Active360

Kayaking with the team from White Rabbit Pizza 🍕

A leisurely paddle to the The Ship for

What a weekend across our Active Tideway sessions 🌊

Lots of new faces out on the water for the first time and so great introducing a range of ages and abilities to paddling on the waterways 🗾

If you haven’t had a chance to get on the water yet there’s still time for this week ⌛️

www.active360.co.uk for SUP 🏄

www.londonsportstrust.org for Kayaking 🛶

Paddle Fitness 💪

The evenings are a bit cooler this week so perfect for an after work paddle.

We have a club paddle this evening for intermediate paddlers and Thursday evening we have Active Tideway - for all abilities 🏄

Book online or click the link in bio 📲

Very useful to read and keep

pla.co.uk

I had the privilege to help with his source to sea trip which finished at Big Ben early on Saturday. Guiding for the last leg from Chelsea meant a 4.00am start to catch the end of the ebb tide. We decided to sleep on our boards on riverside on Friday night to make the early start a bit less early. The pay off was a stunning sunrise on the river and a completely empty river. London was a still as a zombie movie scene.

More on Sam’s quest below and in the website
It did make me think we should do this a little more often as I haven’t done this particular trip at sunrise since 2020

In August of 2020, Simon was on holiday with friends in Cornwall, when he drowned in a tragic accident. He was paddleboarding in the Camel Estuary, near Rock, when he jumped off his board and his ankle leash became tangled with a swing mooring. The current forced him one way and his board the other, and he was dragged underneath a boat. Despite the best efforts of many local people to save him, he was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

The inquest into Simon’s death recorded a verdict of accidental death, and the case highlighted the issue of safety in paddleboarding generally. Simon was wearing an ankle leash which meant that, against the weight of the current, he was unable to reach the release clip and free himself. Had he been wearing a quick-release leash attached to his waist, he would probably be alive today.

Simon’s best friend, Sam Foyle, who attended St Edward’s School with Simon, has since been campaigning tirelessly to raise awareness of the importance of choosing the right type of leash for the conditions, to prevent more needless deaths.

He has been working with the sport’s governing body, British Canoeing, to update their standard guidance, and with the UK Government’s Office for Product Safety and Standards, as well as lobbying some of the main manufacturers to sell all their paddleboards with a quick-release waist leash and/or both types of leash, with clear instructions on how and when to use each type.

Fancy learning more about the natural history and ecology of the River Thames?

Join Wanda - SUP coach and Marine Scientist for the upstream edition of the Tideway Natural History tour this Sunday. Heading up to Old Isleworth/Richmond and back with the tide.

Part of the Active Tideway project - reconnecting Londoners with the Tideway.

You can join this paddle for only £15pp and no previous experience required.

https://widget.eola.co/447/activities/thames-natural-history-intermediate

Fancy a sunset paddle this weekend 🌅

We have a few spaces remaining on our Intro to Safe Paddling on the Tideway (Sunset edition).

Only £15pp

https://widget.eola.co/447/activities/q9bht

https://youtu.be/lXYZBOVo9M0?is=jnU0cNH18IcPpPP6

If you ever use a Paddleboard or know anyone who does please watch and pass on.

Sam Foyle is paddling the Thames source to Westminster this week and Active360 (Think360 Sports Ltd) and London Sports Trust are supporting him on the last leg which entails sleeping on the riverside at Chelsea for a 4am start to catch the end of the ebb tide just before sunrise. The Port of London Authority

It’s important to understand that it’s not only the speed of water moving which can pin or entangle you and potentially drown you. The volume is also a factor so a big body of quite slow moving water also presents as risk.

Quick release leashes are slowly catching on but living on the river I see many people not using them when the current has picked up.

In open sea it’s different and in fact a leg leash which releases less easily can be best as you never want to accidentally release.

Please support Sam’s fundraising and look him up. He’s remembering and honouring the best friend he lost and he’s doing it in the best way.

OPSS – Real People Real Harm paddleboarding video Sam Foyle shares the tragic death of his best friend Simon Flynn in...

Sunday Sessions🏄 Active Tideway

Lots of new paddlers introduced to the Tideway this weekend 🌊 In pretty perfect conditions. A little wind and a lot of sun.

Next session heading out towards Richmond this evening at 6.30pm. Both ways with the tide and only £15pp for non members 📲