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Overton's orange buoys

lkb

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lkb Proficient

lkb

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The set I bought last year faded out in a month. The previous set lasted well over a year. Does anybody know if they are better this year? I would just buy polyforms but I don't like the red color.
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Ed_Obermeier Mentor

Ed_Obermeier

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I've tried for years to find out who makes Overtons orange buoys.  I have a few (very few) connections around the watersports biz and no one I know is able to find out who makes them, and plenty of us have tried.  Of course they do all come from the Far East.

I'll be restocking buoys from PolyForm soon, I intend to discuss with them why the hell we can't get them in orange instead of red when I put in my order.  If I get any useful info I'll post it.

Ed

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Bud Man Community Regular

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Did the water cover your buoys for a day? I and some one else at anouther lake compared notes and realized if the water level cane up and the buoy spent a day under water, they would fade like crazy after that. I had other Overton’s buoys that turned to goo. If your leg hit them rounding a turn, the goo would get on your hair and leg and pretty much not wash off. You had to use solvent. When I first put in my red Polyforms, I really missed the orange, but I got used to the red. Saying that, I would prefer orange though. The red have been in my new lake for ten months now and look great.

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Ed_Obermeier Mentor

Ed_Obermeier

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I'l work on it for whatever it may be worth.  Maybe they just don't realize that the market prefers the orange.

I've seen some of the more recent model Overtons buoys; I'm of the opinion they've changed suppliers/manufacturers and gone cheaper, they're not the same buoys as before IMO.  They kinda look like the old Taylor Made buoys Ski Limited had all the problems with a few years ago before the Big Conglomerate bought them out.  Some non-skier corporate bean counter probably figured they could save a few cents and pump up the margin a bit.

Ed 

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Ed_Obermeier Mentor

Ed_Obermeier

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Spoke with the head guy at PolyForm this morning and asked about getting orange rather than red buoys.  He said their issue would be either having to stock another color or replace the red with the orange, they really don't want to have to purchase/stock both colors but that he was open to giving it consideration.  They buy only once a year in LARGE quantity so they'd probably switch entirely to orange if they were to make a switch.  He kind of wanted some measurable idea how that would be received by the skiing (purchasing) public, only being able to get orange and not the red, before considering making the switch.  If they did switch it would probably be mid 2011 before the orange could be made available due to ordering lead time, having to have prototypes made and distributed for feedback before they commit to an order, etc.  If it gets to that point I'll get some of the first prototypes.

That's the latest I have on it.  I believe that if PolyForm can be convinced that the buoy purchasing public would prefer the orange, or at least not mind the switch from red, that they'd do it.  I'll start a poll here as soon as I figure out how to do it so we can get some numbers and feedback I can pass along to them.  Stay tuned.

Ed

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Ed_Obermeier Mentor

Ed_Obermeier

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Marco wrote"As long as the color holds, count me in for a new set (orange) every season!"




My guess is that they would hold up as well as the current issue PolyForms do, probably no better but likely (hopefully) no worse.  Once they switch, assuming that I can convince them to (I'm working on it guys!) they will be what they will be.  And once the current stock is gone red will no longer be available.




Still trying to figure out how to post a poll...




Ed  
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Marco Mentor

Marco

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We have green polyform 55's that have lasted 4 years.  If the orange lasts for only 1 year that would be 50 weeks longer than the Overton's buoys we put in this year.  They got so faded after a few weeks, they are hard to see in the slightest amount of glare.  I tried painting them but the paint faded just as fast.

Thanks for working on this Ed!

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lkb Proficient

lkb

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Ed, thanks for your efforts on this. On a side note, for all of you who don't already know Ed is a great guy to do business with. I highly recommend him if you need course supplies or a whole course for that matter.
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Ed_Johnson Veteran

Ed_Johnson

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I have had pretty good success with painting mine with upside-down bright orange marking paint and then a coat of urethane spar varnish, clear gloss.....ED




PS: Will be going to Goode Buoys after Labor Day but will still need orange Gate Buoys, so count me in for several.
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jdarwin Mentor

jdarwin

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Painting and varnishing buoys?  Really?  You can replace an entire course for $50.  Twice a year - that's $100.  Amortized out over several members and its not even beer money.  In the environment of $1500 skis and $50,000 boats, I can't see where all the effort is necessary.  And the mess caused w/ painting buoys is hardly worth the effort or risk of getting paint on your boat/clothes.  I did it once - never again.

But, the Polyforms I buy from Ed do last longer than any other.  We use two sets per year.  As stated, that's $100.  With 10 members, it equate to $10 per person.

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Marco Mentor

Marco

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The test buoys I painted were done in my garage.  The problem with the new Overtons buoys is they were completly faded within a month, so even with our abrieviated Colorado season, we would need to change them 6 times if we wanted them to stay bright.

Anyone heard any feedback how the Goode buoys hold up, both structurally and color wise?

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GAJ0004 Mentor

GAJ0004

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I have had good luck with the Overton's buoys. The color fades after about a season, but structurally they hold up pretty well. Our course is on a residential private lake in PA, so we have to replace buoys that get cut loose. I usually get two seasons out of them before I replace them. I found some old red Ski Limited Buoys in my garage.

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LeonL Grand Master

LeonL

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I've had pretty good luck with painting buoys with engine enamel, specifically Chevy Orange.  Color holds up good, failure is due to cracking and peeling, but it still last pretty good if you clean the buoys real good.  I've have BAD results with flourescent/day glow paint.  Fades to white in 2-3 weeks.
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Marco Mentor

Marco

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Hey Ed-  Our club is doing their annual budget, and I need to give them a number for course maintenance. Do you have a rough idea of what the cost will be for a set of 10 polyform orange turn buoys?  We'll probably buy 2 sets (one for tournament use only) plus a few spares to start. Thx

Marco

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Ed_Obermeier Mentor

Ed_Obermeier

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Our cost for buoys (like every damn thing else) has increased for 2011, wholesale pricing actually went up in October.  Our pricing on everything we offer didn't change from 2009 to 2010, no choice but to bump prices up this year just to cover our increased costs.  Sets of 24 (mix or match) will be $119, sets of 28 are $139, individual buoys are $5.50 a pop.  Plus shipping.  The second I know when they'll be in I'll post that info, latest intel is mid/late March perhaps.

Ed @ EZ-Slalom

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Marco Mentor

Marco

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Thanks Ed-  Let us know when they come in and I'll order right away.  Thanks again for  putting this together

LKB-Thanks for asking.  Rehab is painfully slow.  8 weeks post op and all I can do is limited assited range of motion excersises.  Another month and I can begin RoM with no assist, and then slowly adding resistance.  Ortho says I won't be back on the water until August, but my PT thinks that June is makeable as long as I take it easy.

The snow has been coming in waves.  Telluride is finally getting good (or so I hear), and all other Colorado and Utah mountains aregetting dumped on, as are the Sierras.  Good time to be skiing in the west...At least I was able toget my money back on my pass...http://www.ballofspray.com/vanillaforum/js/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-cry.gif

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