helped us with permits, with planning, even with engineering. In addition, the company responsible for the technological equipment is a pro-Palestinian Spanish company, which was not ready to come and assemble the equipment here after October 7. We found ourselves stuck without a solution, until one of the partners in the venture, a water expert, mobilized himself and rescued us from the tangle. It was about assembling 21,000 bolts." And what about the return on investment of over 180 million shekels? Yoav Laor, CEO of the Surf Park: "In a country like ours after the corona crisis and in a reality of war, it was clear to us that the forecast for return on investment would be longer than usual. We employ in the park complex over 200 people who work here around the clock in three shifts a day." Lior Zamir, marketing and surfing manager at the park, came to the industry from the high-tech industry, and according to him, he is an example that everyone can. "Come and start trying," he says, "everyone can surf, from a child to an adult. In recent years, there are more and more women joining the industry, and they are excellent at surfing. Our goal is to make surfing accessible to everyone, to a variety of populations. No prior knowledge is needed, you can arrive with zero preparation. In the first minutes in the water, you are already standing on the surfboard, it doesn't matter if you are a child, a teenager, or an adult. No background or experience is needed, only passion and love for water." This method has existed in the world for almost a decade. Similar pools also exist in South Korea, Australia, Brazil, England, and Spain. "The wave pool industry is in crazy growth, we are the ninth park to open," notes Tal-Doyev, the entrepreneur and owner of the facility. "We saw huge potential in this, in Israel there is a community of surfers that numbers about 80,000 surfers and another 100,000 sea lovers, those who once surfed. The amount of surfing days in the country is low, the beaches are crowded, the wind arrives already at ten in the morning, there are jellyfish and also sharks. Many companies tried to find a solution, and I am happy that we managed to bring one here." How does it work in practice? Zamir: "On our site, you can choose a surfing level from six options. You book a place, receive an RFID bracelet (technology for identification using radio waves), enter the complex through the ramp, meet an instructor, and reach the lagoon, to the right or to the left. Each set includes five waves, a wave every four seconds — and everything is organized: no shouting, no pressure. Like the sea — but on steroids." And what is the significant difference between surfing in the sea and surfing in a pool? "The wave here is consistent. You can work on the same performance again and again, like in a professional training. This is the place for anyone who wants to advance. I have surfed in many places in the world, but here there is a sense of belonging. You wait for a wave that is only yours. Without pushing, without fighting. You just know it will come."
Waves against trauma
In the country, surf lessons as a means of rehabilitation and treatment for trauma are offered in several places, both on the beaches and in the Surf Park complex. Since October 7, the demand for treatment through surfing has skyrocketed, especially for discharged combat soldiers dealing with PTSD. The "HaGal Sheli" (My Wave) association, an organization with nationwide coverage, acts to help populations in risk situations, trauma survivors, and people with disabilities to cope with personal, community, and national crisis situations. The association's teams have established emergency centers since the war with the best experts in the field of treatment, using the sea and waves to provide assistance and response to residents of the north and south, combat soldiers, bereaved families, Nova victims, medical teams, and security forces. Among other things, the association opened the "HaGal Sheli" center for trauma treatment at Zikim Beach in cooperation with the Rehabilitation Department of the Ministry of Defense. "This is an active meditative activity, a continuous energetic mystical dance between the surfer and the wave," notes Oren Weiss, who also conducts, among other things, the "Voice of Nova" surf workshop in the Surf Park complex. Weiss, a seven-time national surfing champion, was ranked third in Europe and 21st in the world. By training, he is also a certified hydrotherapist. In addition, he is also the owner of the oransurfschool surf club and a surf instructor for people with special needs. "I am a big believer in the healing power of water. Healing of the soul and treatment of post-trauma," says Weiss. "The project was born from my personal story, I started surfing in 1980 at Tel Baruch Beach, walking distance from my home. At home, the atmosphere was murky, the parents were in a divorce process, and the sea was a refuge for me. Then I didn't yet understand