Swim buoy for snorkeling – Why and how to use a dive flag?
A swim buoy is a must-have accessory for snorkeling, especially in areas with heavy boat traffic or when swimming in open water. It helps make you more visible, which is crucial for safety, and provides a resting spot. This guide will explain the different types of dive buoys available and help you choose the best one for snorkeling.
What is a swim buoy?
A swim buoy is an inflatable accessory that acts as a dive flag, signaling to others that someone is in the water. It also provides a platform to rest and can be a buoyancy aid.
Stay Visible While Snorkeling with a Bright Marker Buoy
A brightly colored buoy significantly increases your visibility while snorkeling. This is important because a black wetsuit is nearly invisible to boaters in open water. However, remember that a swim buoy does not replace a personal flotation device or snorkel vest.
Why use a dive flag for snorkeling?
Using a highly visible flag is a common practice in diving, but swimmers and snorkelers rarely carrying any surface marker. Most beach holiday destinations have laws regarding using one and there are various safety and practical reasons too why you should get one.
Benefits of using a snorkeling flag:
- Visibility: Makes you noticeable to boats, surfers, jet skis, and other swimmers, helping prevent accidents.
- Tracking: Allows your family or coach to track your location from the shore.
- Resting Spot: Serves as a buoyancy aid and a place to rest when you’re tired.
- Storage: Some models have a dry compartment for your phone, ID, keys, and other small items.
Tip: Check our 10 snorkeling safety tips post and learn how to stay safe when exploring the beauty of the sea!
Surface marker buoy types
There are various marker buoys available that all have their advantages and disadvantages. Here we list the most common models and explain which one works the best for snorkeling.
Snorkel buoy
A snorkelbuoy is a small floaty that is attachable to the snorkel tube and works as a surface marker. It makes you noticeable, moreover, it also prevents your mask from sinking to the bottom of the sea in case you accidentally drop it.
Installing and using Snorkelbuoy is very easy. You just need to place it onto your snorkel tube and push and twist until it reaches the right position. It can be used on any type of snorkels. If you have a simple J-type snorkel, just simple insert the tube into the Snorkelbuoy and push it until it’s securely attached. Approx. 2 inches / 5 cm of the tube should protrude. By a dry-top model, you need to remove the top part or the mouthpiece to be able to slide and twist the Snorkelbuoy over the snorkel.
Swim buoy
This is a floating accessory that is highly visible, easy to inflate/deflate, compact, lightweight and attachable to the waist but to your surfboard or kayak too.
Due to its small size and wide usability, we recommend choosing a swim buoy for snorkeling, open water swimming and any other water sport.
Dive float with flag
A classical surface marker buoy in red or orange color with a red-white dive flag on it. Using a dive float and dive torpedo is a must in many countries when divers are in the water and they are available in most water sport stores.
Diving floats are designed to be carried on a long line that makes them easy-to-fix to underwater objects such as wrecks, but for snorkelers, it can be inconvenient to carry a dive buoy because they are large and don’t have such practical attachment options like a snorkeling dive flag has.
The long line can be dangerous while surface swimming since it can get caught in your fins, on corals or in worse cases, in a boat motor. For snorkeling, choose a swim buoy that you can attach at your waist instead.
Safety sausage
A dive sausage is a long inflatable tube in red or orange color. These accessories are used mainly by divers but can be carried on the surface too, however it is not the most ideal way of letting boats know where you are if you are snorkeling.
To keep yourself visible, you should hold it in upright position, which is of course not possible all the time while observing corals and fish. If you just let it float on the water, it won’t get attention since it is quite flat. We don’t really recommend this as a snorkeling dive flag, better choosing a swim buoy instead!
Widely Used Snorkeling Buoys
New Wave Swim Bubble
The New Wave Swim Bubble is an ultralight swim buoy that gives extra visibility and flotation. Thanks to the bright colors, it works great as a snorkeling dive flag by increasing the user’s safety and making her/him visible in the water. Moreover, it can be used as a buoyancy aid you can rest on if getting tired.
New Wave Swim Bubble
- ultralight and extra buoyant surface marker
- compact size, adjustable strap, small handle for easy holding
- fast inflation/deflation
Thanks to its lightweight design, this Swim Bubble is easy to bring with you on any snorkeling, kayak or paddle-board trip. The compact size and easily adjustable straps make it a good swim buoy for kids and adults too.
Since the Swim Bubble doesn’t have a dry compartment, you need to carry a separate waterproof pouch if you want to bring some small valuables with you. Should you need a swimming buoy with dry bag function, check out the upgraded New Wave Swim Buoy below!
New Wave Swim Buoy
The New Wave Swim Buoy, besides the classical functions of a swimming safety float (providing visibility in open water and a safe place to rest if needed) also works as a dry bag so keeps your personal items safe from water.
No need to worry about leaving your valuables on the beach – you can take them all with you! This swimming buoy has a storage compartment that is separated from the main inflatable air chamber. Here you can put sunglasses, sunscreen, extra goggles, keys or cards, whatever you want!
New Wave Swim Buoy
- very light and brightly-colored swim buoy
- works as a flotation device too
- small dry storage for personal items
New Wave Swim Buoy comes is brightly colors. It is a lightweight, inflatable flotation device with a waist belt that makes you fully visible to lifeguards, boaters and other open water vehicles. This is not only a surface marker but can also be used as a flotation device. You can relax on in case of leg cramps, but it is useful to calm distressed people too.
For kids and most adults, the smaller 15L version should be good, while the bigger, 20L model has a buoyancy force of 33lbs/15 kg and swimmer weight capacity up to 250lbs/113kg, so it is recommended for swimmers with a bigger body type.
What color is the best to choose?
Bright and fluorescent colors are the most visible for boats and other people and have a meaning of ‘caution’ and ‘watch out’. Choosing a high visibility snorkeling dive flag is particularly important if your snorkeling suit is black, because dark objects are hard to see in the open water.
Best swim buoy colors:
- yellow
- orange
- bright green
- bright pink
- red-white (international ‘diver down’ flag color)
How to use it a swim buoy for snorkeling?
Snorkeling safety markers are easy-to-use and follow the user almost unnoticeable.
Setting up a swim buoy takes just a few easy steps:
- inflate it fully
- fix the belt to your waist
- attach to tether to the buoy
- set up the correct length
- you are ready to go
Don’t attach to yourself an inflatable buoy if you are freediving while snorkeling since it will restrict your movements, moreover the line can get caught in your legs or other objects around you. In this case, one person in your group (your buddy if there are just the two of you) who is not freediving should carry the marker and when the other one swims down, you should stay close to each other.
When not in use, rinse the buy with freshwater, dry it fully and deflate it so you can store it in your snorkeling bag or sport accessory box.
Inspired? Pin it!
