Waves of people took the Thames on paddleboards and kayaks for the first time as they celebrated TideFest at Kew Bridge yesterday (Sunday, September 28).

About 60 people, from teenagers to middle-aged men and women, learned the growing craze of paddleboarding by taking part in free taster sessions run by Active360 on the borders of Brentford and Chiswick.

Crowds also enjoyed free kayak lessons during the day and the rare opportunity to take a guided tour of the island nature reserve Isleworth Ait, courtesy of the London Wildlife Trust.

A treasure hunt on the foreshore at Strand on the Green by Kew Bridge and fishing and sailing competition rounded off the activities taking place for Tidefest.

The event, which was part of the month-long Totally Thames Festival, was held to mark World Rivers Day and to highlight the wealth of recreational opportunities along the capital's biggest river.

Paul Hyman, founder and co-director Active360, which runs regular paddleboarding sessions from the boating arch under Kew Bridge, said the day had been a huge success.

"It was a lovely day and a great chance to give about 60 total beginners and introduction to the sport, which is really growing in popularity," he told getwestlondon.

Mr Hyman said such is the interest in stand up paddleboarding, in which participants stand on surfboards and use paddles to propel themselves, the paddleboarding school Active360 intends to open a club soon at the Kew Bridge site.

SUPLondon, the social enterprise behind Active360, also plans to travel to Odisha, on the east coast of India, early next year to promote the sport over there.

* For more information about paddleboarding around Kew Bridge and to express an interest in joining the new club, email info@active360.co.uk