Navigational Buoys: Steel Navigation Buoys Made in Louisiana
Made in Louisiana | Manufacturer Direct Since 1999
Steel buoys ready on a truck within 1 hour of a PO or approval
The BL 620 is our 6' x 20' steel smart buoy for marking subsea wells and marine hazards, and it is in stock now to buy or rent, with installation. Wet Tech Energy also builds and overhauls the 5x11, 7x20, BL 826 (8x26) and 9x35 steel navigation buoys in-house in Maurice, Louisiana. We are a manufacturer, not a reseller, with the largest buoy rental fleet in the United States. One call, one company.
Need a BL 620 on station? Call us now.
BL 620 Smart Buoy: Subsea Wells and Marine Hazards
Featured: BL 620 Steel Smart Buoy
- 6' x 20' steel smart buoy
- Marks subsea wells and marine hazards
- Standard U.S. Coast Guard style steel buoy designed for rivers, estuaries and moderately exposed open seas
- Built-in radar reflector
- In stock
- Ready on a truck within 1 hour of a PO or approval
- Buy or rent, with installation by our crews
- From the largest buoy rental fleet in the United States
BL 620 steel buoys are built in our Louisiana fab shop and kept in stock, and we ship them across the US and internationally. Call 337-893-9992 or email sales@wettechenergy.com for availability.
Tell us your site and water depth, and whether you want to buy or rent. We will quote the BL 620 with anchors, chain, lights and installation.
Steel Navigation Buoys: 5x11 to 9x35
Our mid-size navigation buoys and large ocean buoys are built for long service life, high visibility and easy maintenance, offshore and on inland water. Every Wet Tech steel buoy has a radar reflector built in.
| Model | Size | Features | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| BL 620 smart buoy | 6' x 20' steel | Marks subsea wells and marine hazards; rivers, estuaries and moderately exposed open seas. Built-in radar reflector | In stock; buy or rent; installation available (rentals) |
| 5x11 buoy | 5' diameter x 11' length | Swing arms for shallow or moving water mooring areas. Only weighs about 4,000 lb. Built-in radar reflector | In stock; buy or rent; installation available (rentals) |
| 7x20 buoy | 7' diameter x 20' length | Thick hull for use in ice. About the same focal height as the BL 620. Built-in radar reflector | In stock; buy or rent; installation available (rentals) |
| BL 826 buoy | 8' diameter x 26' length | Standard USCG construction. Built-in radar reflector. See BL 826 | In stock; buy or rent; installation available (rentals) |
| 9x35 buoy | 9' diameter x 35' length | Standard USCG construction. Weighs 12,900 lb. Built-in radar reflector | In stock; buy or rent; installation available (rentals) |
| 7x17 buoy | 7' diameter x 17' length | Swing arms for shallow or moving water mooring areas. Built-in radar reflector | Call for availability |
| Steel can and nun buoys | Built to your size | Steel can and nun buoys, built upon request | Built upon request; not kept in stock |
Every Wet Tech steel buoy, from the BL 620 to the 9x35, has a two-compartment steel hull with no foam. Only our poly buoys are foam filled.
Steel or Polyethylene Navigation Buoys?
Steel is the right call for open water, strong current, ice and busy traffic. A steel hull takes hits, carries a tall tower with a lantern and radar reflector, and can be blasted, repaired and repainted for another tour on station. Our steel buoys are built in our fab shop in Maurice with a two-compartment steel hull and no foam: Made in Louisiana.
Polyethylene fits lakes, marinas and shallow water, where a lighter buoy that will not rust is easier to set and pull from a small boat. Our poly marker buoys are the SP 10/60 spar buoy and the M-711LP, filled with 2 lb closed-cell foam. The shells are rotomolded in Houston, Texas by our rotomolding division and finished in Louisiana: Made in the USA. For anything larger, we build steel.
Not sure which one fits your site? Read our navigation buoy buying guide.
Lights for Navigation Buoys
A navigation buoy has to be seen at night. We supply and fit LED marine lanterns for our buoys, including the Sabik M650H, the WT-Flash-2 and the CR1100 Class C, or the lantern your spec calls for.
Tell us the light color and flash character listed in your permit, and we will quote the lantern and mounting for your buoy. See all of our LED buoy lights and marine lanterns.
Where Our Navigation Buoys Work
- Offshore: marking subsea wells, platform jackets, pipelines and other marine hazards. See subsea well and decommissioned platform marking and pipeline marker buoys.
- Harbors and ports: steel buoys with lights and radar reflectors for busy water.
- Rivers and estuaries: swing-arm 5x11 and 7x17 buoys for moving water, and fast water current buoys.
- Ice: the thick-hull 7x20 and our ice buoy.
- Lakes and shallow water: our poly SP 10/60 and M-711LP, and regulatory and hazard marker buoys.
Navigation Buoy Marking Basics: IALA and USCG
U.S. waters follow the IALA Region B system. Coming in from sea, red lateral buoys are kept on your right ("red, right, returning") and carry even numbers. Green lateral buoys are kept on your left and carry odd numbers. Red nun buoys have a cone top and green can buoys have a flat top.
Other marks you may be asked to place:
- Safe water marks: red and white vertical stripes, for open water all around.
- Isolated danger marks: black with red bands, over a hazard that has navigable water around it.
- Special marks: yellow, for things like pipelines, outfalls and work areas.
- Regulatory buoys: white with orange bands and symbols, for no wake, keep out and danger areas on inland water.
The rules for U.S. buoys are in 33 CFR Part 62. A buoy that you own and place is a private aid to navigation, and it generally needs authorization from the Coast Guard district before it goes on station (33 CFR Part 66). Tell us the shape, colors and light that your authorization lists, and we will build and quote to it.
Can and Nun, Special Mark and Hazard Buoys
- Steel can and nun buoys: built upon request in our Maurice fab shop; they are not kept in stock, so call with the size and quantity
- Poly can and nun buoys: see our SP 10/60 can and nun spar buoys, Made in the USA
- GPS buoy: fitted with a GPS receiver, so if it breaks free of its mooring we can find its location and reset it
- Ice buoy: for areas where large amounts of ice build up on the surface
- Reef buoy: reef mooring buoys mark the perimeter or center of an artificial or natural reef per state and federal laws
- Hazard marker buoys: the 58/14 (up to 120 ft water depth), 58/10, fast water current, inshore hazard, pipeline marker and signal buoys are on our regulatory and hazard marker buoys page
Buy or Rent: Largest Buoy Rental Fleet in the United States
Wet Tech has the largest buoy rental fleet in the United States. The BL 620, 5x11, 7x20, BL 826 and 9x35 are in stock to buy or rent, with installation. We can have steel buoys ready to go on a truck within 1 hour of a purchase order or approval. See buoy rentals.
Anchors, Chain and Mooring for Navigation Buoys
A buoy is only as good as the mooring holding it on station. We supply anchors from 700 to 60,000 lb, plus chain, shackles and swivels, and we size the mooring to your water depth, bottom and current. Our crews set the buoy and mooring, and when the job is over we can recover the buoy and overhaul it for the next one.
See mooring anchors, anchors and chain, custom mooring systems, buoy deployment and recovery and our large steel mooring buoys.
Sizes & Replacements: Steel Navigation Buoy Replacements
Replacing a damaged, worn or missing navigation buoy? Choose from steel sizes we already build, or send us yours to overhaul:
- BL 620 6' x 20' steel smart buoy for subsea wells and marine hazards
- 5x11 and 7x17 with swing arms for shallow or moving water
- 7x20 thick hull for ice
- BL 826 (8x26) and 9x35 standard USCG construction
- Steel can and nun buoys built upon request
Need to match an existing buoy? We are a custom shop: send the size and spec and we will build it. Call 337-893-9992.
Why Wet Tech Energy
Made in Louisiana | Manufacturer Direct Since 1999
- Made in Louisiana: built at our 10-acre facility in Maurice, LA, in business since 1999
- Custom shop: built to your spec in our own shop
- Manufacturer direct: we design and build our steel buoys in-house at our facility in Maurice, LA (Made in Louisiana). Our poly buoys and floats are rotomolded in Houston, Texas by our rotomolding division and finished in Louisiana (Made in the USA). We are a manufacturer, not a reseller
- Built and installed: buoys, anchors, chain, lights and installation from one company
- Largest buoy rental fleet in the United States: in-stock steel hazard marker and navigation buoys and large steel mooring buoys to buy or rent, with installation
- Ready in 1 hour: steel buoys ready on a truck within 1 hour of a PO or approval
- Talk to a person: call 337-893-9992 and speak with someone who builds the buoys
What to Have Ready When You Call
- Product and size (or the spec you need matched)
- Color, message or graphics, and lighting
- Fittings: shackle, rod, rope or chain, and anchor
- Quantity
- Where they are going: waterway, water depth and conditions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BL 620 smart buoy?
