With your 3 hour Self Guided ‘Ride with the Tide’ Adventure, you can go further and faster, with a little help from the daily tide.

The session, suitable for confident paddlers aged 14 years or over, starts with a briefing and introduction to paddling before taking to the water for your journey into the Back of Beyond...

1. Paddle the water between Richmond Bridge and Teddington Lock.
2. Explore the islands and riverside jungle as you go.
3. Stop for a riverside picnic and swim.
4. Visit a riverside cafe or pub.

Anyone taking to the River on a Self Guided Ride with the Tide SUP Adventure must:

1. be able to swim 50 metres..
2. be able to paddle independently without assistance.
3. be 14 years or over.
4. be accompanied at all times when on the water by an adult if under 18 years.*
5. have previously paddled and be confident on and around water.
6. wear their buoyancy aid at all times whilst on the water.

You will start the session paddling on your knees before transitioning to standing, therefore, a degree of flexibility is needed to do this.

*The adult to child ratio on the water is 1 adult to 2 children.

For all of our SUP adventures we recommend that you wear shorts, running tights, or similar, and wear a t-shirt with additional layers appropriate for the day. You also need footwear to paddle with, for example old trainers.

Many people choose to pack their favourite food and drink for a riverside picnic or, if you're planning on stopping at a riverside pub, remember a bank card or similar.

You’ll receive a (re)introduction to paddling, along with some guidance on where to paddle, and we’ll provide you with a dry bag that you can use to take a towel, food, phone and wallet with you.

Once on the river, you’ll find yourself taking in your surroundings as the tide gently pushes you along past Marble Hill House and Hammertons Ferry. Before long you’ll be at Eel Pie Island home to several artists and one of the oldest rowing clubs on the Thames - Twickenham Rowing Club. As the tide helps to keep you moving you’ll see Radnor House School, with its clock tower and beyond is Swan Island, home to Jawbone Brewery. If you can find it, the high tide means there is enough water to quietly paddle in behind the island. Many people cross the river at Swan Island and paddle back along the right hand side of the river towards Eel Pie Island and the beautiful White Swan pub for a a well deserved break, but, if you’ve made good time so far, you may decide to push on towards Teddington Harbour, where you’ll find the Flying Cloud Cafe serving tea, coffee and homemade cakes.

Suitably refreshed, you’ll return to the Thames to paddle down stream with a little help from the outgoing tide. Remember to allow 45 minutes to an hour to get back from Teddington and about 20 to 30 minutes to get back from Twickenham.

Once back at River Lane, you’ll hand back your buoyancy aids, paddles and dry bags and could then walk in to Richmond with an ice-cream, or head the other way and take the ferry across to Marble Hill.