that the sea helped me come out sane from this whole situation. I experienced post-trauma from events in childhood, and surfing kept me whole. Years later, I chose to study treatment professionally and combine the experience I accumulated in the sea for the benefit of those who experience what I know so well from the inside." Thus, a connection was created that can be called cosmic with the "Nova Tribe Community Association." For long months, Oren and Omri Kochavi built together a professional surfing program, with all the necessary permits and insurance. "I turned my surf school into trauma treatment, in exactly the same method that I myself used in the most natural way since I was a child. In 1990, friends who returned from India brought with them experiences from parties in Goa and new music that was not yet known. Nature parties were again my escape habit, until the fall came. I went through a psychotic attack, the way back and the rehabilitation, which was very long, succeeded a lot with the help of surfing, and this time I knew I had surfing as a wonderful therapeutic tool. Today, in situations where I am not well, I always know that even if it is hard, I will drag myself by force into the water because it will do me good, it has proven itself every time anew." Weiss studied hydrotherapy and did his internship in the rehabilitation pool of the Sheba Hospital in Tel HaShomer. "On October 7, when the whole country stopped, the idea was born in me to connect surfing with rehabilitation. I turned to friends who are active in the association, Alon Dotan and Zion Mackenzie, who are also surfers, and suggested treating survivors on a voluntary basis." The first pilot was with Omri Kochavi, and the results did not take long to arrive, the smile returned to his face. "After a year, I started a process with the association to build a therapeutic surfing group that will be a supporting and hugging family, and we will be able to continue surfing together. So we already have a strong core, and we are flying with it. There is no chance we will stop dancing and no chance we will stop surfing. The feedback we receive from the therapy groups fills me very much." How does it work, actually, physiologically? "From a neuro-cognitive perspective, increased release of adrenaline causes the feeling of a natural high that is created during the ride on the wave. After surfing, a feeling of euphoria and satisfaction takes over from the increased release of endorphin after strenuous physical activity and dopamine."
The surfing trend overseas
Surfing has become in recent years a real international culture. Tens of thousands of surf schools operate around the world, millions of people learn to surf in an organized way, the industry has already entered the Olympic Games, and in countries like Australia, it is considered almost a national sport. Around surfing, an entire tourism industry has developed, offering vacations that combine surf training, accommodation, trips, and community life. Israelis have also been swept up in the wave. If in the past surfers flew independently to look for waves, today companies operate that specialize in organized surf trips for individuals, couples, families, and groups. The most sought-after destinations are Sri Lanka, the Philippines, the Maldives, and Morocco, which offer warm water, ideal surfing conditions, and an atmosphere of freedom that is hard to find in the Mediterranean Sea. Amit Wiesel and her husband Dor Damari, among the founders of the "Chasing Fun" company, are among the pioneers of the field in Israel. Dor started teaching surfing already in his childhood, and Amit caught the bug during a stay in California. The two even met on a surf trip in Sri Lanka, which later turned into their love story. Since 2015, they have been taking surf groups to various destinations in the world, and today they offer routes for beginners and advanced, for young people after the army, and also for 27 and older. According to them, in recent years, the target audience has also changed. "Once, mainly young people after the army arrived, today we see couples, families, fathers and children, women who arrive alone, and also groups of friends. A surf trip has become a tourism product in itself, similar to ski trips." The trend continues to expand. Soon the company will also launch surf trips dedicated to families with small children, combining surf learning for parents with the toddlers' first acquaintance with the sea. "There are already more than ten couples who met with us on surf trips, got married, and became parents," says Wiesel. "Now they are returning with us for trips, this time with the children." Prices for surf trips usually range from 10,000 to 13,000 shekels per person, depending on the destination and the season of the year. A typical surf package includes about 11 nights in Sri Lanka or about 13 nights in the Philippines, alongside professional instruction, accommodation, and additional activities.
