New Turn Markers Brainstorm Thread

[boarditup]

The cobweb duster is on the right track. I was thinking of bristles about a foot long and rather stiff, like a broom. They would be mounted in some dense foam or softer rubber that was flat. So you have a "dot" of bristles sticking out of the water. The cobweb duster has a central "stick" that the bristles are mounted to that would cause problems if hit - although it is a much smaller target.

 

As for cleaning, I had a broom head floating the the lake for a few weeks to test the idea, it took just a few seconds of hand cleaning to get it clear. The build-up will make the buoy's mass go up, so regular maintenance would be required. I have not tested it, but I think it would be a lot safer to hit.

 

I am not sure if this is the solution, but it is one possibility. As the cost of a broom head is less than $10, it should be farily cheap to produce. As it cannot pop, you likely have a much greater life span.

[ALPJr]

I like adding a ball design to the buoys - volleyball, soccer, beach ball, etc... Bristles could be bad for eye balls and skin.

[DaveD]

From the department of crazy ideas, what if the ski left a mark on the buoys or the buoy left a mark on the ski if the ski touches the buoy?

 

The top of the buoy could be coated with an easily transferred, waterproof material like a grease or paint that is dyed a florescent color. If a ski hits the buoy, some of this material will transfer onto the ski leaving a mark that can be inspected if there is a question. If there's grease on the bottom or edge of the ski, the skier gets no credit for that buoy. If there's a mark on the binding or top of the ski, the skier gets credit for the buoy.

 

Obviously the grease or paint or whatever material would need to be relatively easy to clean off anything that touches it and bio-degradable but not easily washed off with water. A material with these properties probably doesn't exist but I'm throwing it out there as food for thought.

[thager]

My worry with hard bristles is becoming a pin cushion. At the right angle and speed acupuncture is possible.

[boarditup]

The ends are typically shredded, so soft.