Which surface marker buoy/float?

    I'm looking for the a buoy/float to mark a dive spot for when visibility and current do not allow staying on top of it by just looking down from the surface. A must feature is that it should hold line and be deployed automatically (spin) by just dropping the weight. A bonus feature is high visibility in choppy seas. I'm looking for an economical alternative but not so cheap as an empty plastic jug with cord wrapped around it. Here are a couple of things I found, I'd like to know of other options.



    I can't see the pics you posted but I went to the Bass pro shops site. Those things look very small and hard to see when there's any type of waves. Dan, how are you going to use these. Throw them overboard when passing structure/area, or deploying them in the water. Any other use for them besides just staying put?


    http://www.poolcenter.com/pooltoys_noodles_water_logs.htm
    You can use these things almost like Legos. Put a piece of PVC in the holes in the ends and make into circle, squares, cross, etc... You can also cut them to any length. You can cut a 3' long piece, put PVC through it and tie a weight on bottom to keep it up right. You would have almost a 3' piece of neon pink or orange foam sticking str8 outta the water. You can also put a flag on it if you wish. Now the hard part is figuring out a configuration to best deploy the weight and string.

    Edited 2 times, last by Toledo970 ().

    We dive on marker buoys almost exclusively, and generally in heavy current. There are a couple of things that I have learned.


    The amount of string deployed is important. Buoys which have a drag system to stop deploying line when the weight hits the bottom are nice, if they function properly. A low budget alternative is to have several of the cheap markers, with different lengths of line, and marked on the float. This way, you can deploy a marker with just enough line to reach the bottom, so that it will remain nearly straight above the target.


    A simple lead ball shaped weight will often drag with any significant current. We pour ours in the shape of a 1" diameter lead rod, about 12" long, with heavy wire at one end to make a grapling hook. It's important to make the weight long, so that it will fall over on it's side, and the hooks can dig into the bottom.


    Also, those ones in your first picture will be pretty hard to see from in the water, with any wave action. A flag that sticks up a little is very helpful.


    Tin,
    how about the disc type weights. Or a small mushroom type anchor. A small one can probably be made cheap too.

    The marker will most likely be deployed from or near the surface by the diver who located the bottom structure. It is important that it deploy smoothly and rapidly before current moves it from where it was supposed to land. The Bass pro markers I saw in the link mentioned above wouldn't be very visible from a short distance away if there's any wave action.


    Jeff, a couple of different ones with different length cord is a good idea. For this I would need to get at least two. I was thinking of having a way to tie off the line once the weight hits the bottom to prevent further deployment of line. This way I can make do with one marker.


    Ray, the shape of the weight certainly needs to be considered. Ideally I don't want something that would get caught on a wreck too easily. But some holding power a must, those mushroom shaped weights look pretty good.

    I don't like the mushroom shaped ones because they tend to sit straight up and don't "dig" into the bottom. A good way to make the grapling type weights is to use welding rod or some other wire that is 1/8" diameter or a little thinner. If the anchor gets snagged, cleat the line to the boat and pull, and the wires will straigten out and release the weight. Then they are easily bent back to their original shape when back on the boat. You're going to loose a few from time to time, so keep them simple and cheap.


    Dan - We have often made cheap floats out of the 1/2 gallon "bubble juice" containers that you can usually find in toy stores or Walmart. They are bright colors, cheap, and just the right size and shape. Fill the inside with a little foam to keep it hard. Then use a hose clamp to attach a bent piece of wire onto the handle. This little wire clip is then used to keep the line from further unwinding once the desired depth is reached.


    If I have one around here, I'll take a picture.

    Quote from Tin Man

    I don't like the mushroom shaped ones because they tend to sit straight up and don't "dig" into the bottom. A good way to make the grapling type weights is to use welding rod or some other wire that is 1/8" diameter or a little thinner.


    I guess the sea bed/bottom would have to be considered. A grapnel or plow wouldn't be the best way to go either because of what Dan mentioned. There are many types of anchors shapes out that can meet many types of uses. I think the deployment would be the hardest thing to work out. The rest would be trial and error.

    Quote from seahunter49

    Won't the welding rod rust?


    Use stainless steel welding rod.


    These are the "Bubble Joy" jugs. Although it's not shown in these pics, the 1/2 gallon jugs (on the left) have a small handle. Not sure about the quart jugs.

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    Edited 3 times, last by Guest ().

    All it is a block of wood with a flag and spool attached. So as not to make the spool complicated the line will be tied off once it reaches the bottom. Feasible? Maybe unnecessarily complicated. But I am worried about losing sight of a low profile object like the plastic jug.




    Nice find Alan.





    From the pic I can't tell exactly how it works but it's worth a drive to boaters world to check it out. If I can make it for $20 cheaper is not an incentive for me, only if I can make it better.

    What you have drawn is very similar to a couple of marker floats that I have seen, and should work. They were intended to be dropped and retrieved from a boat though. Will you be swimming much with it? It looks like it might be awkward to tow through the water, as you fight current to search for your spot.


    One other thing that I forgot to mention. Eventually, the weight will get tangled or lodged somewhere that it is difficult, dangerous, or just undesirable to retrieve. Instead of tying the heavier string or cord directly to the weight, tie it to a short length or loop of heavy (50#) mono, and tie the mono to the weight. That way, you can break it off if you need to.


    Also, consider if the cord will tangle around your ballast weight as it drops. Easily managed if you are in the water with it, but more problematic if you are dropping it from a boat.

    Dan, do you have any old Speargun/reels that you can hack up and make something. All you need is the back end of speargun(one foot or so) with a reel installed with a float and flag. Pretty much your pic but with a gun stock; you can add a buoy atop of the stock for flotation..

    I have an idea for you. How about a dumbell(octagon) shaped ones with the rope wound around it. The other end needs a float that would hold a minimum of the weight. You drop the dumbell, and the rope would come off untill it hits the bottom, then no more rope would come off. The only way more rope would come off is if it landed str8 up.

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