James Whitcombe
A tow float is one of those pieces of kit you barely notice once you're in the water and wouldn't want to be without the moment something changes. On a river that means something slightly different from a sea swim. Coastal swimmers tend to be chasing visibility in swell and chop; river swimmers want steady buoyancy, a low profile in slow-moving water and a float that stays put through a long, lazy mile of drifting between bends. Here's what actually matters when you're choosing one.
Why a tow float earns its place on a river
Rivers look gentle from the bank and feel quite different from water level. A tow float does three jobs at once. It marks you for paddleboarders, anglers, rowers and anyone else sharing the water. It gives you somewhere to rest, roll onto your front and chat, or simply pause without treading water. And it carries the things you'd rather not leave in a dry bag on the bank.
On slow rivers, the float rarely needs to fight current. That changes the brief: you want something that sits quietly behind you, doesn't swing about on every stroke and doesn't catch the wind when a gust comes through a gap in the trees. Buoyancy, visibility and comfort are the three levers, and they pull against each other.
Matching buoyancy to slow currents
Most tow floats sit between roughly 15 and 28 litres of inflated volume. For gentle river swimming, that middle band is usually plenty. A 15 to 20 litre float gives you a reliable rest point without becoming a sail; anything much larger starts to feel like you're towing a small dinghy, particularly on a breezy downstream stretch.
- 15–20 litres: ideal for slow rivers, long steady swims and shorter paddlers who don't want drag.
- 20–28 litres: useful if you carry a lot, want a bigger platform to lean on, or swim cold water where you'll stop more often.
- Two chambers: worth the small weight penalty. If one deflates, you still have lift.
Check the buoyancy figure on the label rather than eyeballing the size. A float that looks generous may be mostly dry bag with a thin air pocket around it.
Visibility in brown water and dappled shade
On a peaty river or under a canopy of alder, colour matters more than you'd think. Bright orange, yellow, neon pink and lime all read well against dark water, brown gravel and shadow. White looks smart in a catalogue and vanishes in foam. Dark green, navy and black are effectively camouflage from a boat.
Look for reflective strips or a reflective panel, ideally on both the top and the side, so a headtorch or a low sun catches you. A small flag on a short mast is genuinely useful on rivers where you're sharing space with canoes, punts or a rowing club — it lifts you above the waterline and gets seen over a reed bed. Keep the flag short enough that it doesn't tangle in overhanging branches, which is a real consideration on narrow stretches.
Comfort, harnesses and long leisurely dips
This is where cheap floats give themselves away. The leash should be roughly a metre to a metre and a half of cord or webbing, long enough that the float trails clear of your kicking feet and short enough that it doesn't wrap around a leg. A swivel connection stops the line twisting into a spiral after a few hundred strokes.
The waist belt wants to be a decent width — 25 to 40mm webbing — with a quick-release buckle you can find by touch and a soft edge where it meets your skin. Wetsuit swimmers get on fine with almost anything; skins swimmers in a costume will notice a narrow, hard-edged belt within ten minutes. Test the buckle with cold, wet hands: if it's fiddly on the bank, it will be worse mid-river.
Also consider how the float sits when you roll onto your back. A low-profile design lets you rest your shoulders and head without it riding up and pressing into your neck.
Dry storage, drag and the little details
Many tow floats double as a dry bag, which is genuinely handy for keys, a phone, a flask and a folded layer. Look for a roll-top closure with a proper clip and welded seams, and be honest about what you're asking of it. A tow float dry bag is splash protection, not a diving cylinder — pack anything irreplaceable inside a second small dry bag.
- Drag: a well-shaped float sits low and follows your wake. Chunky box shapes pull noticeably harder.
- Valves: a one-way valve that takes a few big breaths to fill beats a tiny nozzle you'll wrestle with on a cold morning.
- Grab handle: essential for hauling yourself out onto a muddy bank or a slipway.
- Weight packed: a heavy float rides lower and is harder to spot. Keep it light.
Choosing yours
For slow river currents and long, leisurely dips, aim for 15 to 20 litres of buoyancy in a bright, low-profile shell with reflective detailing, a swivel leash and a wide, comfortable belt. Add a short flag if you share your stretch with other river users, and treat the dry compartment as a bonus rather than a guarantee. Get those things right and your tow float becomes what it should be: quiet, dependable company on the water, noticed by everyone else and barely noticed by you.
