Attempted Wandle Paddle

The plan was to paddle down the Wandle from Merton Abbey Mills (Colliers Wood), out onto the Thames and back up the Thames to the container at Putney. The problem with trying to paddle down the Wandle late in the year is that too much rain / water in the river means the clearance under the low pipes / southside tunnel roof gets less, and its more pushy, so not great for relative beginners. As it was, the weekend before we were due to paddle, the level was fine. It then rained lots Wednesday and Thursday nights, so when I had a look at the levels after work Friday, it was up a good 6 inches, and looking like a raging torrent. Not good. Saturday lunchtime before the run, the level had dropped maybe 3 inches, but it was still too high for anything other than a hardcore paddle down the torrent, which we didn't fancy. So we decided on a sedate paddle down the Thames to where the Wandle comes out, and found a nice easy beginner friendly surf wave at the last little drop at the end of the Wandle where it comes out into the Thames, where the half-tide weir thing used to be. Hurrah. The next plan is an evening stealth paddle down the Wandle in the dark . . .