Balazuc
Kayak spot · France
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
65Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: Wind 6 kn gusting 13, Air 15 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Wed 4 · 59 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 1 mm
Thu 5 · 65 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 2.2 mm
Fri 6 · 60 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 5.7 mm
Sat 7 · 68 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 65 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 60 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 5kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 5.4 mm
Tue 10 · 66 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 4.2 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 363, good
- Wed 459, fair
- Thu 565, good
- Fri 660, good
- Sat 768, good
- Sun 865, good
- Mon 960, good
- Tue 1066, good
- Wed 1169, good
- Thu 1261, good
The spot in three facts
- Grade IIat its hardest
- Moving waterthe water
- 11.8 kmthe section
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 63, good | 6 kn | 13kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 59, fair | 6 kn | 12kn | 10°C | 1 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 65, good | 3 kn | 8kn | 13°C | 2.2 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 60, good | 2 kn | 6kn | 11°C | 5.7 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 68, good | 6 kn | 13kn | 15°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 65, good | 2 kn | 7kn | 13°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 60, good | 1 kn | 5kn | 12°C | 5.4 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 66, good | 2 kn | 10kn | 15°C | 4.2 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 69, good | 1 kn | 6kn | 15°C | 3.3 mm |
| Thu 12Nov | 61, good | 1 kn | 7kn | 15°C | 14.7 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for grade III paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Wed 4 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Balazuc on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Balazuc
A river section on the L'Ardèche, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade II, on the international scale. It runs 12 km along the river. Suits new paddlers and up, by its grade. 3 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 4.4 km away. The town to stay in is Balazuc. Within 5 km we also list 2 kayak spots and 1 climbing area.
- River L'Ardèche
- Grade Grade II, on the international scale.
- Length 12 km along the river.
- Who it suits Suits new paddlers and up, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire 3 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 4.4 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,430–US$2,660 each
about US$1,430–US$2,660 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to FNI, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$490–US$1,010 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$141–US$235 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$329–US$543 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$584 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$154–US$289 |
| Total | about US$1,430–US$2,660 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Balazuc
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 5 min by car · 11 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Balazuc its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$121 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 18h 35m
About 18h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → FNI, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB), then 1h 45m by road
Flights ORD → FNI on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Balazuc · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Balazuc · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
Les Argonautes 7.3 km
FaceSud 11 km
Canoyak 12 km
Oceanide Canoe 13 km
Action Canoë Kayak 13 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits