At a glance
A PLA byelaw says nobody may swim in the Thames between Putney Bridge and Crossness without the PLA’s permission in writing, and it is given rarely, for organised swims with a proper safety plan. Outside that stretch an organised or filmed swim still needs the PLA’s agreement. Start that conversation early.
The stream through London is too strong to swim against for long, so swims run with the tide behind them, and the tide fixes the start time. The camera plan follows from it: which stretches you reach in which light, and where the boats can be when you get there.
The safety boat’s only job is the swimmer. It stays close, watches the swimmer rather than the shot, and is ready to pick them up at any moment. The camera boat works around it.
The shot wants to be close, low and steady, alongside the swimmer’s stroke, for long enough to get it. That is down to the skipper and the boat, holding the right distance and speed while the swimmer and the tide do their thing. Our skippers and boats make it straightforward.
A drone shows the scale of a swim like nothing else, but most of the river through central London sits inside protected airspace, so plan the aerials early. The airspace guide shows where.
Planning a shoot?Tell us where on the river and when. We reply within the hour, 8am to 8pm, 7 days.
Plan a Thames shootor call 020 3039 3931
