The buoy will protect you very well if you overestimate your strength and also if you get cramps. A swimming buoy is great so it’s an increasingly popular aid in open water, long-distance swimming or ice-cold water swimming. There are many swimming buoys and it's good to know something about them in order to choose the right one.
Why swim with a swimming buoy?
It is advisable to use the swimming buoy above all for your safety! The buoy will protect you very well if you overestimate your strength and also if you get cramps. You can easily lean on the buoy and relax your body. Thanks to the buoy, you are more visible to other swimmers or passing boats. By using a
swimming buoy, you ensure the necessary safety in open water, which can even save your life.
How to swim with a buoy
The swimming buoy is attached around the waist with a strap that is part of the buoy. The strap is long enough to give you freedom while swimming. The buoy floats freely behind you and it doesn’t get in your way, but at the same time, it’s right there if you need to lean on it.
Swimming buoy with or without storage space?
Swimming buoys are with or without storage space. The ones without storage space are usually cheaper and are suitable for undemanding swimmers. This buoy will provide you with sufficient visibility and protection. It is suitable for those who want to be visible to others and, if necessary, lean on it. We recommend the
Swim Secure Tow Float for a buoy without storage space.
Buoys with storage space are suitable not only for swimmers who want to
swim longer distances but also f
or explorers who want to swim from one shore to another and walk back. They can also be suitable for those who are afraid to leave their valuables unattended on the coast. Swimmers who use a buoy with a storage space have control over their safety, but also their personal belongings which they store in the buoy. Depending on size you can store inside of the buoy keys, slippers, towels, mobile phones, clothes, water bottles and similar belongings. The most popular buoy with large storage space is the well-known
Swim Secure Dry Bag.
How to inflate the swimming buoy?
Buoys are easily inflated by mouth, so you don’t need to use a pump. Most buoys are inflated using a one-way valve, which is then squeezed or unscrewed and the buoy deflates itself. It is good to know that in buoys with storage space, the chamber where you put your belongings isn’t inflatable, only the sides of the buoy are. If necessary, you can open the buoy while swimming and take what you need without the need to let the air out or fear that water will leak in as soon as you open it. The inflated buoy fits everywhere and does not take up much space.
What size swimming buoy should you choose?
Even the smallest swimming buoys can help significantly and serve a purpose, but the bigger the buoy, the more buoyancy it has. You won't spoil anything by buying a bigger buoy, and the difference between inflated buoys isn't that big. For ladies, sizes S and M (20–28l) are usually adequate, and for men, we recommend L and XL (35-50l). The size of the swimming buoy differs mainly in the size of the storage space for things and the overall load capacity.
Buoys for special purposes
No, it doesn’t end with buoys that have or don’t have storage space. Many other buoys find their way to special purposes. Just to give you an idea, we have selected a few special swimming buoys that are worth noting.
Buoy for long-distance swimmers – For long-distance swimming, the
Swim Secure Tow Float Elite buoy is the most suitable, it has a net for storing energy bars. You can have an ionic drink, gels or magnesium immediately available and continue to „swallow“ the kilometres without the necessity to stop.
For a Swimrun or a trip – Another special buoy is the
Swim Secure Wild Swim Bag, which is very popular in SwimRun competitions, but also for hikers who can clearly use the buoy with additional shoulder straps as a classic backpack and then use it as a swimming buoy.
Final tip:
We compare
swimming buoys to car seat belts or bicycle helmets. Swimming buoys should be a part of every open water simmer's equipment. It doesn’t get in the way when having fun in the water or you won’t swim slower while using it and it never hurts to have a handy helper with you.
