Stand up paddleboarding sessions are back at the Outdoor Swimmer Henley Swim Festival 2024
Explore an iconic stretch of the River Thames with a paddleboarding session at the Henley Swim Festival (13-14 July 2024)
While many people coming along to the Outdoor Swimmer Henley Swim Festival are attracted by the idea of swimming this iconic stretch of the River Thames, there’s so much more to do at this riverside family festival.
This year, The SUP Life will be offering 40 minute paddleboarding lessons, paddling upstream from the festival site into the gorgeous Oxfordshire countryside. It’s a chance to get a unique perspective on the river and a break from the riverbank hustle and bustle.
Suitable for 8 years and over, with no experience required and buoyancy aid included, the sessions can be booked in advance and cost £22pp (age 8+). As SUP lessons often cost around £40, this is a fantastic way to try out paddleboarding for the first time and to explore the area around Temple Island Meadows from the river.
What’s the festival all about?
The Outdoor Swimmer Henley Swim Festival is an outdoor swim event like no other. A weekend celebrating open water swimming, set in the most stunning location on the banks of the Thames just outside Henley.
There are swims for everyone from a dip in the supervised Lido, the 200m Henley Splash (age 8+) and the Zoggs Half Mile to the most popular Mile (age 14+), Suits vs Skins (one mile in a wetsuit, one without), a 4-Mile Challenge and the UNLTD (age 18+), swimming the mile as many times as you can between 9am and 3pm. All courses are downstream.
Of course, river swimming isn’t for everyone and so the weekend is jam-packed full of activities. There are exhibitors, retailers and experts all together in one place – giving you access to everything you need to know about this adventurous sport. Or if you just wish to pop down for an espresso martini and chill by the river, then be our guest.
The Outdoor Swimmer Henley Swim Festival takes place Sat 13 – Sun14 July 2024, with camping available from 3pm on Fri 12 July. Find out more and book your tickets. Book your paddleboarding here session.
Read about last year’s Henley Swim Festival.
Jo Tinsley
Jo is the Gear Editor for Outdoor Swimmer and also writes news and features for the website. A keen open water swimmer and long-distance walker, she loves seeking out lakes and lidos close to her home in the Mendip Hills, Somerset. She is the author of The Slow Traveller, editor and founder of independent magazine, Ernest, and has previously tested outdoor clothing and kit for BBC Countryfile Magazine, BBC Focus and Ernest Journal.
