Kayaking in the Ardèche with a 6-year-old: hire rules and experiences?

[tonyhawks23]

Has anyone been kayaking in the ardeche with a little one? we are thinking to hire kayaks but it seems to say only for kids over 7,our youngest is 6,so wondering if that's possible or just not a possibility and I should wait until she's older.shed be in a kayak with parent and is a very strong swimmer anyway but maybe they don't hire them out and it wouldnt be possible?anyone been with a little one?

I would be reluctant with a 6 year old, based on our experience canoeing there: we’ve done it several times but there’s a reason it’s not advised for under-7s. It’s a big river and some of the rapids can be very fast-flowing with a lot of rocks to negotiate: some of the bigger rapids had ‘sapeurs’ in wetsuits to grab you if you capsized when we were there.

Part of the problem is that the river is very busy in the summer months and people don’t wait at the rapids - they just plough in without considering if they’re getting in anyone’s way, which presents a hazard to everyone else: if you fell out you’d be at risk of being hit by another canoe. We saw people who had tied two canoes together and then got them stuck either side of a rock - they couldn’t separate them and it meant the safest route through the rapid for everyone else was blocked.

It’s not a question of being a strong swimmer - dh and I were on a far smaller river last year and I capsized on a rapid: it took me about 15 mins to extricate myself as the water flow was so strong, I literally couldn’t stand up. I would leave it a few years or try somewhere more gentle - we also did the Gard (underneath the Pont du Gard) - still busy but much more suitable for little ones.

Depends which part of the River, some of the Ardeche is very calm, others not so, also as pp has said, in Summer its very busy.

You should be able to take a 6yo on a guided tour.

If it’s gorge du verdon happily take a child in my kayak it’s easy