How to Choose a Navigation Buoy: Steel vs Polyethylene
Steel Made in Louisiana | Poly Made in the USA | In Business Since 1999
Steel navigation buoys are the choice for rivers, estuaries, offshore and other exposed water, and for marking subsea wells and hazards. Polyethylene buoys suit lakes, marinas, marsh and other shallow, sheltered water. Wet Tech Energy makes both: two-compartment steel buoys built in our Louisiana fab shop (Made in Louisiana) and foam-filled poly buoys (Made in the USA). In business since 1999, we can help you match the buoy, light and mooring to your site.
Not sure which buoy you need? Tell us about the site.
Steel vs Polyethylene at a Glance
| Steel buoys | Polyethylene buoys | |
|---|---|---|
| Where they work | Rivers, estuaries, offshore and moderately exposed open water; subsea wells and marine hazards | Lakes, marinas, marsh and other shallow, sheltered water |
| Construction | Welded two-compartment steel hull with no foam, built in our Louisiana fab shop | Rotomolded polyethylene shell filled with 2 lb closed-cell foam |
| Where they are made | Made in Louisiana | Made in the USA: molded in Houston, finished in Louisiana |
| Sizes | 58/10 and 58/14, BL 620 (6 ft x 20 ft) and 5x11 up to 9x35 | SP 10/60 spar buoy (10 in x 60 in), M-711LP (60 in x 28 in), 18 and 24 in poly mooring buoys |
| Lights | Marine lights to suit the site; the BL 620 is a lighted sound buoy | Lantern mounts on the SP 10/60 and M-711LP |
| Buy or rent | Buy or rent | Buy |
Step 1: Where Will the Buoy Work?
- Lakes, marinas, marsh and shallow inland water: start with our shallow water polyethylene buoys.
- Rivers, estuaries and moderately exposed open water: the BL 620 (6 ft x 20 ft steel) is our standard steel buoy. See navigational buoys.
- Subsea wells and marine hazards: the 58/14 (up to 120 ft of water depth) and the smaller 58/10. See hazard and regulatory buoys and subsea well and decommissioned platform marking.
- Larger or more exposed sites: our 5x11 to 9x35 steel buoys. The 7x20 has a thick hull for use in ice. Our poly marker buoys stop at the SP 10/60 and M-711LP; anything larger is steel.
Step 2: What Is the Buoy Marking?
| Job | What to use | See |
|---|---|---|
| Channels and fairways | Steel navigation buoys (5x11 to 9x35, BL 620), or steel can and nun buoys built upon request | Navigational buoys |
| Subsea wells and hazards | 58/14, 58/10 or BL 620 steel marker buoys | Hazard and regulatory buoys |
| No wake, swim and regulatory areas on lakes | SP 10/60 spar buoys and M-711LP poly buoys | Shallow water polyethylene buoys |
| Moorings | Steel mooring and midline buoys, or 18 and 24 in poly mooring buoys | Mooring buoys |
Step 3: Pick the Size
Size depends on water depth, current, waves and how far away the buoy needs to be seen. Our steel buoys run from the 5 ft x 10 ft 58/10 up to the 9 ft x 35 ft buoy, and every one has a two-compartment steel hull with no foam:
| Model | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 58/10 | 5 ft x 10 ft steel | Smaller hazard and well sites |
| 58/14 | 5 ft x 14 ft steel | Up to 120 ft water depth; hazards and subsea wells |
| 5x11 | 5 ft diameter x 11 ft steel | Swing arms for shallow or moving water mooring areas; only weighs about 4,000 lb |
| BL 620 | 6 ft x 20 ft steel | Lighted sound buoy for rivers, estuaries and moderately exposed open water |
| 7x17 | 7 ft diameter x 17 ft steel | Swing arms for shallow or moving water mooring areas |
| 7x20 | 7 ft diameter x 20 ft steel | Thick hull for use in ice; about the same focal height as the BL 620 |
| BL 826 | 8 ft diameter x 26 ft steel | Standard USCG construction |
| 9x35 | 9 ft diameter x 35 ft steel | Standard USCG construction; weighs 12,900 lb |
| Steel can and nun buoys | Built to your size | Built upon request; not kept in stock |
For lakes and shallow water, our poly buoys include the SP 10/60 spar buoy (10 in x 60 in), the M-711LP (60 in x 28 in) and 18 and 24 in poly mooring buoys.
