Before coming for your kayak trip down the Semois, don't forget to book online, it's quick, easy and without advance payment: Book your kayak
On the water level depends your pleasure in the raid of the Semois…
Enjoying the beauty of the Ardennes nature while kayaking down the Semois implies respect of this same nature.
Although it’s not very changeable, the Semois has seasonal variations in flow and can even, on rare occasions, be banned from kayaking. This is why we regularly display on this website the authorization pictogram with the date and flow rate of the Semois.
The flow is the speed of the river – controlled every day by the Walloon Region authorities. It greatly affects the ease of the descent, the duration of the course and also the pleasure that you will get from it.
Definitely, other factors come into play such as like your experience, your physical fitness and even your weight. You are thus the only person able to know if the flow is suitable for you to carry out the descent of the Semois while enjoying it.
If the Semois displays a speed of less than 2,2 m3 or more than 50 m3 per second, it is definitely not possible to navigate. Between these two extremes, know how to figure out the mood of the Semois. Click here to know today’s flow rate. You can now compare the current flow rate to our table in order to understand which mood it corresponds to : https://hydrometrie.wallonie.be/home/observations/hauteur.html?station=DGH%2F9434&topic=Q-hr
From 35 to 49 m 3/sec => Very fast
You will hardly have to paddle to move forward and you will do the course very quickly :
- More or less 40 minutes for the 7 km
- 1 hour for the 10-11 km
- 1h45 for the 17 km
From 20 to 34 m3/sec => Fast
You won’t have to paddle much to advance, the time of the courses is strongly shortened :
- more or less 1 hour for the 7 km
- 1 h20 for the 10-11 km
- 2 hours for the 17 km
From 14 to 19 m3/sec => Excellent
Ideal conditions. The current helps you, the descent is very easy and pleasant.
From 10 to 13 m3/sec => Very good
Very good navigation conditions. The trip is easy, helped by the current.
From 6 to 9 m3/sec => Good
Good navigating conditions. The descent is easy. However, you will have to paddle to move forward.
From 4 to 5 m3/sec => Satisfactory
Satisfactory navigation conditions. This means that a little more effort is needed to move forward. Depending on your size and with a little skill in choosing the right side, you shouldn’t have to get off the kayak to pull it.
From 3 to 4 m3/sec => Low
The Semois is not fast enough to bring your kayak: you will have to paddle to move forward and probably get off the kayak once or twice to pull it. Your size, your physical condition and even your experience will be decisive to get all the expected pleasure.
From 2.2 to 3 m3/sec => Very low
This is the lowest limit of navigation on the Semois – at less than 2.2 m3/sec you can not board. Expect a sporty course: it will take a lot of paddling to move forward and getting out of the kayak several times to pull it. To truly appreciate it, be careful not to overestimate your strengths or experience.