eFoil regulations & spots in Israel

Israel regulates eFoils through the Administration of Shipping and Ports (Raspan / רשות הספנות והנמלים) inside the Ministry of Transport, the same body that runs the Mashit skipper-licence system and the kosher-shayit seaworthiness regime. Unlike a jet ski, which legally needs a Mashit 11 licence, an eFoil does not require a skipper licence; instead the board itself must pass a seaworthiness check and be recorded with Raspan before it is handed over, a step performed by the local distributor. The vessel-registration threshold of seven metres in the Shipping (Vessels) Law 1960 keeps eFoils outside the formal register, but they remain subject to safety supervision, mandatory life-jacket use and carriage of rescue equipment, with private-craft fitness retesting every two years.

On the water, riders should treat an eFoil like any other motorised craft under Raspan rules. Operation is confined to the Mediterranean, the Gulf of Eilat, the Kinneret and the Dead Sea, and is forbidden in inland waterways. Tel Aviv and Herzliya foilers must launch outside lifeguard-marked swimming areas, while in Eilat the PWC framework keeps motorised craft 1,000 m off the northern shore and 500 m off the western shore except for transit, with the coral nature reserve fully closed.

The Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) is a protected drinking-water reservoir managed by the Kinneret Authority; motorised recreational use is restricted to designated zones and operators, and private eFoil use is generally not accommodated outside licensed beaches. The Dead Sea has limited foiling activity due to high salinity damaging electrical components; most schools concentrate on the Mediterranean coast.

Past enforcement reports cite fines reaching roughly EUR 800 for riding without proper documentation and engineering approval, so importing a board privately is risky; buying through a Raspan-recognised dealer (Elevation, the Fliteboard distributor in Israel) who completes the kosher-shayit and registers the board is the practical compliant route. Mandatory equipment includes life jackets, signal mirrors and clearly displayed registration numbers; commercial craft are kosher-shayit annually rather than biennially.