Hi Charlotte The full swim from Sonning to St Patrick's stream is about a mile, but you can get out at various points along the Thames Path (on the northern bank) and walk if you don't want to swim all of it. These exit points are however a bit on the overgrown side, so I wouldn't recommend them without shoes and a wetsuit. The other swims, I'm not sure of the length. I checked out a section of river just below Mapledurham Lock, you could swim a short distance there. Lots of exit points, though some of them may well be pretty silty/muddy.
I got my wetsuit from Outdoor Leisure Direct on Amazon, it's a Osprey suit and it only cost me £30 inc. p&p, and I'm delighted with it. You can get next-day delivery for only a few quid extra. I keep recommending this suit, I'm sure people think I work for the company by now... :)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ladies-Osprey-Chest-Length-Wetsuit/dp/B00283ZC50/ref...
I'll post links and info for the Sonning swim shortly, in case that's the one we choose. I should also add that I am not a fast swimmer, I generally breast-stroke and I'm new to river swimming. So I'm in the 'slow and pootley' category rather than the 'head-down, super-fast' category. :)
cheers, Helen
On Fri 03/09/10 11:54 , charlotte smith lotte.smith@hotmail.co.uk wrote:
Hi everybody
I will join you as soon as I get a wetsuit. I'm hoping to be a ble to buy one cheap as it's the end of the season. Can you tell me how far you swim? How far is the swim yoiu're planning this saturday for instance, Sonning to St Patricks?
So glad you have got together a group.
Lotte