The BL 620 is a 6 ft x 20 ft steel smart buoy that Wet Tech builds for marking subsea wells and marine hazards. It is a standard U.S. Coast Guard style steel buoy designed for rivers, estuaries and moderately exposed open seas, and like every Wet Tech steel buoy it has a radar reflector built in. It is in stock, available to buy or rent, and our crews install it. Call 337-893-9992 or email sales@wettechenergy.com. See the BL 620 steel buoy page for specs.
Can I rent the BL 620 and your steel navigation buoys?
Yes. Wet Tech has the largest buoy rental fleet in the United States. The BL 620, 5x11, 7x20, BL 826 (8x26) and 9x35 are in stock to buy or rent, with installation. See buoy rentals or call 337-893-9992.
How fast can you ship steel buoys?
We can have steel buoys ready to go on a truck within 1 hour of a purchase order or approval. Tell us your site and whether you want to buy or rent. Call 337-893-9992 or email sales@wettechenergy.com.
What sizes of steel navigation buoys do you build?
The BL 620 (6 ft x 20 ft), 5x11 with swing arms (5 ft x 11 ft), 7x17 with swing arms (7 ft x 17 ft), 7x20 thick hull for ice (7 ft x 20 ft), BL 826 (8 ft x 26 ft) and 9x35 (9 ft x 35 ft). We also build steel can and nun buoys upon request. For hazard marking with the 58/14 and 58/10, see our regulatory and hazard marker buoys.
Do your steel buoys have radar reflectors?
Yes. Every Wet Tech steel buoy has a radar reflector built in, so it can be seen on radar offshore.
What is a GPS buoy?
A GPS buoy is equipped with a GPS receiver, so if it breaks free of its mooring we can find its location and reset it.
Do you install navigation buoys and moorings?
Yes. We build the buoys in-house, provide the anchors, chain and lights, and our crews set them on station, whether you buy or rent.
Can you build a custom buoy?
Yes. We are a custom shop: built to your spec. Tell us the size, color, fittings, quantity and where they are going.
What is a navigation buoy?
A navigation buoy is a floating aid moored on station to show boaters and ships where it is safe to go and where it is not: the sides of a waterway, a hazard, a safe-water point or a regulated area. Its shape, color, numbers and light tell mariners what it marks. Wet Tech builds steel navigation buoys from the 5x11 to the 9x35 and supplies the lights and moorings.
Do you build steel can and nun buoys?
Yes. We build steel can and nun buoys upon request. They are not kept in stock, so call us with the size, quantity and where they are going.
How much do your steel navigation buoys weigh?
The 9x35 (9 ft diameter x 35 ft long) weighs 12,900 lb, and the 5x11 only weighs about 4,000 lb. The 7x20 has about the same focal height as the BL 620. Call us for the other sizes.
Are your steel navigation buoys foam filled?
No. All of our steel buoys, including the BL 620 and the 5x11 to 9x35, have a two-compartment steel hull with no foam. Only our poly buoys are filled with 2 lb closed-cell foam.
Should I choose a steel or a poly navigation buoy?
Choose steel for open water, strong current, ice or heavy traffic, and when the buoy must carry a large light and radar reflector. Choose our poly SP 10/60 or M-711LP for lakes, marinas and shallow water, where a lighter buoy is easier to handle. Our steel buoys are Made in Louisiana, and our poly buoys are Made in the USA.
Do you make poly navigation buoys?
Our poly marker buoys are the SP 10/60 can and nun spar buoy and the M-711LP 700 mm class marker buoy, rotomolded in Houston, Texas by our rotomolding division and finished in Louisiana. For larger navigation buoys, we build steel.
What lights do you put on navigation buoys?
We supply and fit LED marine lanterns, including the Sabik M650H, the WT-Flash-2 and the CR1100 Class C, or the lantern your spec calls for. Tell us the color and flash character in your permit and we will quote the right lantern.
What anchor does a navigation buoy need?
It depends on the buoy, water depth, bottom and current. We supply anchors from 700 to 60,000 lb with chain and hardware, and we size the mooring for your site.
Do I need a permit to place a navigation buoy?
A buoy that you own and place in U.S. waters is a private aid to navigation, and it generally needs Coast Guard authorization first (33 CFR Part 66). Check with your Coast Guard district. We build to the shape, colors and light that your authorization lists.
Request a Quote
Call 337-893-9992 or email sales@wettechenergy.com with the buoy model, water depth, site, whether you want to buy or rent, quantity, colors, options and where they are going. We will get back to you with pricing and lead time.
Call us or email us and let us know how we can assist.
Wet Tech Energy, 4598 Woodlawn Rd, Maurice, LA 70555. In business since 1999. Made in Louisiana.
