Mooring Buoy – Our 7 Best Picks

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Mooring buoys are useful for supporting the mooring chain and protecting sensitive marine areas. It can be a challenge to find the right mooring buoy for your boat. What are the best mooring buoys?

Our top 7 mooring buoys are as follows:

  1. Taylor Made Products, Sur-Moor T3C Mooring Buoy, Seamless, Foam Filled – Click here to see it on Amazon – Our #1 Top Pick
  2. Taylor Made Products Sur-Moor T3C Boat Mooring Tapered Buoy – Click here to see it on Amazon
  3. Polyform A-Series Buoy
  4. Taylor Made Products 1157 Tuff End Inflatable Vinyl Boat Buoy
  5. Taylor Made Products 1146 Tuff End Inflatable Vinyl Boat Buoy
  6. Ironwood Pacific Anchor Ring Anchor Puller with 11″ Buoy
  7. KUFA Sports Yellow/Black 15″ Diameter Mooring Buoy

Read on to learn more about each buoy as well as its specs and features.

Also, for an excellent mooring buoy, take a look at our top pick, the Taylor Made Products, Sur-Moor T3C Mooring Buoy:

Click here to see it on Amazon.

Mooring Buoy – Our 7 Best Picks

1. Taylor Made Products, Sur-Moor T3C Mooring Buoy, Seamless, Foam Filled

The size of the Taylor Made Products, Sur-Moor T3C Mooring Buoy is suitable for large and small boats.

Click here to see it on Amazon.

It’s manufactured from closed-cell EPS foam, which is a lot better than the standard EPS foam. It’s stronger and more water-resistant. It won’t let air or water pass through it should this boat buoy sustain damage.

Speaking of damage, Taylor Made created mooring buoys that can withstand harsh weather elements.

Taylor Made Products created Sur-Moor T3C Mooring Buoy, Seamless, Foam Filled for it to have a shell with UV-absorbing capabilities, allowing it to last a long time despite being constantly exposed to the sun.

The surface is sandblasted, so it’s easy to paint on and for others to identify it. To make sure it stays visible at night, it has a blue reflective striping around it.

Just like the Taylor Made Products Sur-Moor T3C Boat Mooring Taper Buoy, this boat buoy doesn’t include hardware. This buoy matches with the Taylor Made Products 33028 T3C Mooring Collar:

Click here to see it on Amazon.

Key Features and Benefits:

  • This is great for both small and big boats.
  • It’s visible from miles away.
  • Because of its solid construction, it’s almost impossible to sink.
  • It’s easy to monitor the shackle’s condition because the chain is held up on the center-top.
  • It features a tube-through-the-center design.
  • Circumference: 47 inches
  • Tube Diameter: 2 inches
  • Approximate Buoyancy: 60 pounds

2. Taylor Made Products Sur-Moor T3C Boat Mooring Tapered Buoy

The Taylor Made Products Sur-Moor T3C Boat Mooring Taper Buoy is made from polyethylene. This plastic polymer material is durable, lightweight, and low maintenance. Repairing this is going to be relatively easy, thanks to this material.

Click here to see it on Amazon.

Prolonged exposure to the sun isn’t going to be a big problem. The creators of Taylor Made Products Sur-Moor T3C Boat Mooring Taper Buoy (Stock #: 46730) designed it to have additional protection so that it can slow down the degradation effects of long-term exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

Plus, they sandblasted the surface so that the paint can adhere better.

The Sur-Moor T3C features a seamless, one-piece construction. As a result, you get a mooring buoy that provides a uniform high-impact strength.

This buoy doesn’t come with a mooring collar, so you need to buy it separately. If you’re wondering about the right collar for this boat buoy, check out the Taylor Made Products 33028 T3C Mooring Collar, 3-Inch.

This easy-to-install collar is made from hot-dipped galvanized steel, which offers longer rust and corrosion resistance than standard paints ever will.

Click here to see it on Amazon.

Key Features and Benefits:

  • With the correct collar, the Sur-Moor T3C looks and works great for the price.
  • This comes with a three-year flotation warranty.
  • Tube Diameter: 3 inches
  • Buoy Diameter: 30 inches
  • Approximate Buoy Height: 30 inches
  • Approximate Buoyancy: 410 pounds

3. Polyform A-Series Buoy

Next on our best mooring buoy review list is the Polyform A-Series Buoy. Polyform is one of the leading suppliers of a high-quality range of fenders and buoys since the 1950s.

Click here to see it on Amazon.

