Is it worth the trip?
90Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: Wind 4 kn gusting 13, Air 17 °C
Mon 2 · 92 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 3.1 mm
Tue 3 · 90 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 96 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 85 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 22kntoo gusty
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 12.5 mm
Fri 6 · 81 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 24kntoo gusty
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 83 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 21kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 88 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 196, good
- Mon 292, good
- Tue 390, good
- Wed 496, good
- Thu 585, good
- Fri 681, good
- Sat 783, good
- Sun 888, good
- Mon 991, good
- Tue 1091, good
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 96, good | 6 kn | 17kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 92, good | 5 kn | 13kn | 18°C | 3.1 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 90, good | 6 kn | 17kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 96, good | 4 kn | 13kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 85, good | 7 kn | 22kntoo gusty | 19°C | 12.5 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 81, good | 8 kn | 24kntoo gusty | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 83, good | 7 kn | 21kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 88, good | 6 kn | 14kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 91, good | 6 kn | 17kn | 15°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 91, good | 3 kn | 12kn | 14°C | 0 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).
- Jan6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr7of 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
- Oct7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov7of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec6of 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
the spot and its town
Boat Race Karatsu on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
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 Boat Race Karatsu
A launch. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. The town to stay in is Karatsu.
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
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$1,410–US$2,710 each
about US$1,410–US$2,710 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 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to FUK, estimated from distance and season, changing at HKG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$690–US$1,430 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$107–US$174 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$241–US$402 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$234–US$442 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$141–US$261 |
| Total | about US$1,410–US$2,710 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Karatsu
6 min by car · 30 places to stay
about US$94/nightcountry average
About Karatsu its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$94 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 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 27h 35m
About 27h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → FUK, changing at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), then 1h 05m by road
Flights ORD → FUK on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Karatsu · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Karatsu · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits