Bouée de sauvetage Bateau

The lifebuoy is a mandatory piece of safety equipment aboard a boat. It is an essential accessory for assisting and signalling anyone who has fallen overboard. They can be found not only on board boats, but also around swimming pools and ponds, such as the crown model often found in swimming pools.

Lifebuoys are generally yellow or orange in color, for better visibility on the water. Lifebuoys are even more effective when the person in the water is wearing a lifejacket.

CHOOSING A LIFEBUOY

We offer you a wide range of dedicated products in the category of mandatory safety equipment at sea, which will enable you to find all the equipment you need to equip your boat. Please note, however, that you must respect the orange and red colors prescribed for navigation in France.

There are several different types of lifebuoy. In terms of shape, we find the crown buoy and the horseshoe buoy. The former is round and forms a closed circle into which a man overboard can enter by the head, or simply cling to an edge. The second, the horseshoe buoy, has more of an arc shape and will serve as a non-partitioned support.

Buoys can be solid or inflatable. The former are the most widespread, and are generally crown buoys. They are heavier and offer excellent flotation. The latter are more compact once stowed away, and inflate automatically on contact with the water, usually a horseshoe buoy.

The SOLAS standard is a lifebuoy certification that provides several guarantees:

• The buoy must weigh more than 2.5 kg to prevent it from being blown away by the wind when launched.
• It must have a minimum inside diameter of 40 cm and a maximum outside diameter of 80 cm.
• The material from which the buoy is made must have its own buoyancy.
• After 2 seconds in the flames, the buoy must not burn.
• The buoy must have a 9 mm-diameter lanyard attached at 4 points around its outer perimeter.
• The name of the ship and its home port must appear on it.

CROWN BUOY

One of the most popular products is the crown buoysuch as the solas crown buoy Ø73cm Plastimo crown buoy. It's SOLAS-certified and ideal for rescuing a man who's fallen overboard from your boat. It's a non-inflatable orange buoy, not fitted with a jet line, with a polyethylene structure filled with PU foam. Its buoyancy is 142N. It's a great product that will fit perfectly aboard your boat, at an affordable price and with variable delivery times depending on available stock.

Prefer a buoy with a throw line? Opt for the SOLAS crown buoy with Plastimo jet line. Its line is 30 m long and the buoy incorporates virtually the same features as the previous model without jet line.

HORSESHOE BUOY

Staying with non-inflatable buoys, but changing models, we find the horseshoe buoy removable buoy. This buoy floats on PU foam and has the advantage of being able to adapt to the body size of the person being rescued. It's very affordable, and delivery in 6 to 8 days is available depending on stock. All in all, a first-rate product for your boating needs.

For an inflatable horseshoe model, the 150N 4Water inflatable horseshoe buoy is one of the ideal products for your boating safety. It's an automatic inflatable buoy with 150N buoyancy, available in 2 cover colors: white and black. Its high price reflects the technical nature of the product for emergency rescue and the fact that it is reusable. Delivery within 6 to 8 days is also available on this product, depending on stock.

RESCUE BUOY ACCESSORIES

We also offer a range of essential accessories for your safety at sea. These include IOR Pole & Jet Lines such as the Plastimo personal inflatable IOR pole. These very compact accessories attach to your belt and activate manually if you fall overboard. The accessory kit includes a floating IOR pole and a signal light. This type of accessory kit serves as an emergency signalling aid. Sold in kit form, these products are affordable and in stock at Nautisports.

SELECTION OF LIFEBUOYS ON NAUTISPORTS

At nautisports, we've selected different types of lifebuoy to give you the widest possible choice. However, they are all top-quality rescue products. The price shown on the product page will be the final price. Free point-of-collection delivery is available on purchases of €150 or more, so don't hesitate to check out other products on our site. You can find all Plastimo products on the corresponding brand page, or by typing Plastimo in the search bar on our site.

Remember, a lifejacket is just as important as a lifebuoy. A lifejacket will save your life just as much as a buoy, especially an automatic one. Most lifejackets turn people over if they fall overboard. A lifebuoy, on the other hand, does not guarantee reversal if it's too late. Some lifebuoys can be used as a support to enable rollover. Pay close attention to current ISO and SOLAS standards for a lifejacket for safe navigation.