Open water swim buoy
Inflatable float towed on a waist leash so boats can see a swimmer
An inflatable bag on a short leash, clipped at the waist and towed behind an open water swimmer. The point is visibility. A head in chop is close to invisible from a boat, and a bright orange float is not. Most double as dry bags, so keys, a phone and a pair of sandals ride along. Deflated, it packs to about the size of a fist.
Who backs it
Sorted by strength of stance
- Ray MakerDoes it
Sports tech reviewer · DC Rainmaker
Never swims open water without one, and repeats the word for emphasis in the list. Two reasons he gives: boats can see him, and it holds his phone, keys, clothes and sandals while he swims. You stop noticing it is back there, he says.
Source: dcrainmaker.com: The 2025 Swim/Bike/Run Gear I Use List
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Gear entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.