What Is A Low-Drag Buoy And What Is It Used For?

Different types of buoys can serve different purposes. For example, an orange buoy lets boaters know that some sort of operating rule (like a speed limit) applies in the area where they’re boating. Similarly, red and green buoys mark out established channels through waterways. However, not all buoys communicate information to mariners. Some assist in various specialized tasks. For example, low-drag buoys were designed to help crews of fishing vessels retrieve crab pots more safely and easily than they otherwise could.

Those unfamiliar with the industry might be surprised to learn how dangerous this task can be without the right equipment. Sometimes, mere slip hazards onboard the decks of commercial fishing vessels lead to serious injuries. In other cases, crew members may sustain fractures when using crab pots and pulleys. Generally, crab fishing has a relatively high fatality rate compared to other industries. Low-drag buoys were introduced a few decades ago to address some of the risks fishers in this industry face.

Dragging in crab pots from the ocean can put significant strain on both crew members and their equipment. Some even consider it to be the world’s most dangerous job. As the name implies, low-drag buoys make this job less hazardous by reducing drag during the crab pot retrieval process.

Some low-drag buoy designs even supposedly reduce drag by as much as 80 percent. The easier it is to drag in crab pots, the lower the chances of crew members sustaining injuries.

Low-drag buoys come in a variety of potential colors. Often, these colors are chosen for maximum visibility. Low-drag buoys also tend to be durable. They have to be, given that they need to be inserted into and removed from the water on a regular basis. A buoy used in this capacity must be able to stand up to wear-and-tear.

Granted, the average recreational boater may never experience actually working with low-drag buoys. The types of buoys most relevant to such boaters may be informational buoys, such as those which indicate safe water areas. Nevertheless, it can be helpful to understand the various roles buoys play in boating. No boater ever experienced any unfortunate or unwanted consequences of too much knowledge.