Naturehike 18L High Visible Safety Swim Buoy - Ultralight Bubble Tow Float and Dry Bag for Open Water Swimming Kayaking Snorkeling Diving Trailing with Adjustable Waist Belt

Based on comparison with other swimmers' buoys I saw at a lake swim this week, the Naturehike is larger and more sturdy. Theirs were losing air. This one seems very solid and airtight. I can't comment on durability since I just bought it a week ago, but the materials seem to be good quality. The air valve worked great when filling. (I used a small manual pump that came with an exercise ball, but because the input valve is one-direction, I assume you can inflate by blowing into it without any trouble.) There are similar buoys that sell for around $29 that are smaller, of inferior quality, with a less sturdy fill valve. Plenty of pics of women in bikinis using them, though! But that's not always the best indicator of quality or customer satisfaction, in my experience. As far as the dry bag feature - putting valuables inside and hoping they don't get wet, I'm afraid to try that with an $800 phone or my battery-powered car keys! I suggest getting a small perfectly watertight bag made for this purpose and putting that inside the buoy.

Really easy to use, of high quality. Felt safe because of bright orange color, visible to boats. Utility to carry car keys and valuables inside. Very comfortable, didn’t even feel it while swimming. Used it with snorkeling, so you just can’t dive but ok trade-off

As a beginner snorkeler living in Key West, I purchased this swim buoy for visibility to others while I'm in open water (along with an appropriate dive flag, very important). Key West is a busy place with lots of water traffic and jet ski tours running all day, everyday. I tried the buoy out today, and it works very well. The leash is short enough that it does not get tangled up with my legs while kicking and swimming. The material seems very durable, and the device was extremely easy to inflate and deflate. I did not notice any air leaks. The jetskis that blaze through sometimes tend to get a little too close or even clip into swimming areas, which make me a bit nervous while checking out a reef that I enjoy visiting. The color of this buoy is an extremely bright neon pink and this buoy gives me a bit more confidence and peace of mind in the water (in tandem with a dive flag). The handles are a nice touch to grab onto and rest if needed, and the buoy easily held me up above the water level. I didn't use the dry storage compartment to store any items during my snorkel outing today, but it seems to work well and is roomy. Only the tiniest bit of moisture was inside when I got home, so I would recommend a zip lock bag for any delicate items, and I wouldn't stuff too many items inside. However, I do also ocean kayak frequently and I think this will double as a great dry bag for my kayak trips! I'm very pleased with my purchase, and would absolutely recommend this product.

In the summer I swim about 25K a week open water and use this bouy when I want to carry kit. It is large and sturdy and the dry bag has space for hydration and food for longer swims with beach stops. The inflation valves are sturdy, easy to use and work well. This bag is good value for money as a larger sturdy bag. The only criticism I'd have is that the waist belt is narrow. I swapped mine out for a wider one from one of my retired bouys. Great product.

I used this in the ocean in Miami Beach Jan. 2022. After folding and locking it, I blew air in one of the valves and realized it has a check valve so that the air you blow in doesn't come out. That's a good thing to have. I tested it out in the water. It's good that it attaches to you by a nylon strap around the waist. It was able to fully support my weight and keep me fully afloat in the water. I weigh around 160 lbs. I held it various different ways. It keeps you afloat no matter if you are on your back or your front. The two hard plastic handles were a bit small; only my fingers could fit through. It wasn't a big deal. If you hold it vertically or horizontally, it will keep you afloat. It does not leak air very much. It may a little bit, but then just unscrew and blow into it again. Generally it doesn't leak air. After getting out of the water, I deflated it by unscrewing both screws all the way. I looked inside the dry bag area. It was a little moist. I got a little water on my hands, but there was not much water inside. I didn't use it to keep anything, but if I did, I would put it in Ziplock bags or some other type of water proof bag. It says it is not supposed to be a life saver, but I would consider this to be as good as a life saver to keep you afloat. This is a good product.

Very bright, easy to see, very sturdy. A bit larger than i was expecting. good value.

Great buoy! I do open water swimming in lakes but mostly ocean and this has been fantastic. Love that my phone and keys stay dry. Nice and bright for safety and belt is not noticeable while wearing. Holding up well so far.

Was looking for a tow float to use while snorkeling that also had a built in dry bag to hold stuff like keys/phone etc so I wouldn’t have to worry about leaving anything on the beach. Got two of these on sale. These are very large and have two air chambers. They have Boston valves which I really like as it only lets air in when inflating. Then when you want to deflate you undo the cap and check valve and air rushes out. I inflated both chambers and inserted a dry paper towel into the dry bag portion. Again the bag is quite large and you could fit a couple of iphones, car keys, a wallet and a rolled up towel. Although to be safe i would still put any electronics in a ziplock just in case. Rolled up and clipped the top and threw it into my pool overnight to test. I also dunked and submerged the bags. After about 12-14 hours I retrieved the bags. They had air in them and were floating but I would estimate they lost about 40-50% of their air volume overnight. I undid each bag and while there was some water in the portions that were rolled the inner bag with the paper towels was bone dry. So in conclusion I think these will be fine for a day of snorkeling or water sports and should keep your valuables dry (I would still take extra precaution of putting them in a ziplock then in the dry bag). A little disappointing that they still somehow lost so much air but it was over a long period of time and with two separate chambers that offers some piece of mind. Anyway I don’t think I would be snorkeling for 14 hours straight!