Their Polyform A-Series Buoy is available in a large range of sizes (A-0 to A-7), colors, and buoyancy ratings:

A-0

  • Boat Length: up to 10 feet
  • Buoyancy Rating: 13 pounds
  • Volume (gallons): 1.6 gallons

A-1

  • Boat Length: 20 to 30 feet
  • Buoyancy Rating: 29 pounds
  • Volume (gallons): 3.5 gallons

A-2

  • Boat Length: 40 to 50 feet
  • Buoyancy Rating: 68 pounds
  • Volume (gallons): 8.2 gallons

A-3

  • Boat Length: 30 to 40 feet
  • Buoyancy Rating: 121 pounds
  • Volume (gallons): 14.5 gallons

A-4

  • Boat Length: 50 to 60 feet
  • Buoyancy Rating: 187 pounds
  • Volume (gallons): 22.5 gallons

A-5

  • Boat Length: 60 to 70 feet
  • Buoyancy Rating: 396 pounds
  • Volume (gallons): 47.6 gallons

A-6

  • Boat Length: 70 feet and up
  • Volume (gallons): 95.1 gallons

A-7

  • Boat Length: 70 feet and up
  • Volume (gallons): 162 gallons

The Polyform A-Series Buoy bags are versatile. Creators designed it as markers or boat buoys, but others also use the Polyform A-0 bag as an affordable alternative to expensive punching bags.

These bags are made from high-strength and flexible vinyl with a reinforced rope hold, allowing them to last longer no matter how hard your punches are.

There are three ways to inflate the Polyform A-Series Buoy bags. You can connect the valves using a Polyform Inflation Adapter with any standard tire pump connection, Polyform hand pump, or tapered nozzle blowgun.

Key Features and Benefits:

  • It’s an effective and cheaper alternative to the Aqua Training Bag (water-filled punching bag).
  • It’s a well-made and durable mooring buoy.
  • Cleaning it is very easy.
  • It holds its shape and is buoyant.

4. Taylor Made Products 1157 Tuff End Inflatable Vinyl Boat Buoy

Arguably the best of our Taylor Made mooring buoy reviews is the Taylor Made 1157 Tuff End Buoy. This mooring buoy has excellent weight and design.

Click here to see it on Amazon.

The teardrop-shaped Taylor Made Products 1157 Tuff End Inflatable Vinyl Boat Buoy is suitable for 25- to 40-foot boats. It’s useful for any raft-up, a starting mark for sailing races, or even a punching bag.

This shows a single-piece construction that’s made from heavy-duty, injection-molded vinyl. Rated at 2,000 PSI tensile strength, it’s strong yet flexible enough to withstand the most demanding environmental conditions.

It features large line holes, which can accommodate standard shackles and thick ropes (around 1/2 to 5/8 inches). It also comes with a Trivalve™ for easy and quick inflation, without removing the valve, by using a football needle or compressor.

Here’s the approximate buoyancy for each size of this boat buoy:

  • 9 inches (diameter): 14 pounds
  • 12 inches (diameter): 33 pounds
  • 15 inches (diameter): 65 pounds
  • 18 inches (diameter): 112 pounds
  • 21 inches(diameter): 180 pounds
  • 27 inches (diameter): 375 pounds
  • 34 inches (diameter): 790 pounds

Key Features and Benefits:

  • It’s also a good knockoff of the expensive Aqua Training Bag®.
  • It’s made of durable materials.
  • It helps you easily pull your anchor from deep depths of water, so you don’t have to suffer from a sore back and arms.
  • You can spend more time finding fish and less time pulling rope.

5. Taylor Made Products 1146 Tuff End Inflatable Vinyl Boat Buoy

The Taylor Made Products 1146 Tuff End Inflatable Vinyl Boat Buoy is similar to the Taylor Made Products 1157 Tuff End Inflatable Vinyl Boat Buoy, with a few differences. This 15-inch Taylor Made mooring buoy has the following specifications:

Click here to see it on Amazon.

  • Circumference: 47 inches
  • Line Hole: 1 1/2 inches
  • Approximate Buoyancy: 65 pounds
  • Recommended Boat Size: 50 to 60 feet

Just like any product made by Taylor Made, the Taylor Made Products 1157 Tuff End Inflatable Vinyl Boat Buoy is designed to be extremely tough, without losing its flexibility and softness, so it can hold up well to harsh conditions. It’s made of marine-grade vinyl that’s rated at 2,000 PSI.

It also has three valves on the side of the fender to allow trouble-free inflation with a compressor or football needle. The recommended inflation for this mooring buoy is 2 PSI.

