Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
64Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 10: Wind 5 kn gusting 14, Air 17 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Wed 4 · 57 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Thu 5 · 59 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0.4 mm
Fri 6 · 56 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 3.6 mm
Sat 7 · 63 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 62 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 66 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tue 10 · 72 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 345, fair
- Wed 457, fair
- Thu 559, fair
- Fri 656, fair
- Sat 763, good
- Sun 862, good
- Mon 966, good
- Tue 1072, good
- Wed 1168, good
- Thu 1262, good
The spot in three facts
- Grade IIIat its hardest
- Moving waterthe water
- Best Jun–Aug7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 45, fair | 8 kn | 19kn | 5°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 57, fair | 3 kn | 8kn | 10°C | 0.3 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 59, fair | 4 kn | 14kn | 10°C | 0.4 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 56, fair | 4 kn | 10kn | 9°C | 3.6 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 63, good | 2 kn | 8kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 62, good | 5 kn | 13kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 66, good | 7 kn | 17kn | 15°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 72, good | 5 kn | 14kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 68, good | 3 kn | 10kn | 15°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 12Nov | 62, good | 4 kn | 11kn | 11°C | 2.1 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–Aug
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
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May5of 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
- Sep6of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Wed 4 Nov
- Dec0of 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
Vézère de Saint-Merd, Pont Crouziat - Retenue de Viam 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
4 places
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Vézère de Saint-Merd, Pont Crouziat - Retenue de Viam
A river section on the Vézère de Saint-Merd, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade II to III, on the international scale. Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade. None within 10 km, the nearest 37 km away. For grade III paddlers the best months are usually June, July and August, with about 7 good days in 7; in January and December, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Tarnac.
- River Vézère de Saint-Merd
- Grade Grade II to III, on the international scale.
- Who it suits Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 37 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$1,420–US$2,640 each
about US$1,420–US$2,640 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 CFE, estimated from distance and season, changing at CDG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$476–US$993 |
| 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$1,420–US$2,640 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Tarnac
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 15 min by car · 5 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Tarnac 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 30m
About 18h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → CFE, changing at Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG), then 1h 55m by road
Flights ORD → CFE 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 Tarnac · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Tarnac · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits