Buoy Setup and Wally Skier Buoys

[mwfillmore]

Just got new wally turnballs. I think I have the correct amount of air, they're just over 7.8" in diameter and super soft... Any special tricks to hooking these up to a fixed anchor course?

Any experience wearing through the D loop on the bottom? should I use webbing? bungee? surgical tubing? or the large wally hooks? On my polyform buoys I normally just use bungee hooks through them bent over.

 

 

I've been contemplating the idea of using a strip of orange construction fencing, as an adjustment tool between the sub-float and the bungee/ surgical tubing?

 

thinking a homedepot special https://goo.gl/images/oRLASX

 

Anyone tried this?

[Kelvin]

You are way over thinking it. Just tie a bungee loop around the D loop and hook to that with a bungee hook.

[DaveLemons]

Zip tie it to your bungee

[lpskier]

Agreed. Rubber tubing through the buoy and zip tie back onto itself with two zip ties. Attach a hook to the other end with the same form of attachment and Bob’s your uncle.

[Swerve200]

Yup, surgical rubber tubing (18" unstretched +/-) zip tie to wally buoy and then to flag clip. Easy to attach to anchor sub-buoy. Rubber tubing allows for changes in water level so not so much adjustment necessary. Use the EB (Ed Brazil) Chinese finger trap system to adjust sub buoy. Have used this system since @Edbrazil showed it to me back in the Pro Tour days.

[storm34]

We're going on four years using the method @lpskier listed above and wouldn't consider doing it any other way. Highly recommended.

[mwfillmore]

@lpskier @storm43

How much do your all’s lake fluctuate?

[Zman]

Skier to Skier has great plastic hooks for about a buck a piece, bags of 15. These work great for connecting a short piece of surgical tubing to Wally buoys.

We use a hook at both ends of surgical tubing. Makes for quick replacement if one gets cut.

Definitely keep buoy very soft, actually underinflated. It should partially collapse in the half that is underwater.

[lpskier]

Usually about two feet, but infrequently a lot more. Obviously you have to adjust buoy height just like any other conventional set up. We are experimenting with a self adjusting system, though, that seems to work quite well.

[MISkier]

@lpskier, if you can share your self-adjusting design, that would be helpful. We had self adjusting buoys previously, but it was a bit flaky. We removed it 5 years ago. Ours was based on a counterweight.

[mmosley899]

If your water only varies slightly you can use plastic chain between the sub buoy and the rubber tubing to make adjustments. The chain floats and allows inch by inch adjustments. Use yellow chain for visibility. If the water varies widely, you need a bigger adjustment method below the sub.

[igkya]

@lpskier @MISkier I'd be interested to see your designs of your self-adjusting system.

[MISkier]

@igkya, I’m not sure I can get any photos, I might have an old sketch of the design somewhere. I’ll look.

[mwfillmore]

@mmosley899 I was thinking about using a strip of plastic construction fencing instead of plastic chain. Any thoughts on that?

[klindy]

@mwfillmore how will you attach the buoy? The advantage of the chain is you put an elastic tube on the buoy with a clip on the bottom. Then attach the clip to whichever link is the appropriate link to maintain the buoy height.

[mwfillmore]

Same idea... zip tie the strip of construction fence to the sub buoy.... then You have inch increments for 3’ to attach the buoy > elastic > clip > construction fence > sub float > rope > concrete

[lpskier]

Oops

[mmosley899]

@mwfillmore does the fencing stretch any? Might work if not.

[klindy]

@mwfillmore I’d guess the plastic chain is much more robust than the plastic fence. The chain is cheap You want your weakest link to be as high as possible so you don’t have to swim to a sub every time it comes loose. The tubing attached to the buoy should end up the weakest link.

[lpskier]

I am not at liberty to share the design since it’s not my idea and since we are still refining it to work with Wally Buoys.

[mwfillmore]

@klindy I’m thinking like an orange snow fence/construction fence. I don’t think it’ll stretch and it is quite a bit cheaper than plastic chain.... not sure which one is more robust, but will test and get back to you

[klindy]

As @Kelvin said above, you’re way over thinking it. If you want to use snow/construction fence, go for it. Give it a try and see how it goes. If it doesn’t work, the plastic chain is tried and true.

[mwfillmore]

@klindy picked up both... plastic chain and fence.... I agree chain seems like a way better option

[wski1831]

This is how our club does the sub floats