Key Features and Benefits:

  • It’s tough and should last longer than your boat.
  • It does a great job of protecting boats from rubbing.
  • It’s easy to clean.
  • You can use it for different purposes.

6. Ironwood Pacific Anchor Ring Anchor Puller with 11″ Buoy

The Ironwood Pacific Anchor Ring Anchor Puller with 11″ Buoy is definitely a back saver. It’s more than capable of helping you retrieve your anchor by hand easily so that you can spend more time fishing.

Click here to see it on Amazon.

It’s specifically designed for offshore anchoring, which involves using longer chains (15 feet or longer).

This awesome system includes an anchor clip, stainless steel ring, and the Polyform buoy:

Polyform Buoy

This is molded from extra strong, flexible vinyl to make sure it effectively serves its purpose (as a boat fender, mooring buoy, and marker), regardless of the adverse conditions.

These are available in two sizes:

  • 11 inches for a 28-pound lift
  • 14.5 inches for a 60-pound lift

Polyform products are proudly made in the USA. They’re backed by a lifetime warranty.

Anchor Ring

The anchor ring is made from stainless steel. It’s available in two models, which are also made in the USA and come with a lifetime warranty.

  • 1/4 inches stainless steel is suitable for anchors weighing up to 20 pounds
  • 5/16 inches stainless steel is suitable for anchors weighing up to 80 pounds

How does the Ironwood Pacific Anchor Ring Anchor Puller work?

  • Connect the anchor ring to your anchor line when you need to pull up your anchor.
  • Throw the buoy into the water.
  • Motor forward around your anchor to retrieve it. Don’t stop until your anchor reaches the water surface.

Key Features and Benefits:

  • Retrieving your anchor is ridiculously easy because of this mooring buoy.
  • The quality of the ball, carabiner, and ring is good.
  • This makes it safer to fish alone in Intracoastal water.
  • It can easily pull up heavy anchors.

7. KUFA Sports Yellow/Black 15″ Diameter Mooring Buoy

Like most mooring buoys in this list, the KUFA Sports Yellow/Black 15″ Diameter Mooring Buoy can be used for various purposes. It’s great to use as a water-filled punching bag, mooring buoy, marker, and anchor lift buoy.

Click here to see it on Amazon.

The KUFA Sports Yellow/Black 15″ Diameter Mooring Buoy has been specially developed to resist the degradation effects of the sun’s ultraviolet rays and harsh environments. Made from vinyl that’s 3 millimeters thick, it’s durable enough to hold water and take constant beatings.

Note: The air nozzle of this mooring buoy is found on the bottom. If you’re going to fill it with water, you might have to make a separate hole at the top of it.

Key Features and Benefits:

  • It’s made of UV-resistant vinyl that’s 3-millimeter thick.
  • When inflated, it measures 15 by 20 inches.
  • It holds up well when filled with water and used as a punching bag.
  • You can use it for a variety of purposes.

Conclusion – Mooring Buoy

A good mooring buoy is an important addition to your boat. It will keep your boat safe and keep sensitive marine areas safe.

Our top 7 mooring buoys are as follows:

  1. Taylor Made Products, Sur-Moor T3C Mooring Buoy, Seamless, Foam Filled – Click here to see it on Amazon – Our #1 Top Pick
  2. Taylor Made Products Sur-Moor T3C Boat Mooring Tapered Buoy – Click here to see it on Amazon
  3. Polyform A-Series Buoy
  4. Taylor Made Products 1157 Tuff End Inflatable Vinyl Boat Buoy
  5. Taylor Made Products 1146 Tuff End Inflatable Vinyl Boat Buoy
  6. Ironwood Pacific Anchor Ring Anchor Puller with 11″ Buoy
  7. KUFA Sports Yellow/Black 15″ Diameter Mooring Buoy

The 7 buoys we’ve featured in this article are just a few good possible choices. As you might already know, buoys greatly differ in their characteristics, materials, styles, and sizes.

When choosing a mooring buoy, consider these factors:

  • The size of your boat
  • Displacement (refers to the weight of the water that’s pushed aside to adjust for your boat)
  • The weight of the anchor
  • Stern chain length
  • Your purpose in buying one
  • Know your budget (some boat buoys don’t come with the necessary hardware, like the collar, which adds up to the cost)

Those are just a few things to keep in mind when buying mooring buoys. If it’s your first time buying one, make sure to do more research and compare at least 3 products before making up your mind. Contact the manufacturer if you have concerns or questions.

Related reading:

Mooring Lines – 10 Best Mooring Rope Lines for Your Boat