I didn't want to buy one of these stupid things because they're big, orange, and annoying. One of my racing friends suggested one for a location with high boat activity, so I thought maybe it would at least give me peace of mind, so I decided to take their advice. I have now changed to using this thing for every open water swim, even when my wife spots me in the kayak. It's virtually weightless and indistinguishable while you're using it - I don't feel it around my waist, there's no tugging with waves, and it doesn't deflate while you're using it. It's very well made and easy to use. Very happy I decided to invest in one, especially since it does give me peace of mind knowing I'm visible while swimming. On another note, I have used this recently while swimming in very choppy waves - approximately 4-6ft high. Even then it only pulled a little.

I hesitated purchasing this because of the price, but I am SOOO glad I "took the plunge" and purchased! I frequently swim in the lake and this pink buoy is perfect for helping me stand out. Although I swim close to shore, the buoy gives me extra security against fishing boats and jet skis that frequent the same cove. I don't typically use the easy to grab handle to rest, but I have found this is a bonus for enjoying a relaxing float after my lap swimming. Very well constructed, yet light weight - I forget I am wearing ...until a large wave bumps the buoy into me (an added benefit for safety).

Every open water swimmer should swim with a buoy. This product is simple to use. The waist belt is easily adjustable and the buoy floats effortlessly behind you as you swim, making you easy to spot in the water and providing a little buoyancy should you need a rest break to fix leaky goggles or stretch out a cramp. I like the attached handle for short breaks. I won't be doing any practice swims in the future without this great piece of equipment.

During Tri season, I swim in the lake at least weekly, and while I normally swim with a kayaker next to me to help keep me from being run over by a rogue boat, we wanted to add this for extra safety precautions. It's very high visibility. The bubble itself is made of a pretty thick material, which I feel pretty comfortable with being durable. I've only used it for one season though, so we'll see how it goes over time. Inflating and deflating is easy. The strap stays in place like it should, and it doesn't get in the way of my swim stroke. It can be used to hold onto and float if necessary. On a side note, the waist strap came in super handy as a race belt for my last tri of the season. I took the float off of it, and used it for the bike and run portion of the race to keep my number on, rather than pinning it to a shirt. Cool product. Glad we got it.

My husband I actually bought 2 of these New Wave Swim Bubbles. We love them. We swim in open water and they are nice so the swimmer can actually be seen by boats, other swimmers and people on land. The material is very substantial and looks like it will last a long time if taken care of. It is easy to inflate and deflate. Particular nice is the handle on the bottom side so that if the swimmer was to get tired they can hold this and stay buoyant.

Love this for both visibility in open water as well as a float to use for a short break while swimming. I am a triathlete as well as snorkeler and this has been great. I plan to buy another one when we take the kids snorkeling in the ocean next year for each kid to have one.