Is it worth the trip?
47Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: Wind 1 kn gusting 7, Air 10 °C
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 12 kn
- Gusts
- 23kntoo gusty
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 18 kn
- Gusts
- 33kntoo gusty
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 14 kn
- Gusts
- 26kntoo gusty
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0.1 mm
Fri 6 · 75 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 80 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 84 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 11 kn
- Gusts
- 23kntoo gusty
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 227, poor
- Tue 30, poor
- Wed 40, poor
- Thu 50, poor
- Fri 675, good
- Sat 780, good
- Sun 884, good
- Mon 90, poor
- Tue 1069, good
- Wed 1184, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 27, poor | 11 kn | 20kntoo gusty | 12°C | 0.1 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, poor | 12 kn | 23kntoo gusty | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, poor | 18 kn | 33kntoo gusty | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 0, poor | 14 kn | 26kntoo gusty | 9°C | 0.1 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 75, good | 5 kn | 12kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 80, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 84, good | 1 kn | 7kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, poor | 11 kn | 23kntoo gusty | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 69, good | 8 kn | 20kntoo gusty | 14°C | 0.3 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 84, good | 5 kn | 11kn | 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 new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May5of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun5of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug5of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep5of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec2of 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
UKSA 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 UKSA
A launch. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. The town to stay in is Cowes. Within 5 km we also list 3 wind sports spots.
- 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$2,630 each
about US$1,410–US$2,630 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 LHR, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$449–US$925 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$141–US$234 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$322–US$543 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$583 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$188–US$348 |
| Total | about US$1,410–US$2,630 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Cowes
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 · 46 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Cowes 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 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 14h 25m
About 14h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → LHR, direct, then 2h by road
Flights ORD → LHR 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 Cowes · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Cowes · 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