Best buoy lines for tidal water?

[Bill22]

What is the best setup for buoy lines on tidal water?

 

Bungee or latex? The water level swings by 3 feet from low to high tide. If you use bungee cord how many feet do you use?

 

I am in the planing stage to install a permanent course and get away from a portable course.

[Mateo_Vargas]

Our Delta site has PVC pipe with counter weights in side them. You probably need something similar with that type of tide swing.

[Bill22]

@"Mateo Vargas" we have a plan with counter weights for all the turn balls and the gates.

 

But for all the boat guides I wanted to use the kis method (keep it simple).

[bbruzzese]

Check this stuff out...flexible rope is super durable. http://proflexmfg.com

 

[Bill22]

@bbruzzese thanks I will check it out. Have you used it for a course?

[bbruzzese]

Yup, use it on every buoy for the last 10+ years in 48" lengths. No tide here in VT but our Resevoir can fluctuate greatly with the rain...this year sometimes 2 to 4+ feet in a few days. We use the THB 4-100 hooks on one end and zip-tie to the buoy.

[Bill22]

Bump.

 

Anyone else want to share where you buy your bungee line?

[RichardDoane]

http://www.skiertoskier.com/contents/en-us/d12_Course_Supplies.html

 

[aupatking]

I've got a fishermans net supply store that knows what I'm there for when I walk in the door. We used to have tubing, now on bungee at one site and 2 liter bottle filled with sand counter weight at another course. We get pretty decent tidal change. I really can't compare which works better, as one gets constant traffic, and a ton of jet skiers, moron tubers, and wakeboarders who think it's fun to weave their boats in and around the buoys, the other is a protected cove. Both of those work well, but neither liked the rubber hose

[Bill22]

@bbruzzese do you use 1/4" or 5/16" of that pro flex rope?

[Edbrazil]

Back in 1990 and 1991, the Tour went to Mission Bay in San Diego. First year, minimal tide

change. Second year, we were dealing with about a 7 foot tide. Used a counterweighting

type system both times, that worked. I've also done a counterweighting system for a lake in

Massachusetts. And, for all the courses at the Greater Miami Ski Club, where they have

crossline-type courses. Thanks to the smaller skier buoys now (20cm vs. 23cm) you don't need

as much for a counterweight. A 5 lb. weightlifting weight is about perfect.

 

I can provide diagrams, etc. edwardbrazil (at) cs (dot) com.

 

Historical information: Kris LaPoint won one of those years, maybe 1991. Last win on the Pro

Tour for him, although he came close later on.

[Bill22]

@Edbrazil Thanks! email sent.

[bbruzzese]

We use the 1\4 inch.

[buoyboy1]

I have had this adjustable system on my gates and turn buoys for the past 3 years and it has worked very well. The water level fluctuates about a foot throughout the year in my lake. The tricky part was to get the sub buoy size just right so the surface buoys did not float too high but to also have just enough size so it did not keep the surface buoys below the water. I used a hand saw and kept cutting down the height of the sub buoy until it was just right. Adjusting the surface buoy air pressure ever so slightly was also needed. If I do not ski for a week and the lake level drops a few inches the buoys will tend to float a little high but after the first pass the boat wake will jiggle the buoy to the perfect height. The sub buoys are about 24" below the waterline which will allow the turn balls and gates to drop another foot since the sub buoys will rise the other foot due to the pulley that is clipped to the anchor. For a 3 foot fluctuation difference, the sub buoy will need to be at least 6 feet below the water line when you are at max level. I first tried the system without the back to back plastic pipes but the rope kept twisting around itself. The pipes rest on the top of the pulley and stop short of the sub buoy when the lake is at the max height (sub buoy at lowest height.) I also tried to used a couple of different rope styles until I found that a ski-rope style worked best and it did not tend to twist. It also allowed for the end of the rope at the sub buoy to fid back through to create a nice small loop with no knots for attaching to the long galvanized nail that is pushed through the side of the sub buoy and through the loop of the rope. For the case should the turn ball or gate come off, I used a plastic shower curtain loop tied to the end of the rope and the base of the plastic hook to act as a stop so the entire rope will not slip through the hole in the sub buoy since it will be trying to come to the surface.

 

[buoyboy1]

The plastic shower curtain loop does not show up in the photos BTW. It was added later.

[Bill22]

@buoyboy1 thanks for the detailed explanation.

 

I knew if I waited a few days I would get some good tips.

 

We have a system for the turn balls & gates that uses a counterweight. We have not installed it yet but my friend has seen it work at a different site before.

 

I have been asking all the questions about bungees for the boat guides. I ordered a roll of bungee today, we'll see how long it lasts.