Is it worth the trip?
87Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: Wind 4 kn gusting 10, Air 19 °C
Tue 3 · 85 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 5.1 mm
Wed 4 · 95 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 84 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 6.1 mm
Fri 6 · 92 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 84 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 80 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0.9 mm
Mon 9 · 72 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 3.3 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 290, good
- Tue 385, good
- Wed 495, good
- Thu 584, good
- Fri 692, good
- Sat 784, good
- Sun 880, good
- Mon 972, good
- Tue 1071, good
- Wed 1129, poor
The spot in one fact
- Best Jun–Sep7 good days in 7
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 | 90, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 85, good | 3 kn | 6kn | 12°C | 5.1 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 95, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 19°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 84, good | 5 kn | 12kn | 17°C | 6.1 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 92, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 15°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 84, good | 4 kn | 13kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 80, good | 4 kn | 12kn | 9°C | 0.9 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 72, good | 4 kn | 8kn | 9°C | 3.3 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 71, good | 5 kn | 14kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 29, poor | 7 kn | 17kntoo gusty | 5°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
best Jun–Sep
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 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 Tue 3 Nov
- Dec3of 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
Pumphouse Tailrace 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.
More kayaking near here
1 place
- RCC Race Course 5.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Pumphouse Tailrace
A launch. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. For new paddlers the best months are usually June, July, August and September, with about 7 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Ottawa. Within 5 km we also list 1 wind sports spot.
- 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$986–US$1,800 each
about US$986–US$1,800 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 YOW, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$154–US$315 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$27–US$40 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$315–US$523 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$309–US$577 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$181–US$342 |
| Total | about US$986–US$1,800 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Ottawa
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 · 102 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Ottawa 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 6h
About 6h door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → YOW, direct, then 30 min by road
Flights ORD → YOW 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 Ottawa · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Ottawa · 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