Step 4: Add the Light and Sound Signal
Match the light's color, flash character and range to the mark and the site. We supply and fit LED marine lanterns, including the Sabik M650H, the WT-2NM SC and the CR1100 Class C, or the lantern your spec calls for, and USCG sound signal horns with a 1/2 mile range. The BL 620 is a lighted sound buoy with a built-in radar reflector. See our marine lights for buoys.
Step 5: Plan the Mooring
We supply anchors, chain, shackles and mooring wire sized to your buoy and your site, and we offer mooring system rentals with anchors from 700 lb to 60,000 lb. Our steel buoys are also used as midline buoys in mooring systems.
Step 6: Buy or Rent?
Our steel buoys, including the BL 620 and 58/14, are kept in stock and available to buy or rent, and they can be on a truck within 1 hour of a PO or approval. Renting fits short jobs and temporary marking; buying fits permanent marks. Our poly buoys are available to buy. See buoy rentals.
Step 7: Keep It on Station
We provide buoy recovery, maintenance and mooring inspections. On every maintenance trip:
- We inspect the GPS, the light, the shackles, the mooring wire, the chain and the anchor blocks.
- We confirm the buoy is on location when we arrive and again before we leave.
- Anything that looks questionable gets replaced before the buoy goes back on station.
Steel buoys that come off station can be refurbished through our buoy overhaul service.
Talk to someone who builds the buoys.
Where Our Buoys Are Made
Steel: built in our Louisiana fab shop in Maurice, Louisiana. Made in Louisiana.
Poly: Our rotomolding division in Houston, Texas, molds every shell, and our Louisiana shop foam-fills and finishes each one to your specs. One call, one company. Need something different? We can build custom molds for custom products, so just ask. Made in the USA.
What to Have Ready When You Call
- Site location and water depth
- What the buoy is marking (channel, hazard, subsea well, mooring, no wake or swim area)
- Current, waves and whether there is ice
- Light color and flash character, if you know them
- Buy or rent, quantity, and how long the buoy will be on station
- Delivery location and date
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I buy a steel or a polyethylene navigation buoy?
Choose steel for rivers, estuaries, offshore and other exposed or high-current water, for subsea well and hazard marking, and for jobs where you want to rent. Choose polyethylene for lakes, marinas, marsh and other shallow, sheltered water. Our steel buoys are Made in Louisiana; our poly buoys are Made in the USA.
Can I rent a navigation buoy?
Yes, our steel buoys, including the BL 620 and 58/14, are available to buy or rent, and we offer mooring system rentals with anchors from 700 lb to 60,000 lb. Our poly buoys are available to buy. See buoy rentals.
What size steel buoy do I need?
It depends on the water depth, the exposure and how far away the buoy needs to be seen. The 58/14 works to 120 ft of water depth, the 58/10 suits smaller sites, and the BL 620 (6 ft x 20 ft) suits rivers, estuaries and moderately exposed open water. Our 5x11 to 9x35 steel buoys cover larger sites. See navigational buoys.
Can a steel buoy be refurbished?
Yes. Steel buoys can be recovered, repaired and repainted through our buoy overhaul service, then put back to work.
Are your steel buoys foam filled?
No. All of our steel buoys have a two-compartment steel hull with no foam.
Are your poly buoys foam filled?
Yes. Our poly buoys are filled with 2 lb closed-cell foam. See shallow water polyethylene buoys.
How fast can you ship a steel buoy?
BL 620 and 58/14 steel buoys are kept in stock in Louisiana and can be on a truck within 1 hour of a PO or approval.
Do you make poly navigation buoys larger than the SP 10/60 and M-711LP?
No. Our poly marker buoys are the SP 10/60 spar buoy and the M-711LP. For larger navigation buoys, we build steel.
Do you supply the mooring and maintain the buoy?
Yes. We supply anchors, chain and mooring systems, and our steel buoys are also used as midline buoys. We provide buoy recovery, maintenance and mooring inspections: we inspect the GPS, light, shackles, mooring wire, chain and anchor blocks, confirm the buoy is on location on arrival and departure, and replace anything questionable before it goes back on station.
Request a Quote
Call 337-893-9992 or email sales@wettechenergy.com with your site, the job and the quantity, and we will recommend the right buoy, light and mooring.
Call us or email us and let us know how we can assist.
Call 337-893-9992 Email sales@wettechenergy.com
Wet Tech Energy, 4598 Woodlawn Rd, Maurice, LA 70555. In business since 1999.