Inflatable danbuoys

[Bathdave]

I need to get a Danbuoy and realised I need to get a drogue to go with it..perusing the ocean safety catalogue I see you can get an automatic inflatable Danbuoy with drogue and light

Seems a good idea and compact but looks a bit flimsy in the brochure photo . Anyone have any experience of this ?

 

[jbweston]

I've had one of these for six years and have never deployed it. I ought to test it i suppose. The advantage of a traditional dan is that there's nothing to go wrong (except the light, which is not critical to deployment and only matters in darkness, and anyway can be tested easily).

On the other hand, my inflatable dan stows neatly but for all I know could sink like a stone when deployed. So thanks for prompting me to unpack and test it.

It's a bit like the choice between modern inflatabable lifejackets and the old foam ones. The new ones are great but we need to check them over, whereas the old ones just worked - if you could be bothered to wear them.

 

[skip50]

I have had one of these for two or three years, never used in anger. It seems to be made of the same material as life jackets, so I cannot see a problem there.

Mine does get rather wet inside its holder, so at the end of the season I do unpack it, check it over and let it dry out.

HTH

 

[benlui]

Just use a traditional one. There not so expensive, not going to go wrong, one less thing to service/worry about, and it sits nicely on the stern corner sitting inside a piece of 2" pipe strapped with tie-wraps. Bingo.

 

[ColinR]

I had one. it lasted a few years then sprang a leak. Reverted to the original kind. I would certainly test an inflatable one regularly.