Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
99Good out of 100 for your dates
4 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 99 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 16kn
- Air
- 24°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 90 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 9.5 mm
Thu 5 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 25°C
- Rain
- 0.5 mm
Fri 6 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 25°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 23°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 91 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 297, good
- Tue 399, good
- Wed 490, good
- Thu 5100, good
- Fri 6100, good
- Sat 7100, good
- Sun 8100, good
- Mon 991, good
- Tue 1079, good
- Wed 1183, good
The spot in one fact
- Flat waterthe water
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 97, good | 6 kn | 20kn | 24°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 99, good | 6 kn | 16kn | 24°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 90, good | 8 kn | 18kn | 21°C | 9.5 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 100, good | 4 kn | 9kn | 25°C | 0.5 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 100, good | 4 kn | 11kn | 25°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 100, good | 6 kn | 15kn | 23°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 100, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 91, good | 6 kn | 13kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 79, good | 9 kn | 26kn | 14°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 83, good | 8 kn | 24kn | 16°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.
Map
the spot and its town
Idle Hour Boat Ramp 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 Idle Hour Boat Ramp
A launch. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map. The town to stay in is Valley.
- 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.
- Schools, hire No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map.
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$1,190–US$2,150 each
about US$1,190–US$2,150 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 MDW to ATL, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$147–US$301 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$348–US$583 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$201–US$375 |
| Total | about US$1,190–US$2,150 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Valley
about 25 min by car · 1 place to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Valley its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest town: Valley, 13 km. We have not checked places to stay in Valley yet. The nearest beds we have counted are in Columbus, 34 km away (about 1h by car). Search before you plan on staying there.
About US$134 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 6h 05m
About 6h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → ATL, direct, then 2h 25m by road
Flights MDW → ATL on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Valley · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Valley · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 50 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits