Sinking Turn Bouys

[norcalibu]

Has anyone ever injected water into their turn bouys to get them to sit lower in the water? If so, how much water did you put in?

 

Thanks for any advice.

[TallSkinnyGuy]

I used a cheap ball pump and put it and the turn ball under water so that the pumped sucked in water instead of air. I put in just under half full of water and that worked well for my purposes.

[lpskier]

40% water, 60% air. Inject the water and air mix in about equal proportions with the buoy undersized and let them sit in the sun. Once they expand in the sun, adjust accordingly. You can drain the water by putting a bare ball pump needle in the buoy and squeezing the buoy. Water goes out the same way it goes in.

 

Wally Buoys achieve the same result just by using a lot less air.

[ErikBerghiller]

I always put 50/50 - water/air in turn buoys and gates.

[coach3]

Don’t do it. Just adds mass and makes hitting the buoys more dangerous. We’ve already been down this road. Use a sub float and less air.

[Justin_C]

Adding water helps them to displace easier when you hit them. I don't have a specific ratio, I just fill them till they sit right. I use a 2 litre pop bottle with an air needle poked through the cap. Fill the bottle with water, turn upside down and squeeze!

[eleeski]

I made an adapter from the needle to a garden hose.

 

Adding water allows the buoy to sit at the lower safer position without excess bungee tension. They do seem to displace easier than with a tight bungee - despite the weight. Probably the best feature is that the buoys sit right with small changes in lake level.

 

The Goode buoys are safer and nicer to ski. But they are expensive and require maintenance.

 

I've made other "safe" buoys with some interesting designs but the longevity is an issue.

 

Eric

 

[Andre]

Like @TallSkinnyGuy ,just under half fill is perfect for us.

[norcalibu]

Thanks for the replies. We like the Goode bouys but while our lake is private, it is not a tournament lake. Too many bouys get damaged by Wallies to have expensive bouys out there.

 

I made an adaptor for the hose using a modified garden hose nozzle and an air needle. The needle inserts from the inside of the nozzle so the water pressure can't push it out.

 

[skihacker]

I use 1 quart of water and then just enough air to make them round, usually leaves them around an inch undersize but they last a lot longer.

[Killer]

I use this, which was discussed on this board years ago:

 

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.sprayermister-25-pints-translucent-white-polyethylene-tank.1000184279.html

 

Just have to drill out the cap very slightly for the needle insert. I keep it in the boat and can fill a buoy with water and air in a minute or so. It is the 100% best way to keep turn buoys on a floating course. No problem with them freezing in the winter either.

[WBLskier]

It works great. Do it all the time. Also boats don’t hit them often if on public water.

[Wish]

Yep, have them and love them. I make the bouy a larger then usual. Between the water inside and course PVC pipe arm weight they float very low. Well past the equated of the ball. A seagull sitting on it looks like they are standing directly on the water they displace so well. I don't buy into the "adds more mass thing" as water inside is nutral with water outside the ball. It would take a half or more of a cinder block to pull an only air buoy down as low as I put them. 20 Seagals could stand in it and it wouldn't go down an inch. Not gonna want to hit that. More air, more weight needed to hold down, the more it wants to stay where it is and not displace. I strike mine often (cause I can) along with several other skiers and all the ball does is drop out of the way. Add in them being larger and lower and the ramp angle of the ball is significantly less.

[lpskier]

@coach3 Likes,his buoys like he likes his martinis: dry...