Lake Swimming Guides · Roundup
Best Open Water Swim Buoys (2026)
Six tow floats, sorted by the only question that matters: do you need to carry something, or just to be seen?
The short answer
For most lake swimmers the New Wave Swim Buoy Drybag is the pick: two inflation chambers, a dry compartment big enough for a key and a towel, and published buoyancy and swimmer-weight figures in two sizes. If you carry nothing, the New Wave Swim Bubble is cheaper, tows lighter and floats more.
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| # | Product | Best for | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Top pick New Wave Swim Buoy Drybag The default open-water tow float in the US: a two-chamber buoy with a dry compartment, in two sizes keyed to swimmer weight. | Visibility plus dry storage | Tow float with dry compartment | |
| 2 |  Budget pick JOTO Swim Buoy 2 Pack Two hi-vis tow floats for less than the price of one brand-name buoy - the family answer, with the family caveats. | Two swimmers, one purchase | Tow float, no storage | |
| 3 |  Upgrade pick ZONE3 Swim Safety Buoy Dry Bag 28L A 28-liter recycled-polyester dry bag with dual air bladders built around it - the one you swim out to an island with. | Carrying a full kit bag | Tow float and dry bag | |
| 4 |  Also good New Wave Swim Bubble The same brand's float with the dry bag deleted: more published buoyancy, less drag, and nothing to pack. | Least drag, lowest fuss | Ultralight tow float, no storage | |
| 5 |  Also good Swim Secure Tow Float A plain two-chamber visibility float from a UK open-water specialist, and the maker is blunt that it gives no buoyancy while you swim. | Pure visibility, two chambers | Tow float, no storage | |
| 6 |  Also good ProCase Swim Buoy Float The pocket-money option: one neon float, one waist belt, and no claims it cannot back up. | Cheapest single float | Tow float, no storage |
The gear adults skip, and the one boats actually see
A family lake day has a predictable shopping list: life jackets for the children, goggles that fit, something on everybody's feet. The adult who swims out past the swim line usually buys nothing, because nothing in the list is for them. A tow float is that missing item, and it costs less than a pair of goggles.
The problem it solves is specific and it is not drowning. It is that a swimmer's head is roughly the size of a grapefruit, sits at water level, and is the color of the water for nine strokes out of ten. A bright orange float riding a foot behind that head is visible from a boat, a jet ski and a dock at distances where the swimmer is not. On a lake with any boat traffic at all, that is the entire argument.
The second thing a float does is more mundane and it is why most people finally buy one: it carries the car key. A swimmer who can take a key, a phone, a towel and a dry shirt across a lake does not have to leave them on a beach or ask somebody to watch them. That is the whole difference between a bare visibility float and one with a dry compartment, and it is worth working out which of the two you need before you shop.
How we picked these six
We have not towed all six of these across a lake and will not pretend otherwise. What we did do is check that every one is currently sold and in stock as this page was written, read every published spec the maker provides, and note where no spec exists at all - because in this category the absence of a number is the most useful fact about a product.
That absence is the pattern worth knowing before you shop. There is no safety certification for a swim tow float, no standard test, and no requirement to publish a buoyancy figure. Two brands here publish one; the other four do not. We have put that difference in the spec table rather than smoothing it over, and we have not invented a figure for any float whose maker does not state one.
The seven things that decide which float to buy
- Color, and only three of them work. Fluorescent orange, neon yellow and fluo green read as high-visibility against water in every light. Pink loses badly in flat evening light, and clear or pale blue floats are nearly pointless. If you buy only on one spec, buy on this one.
- One chamber or two. A two-chamber float survives a puncture mid-swim with half its air; a single-chamber float does not. The New Wave drybag model and the Swim Secure float are the two-chamber options here, and the gap in price between them and a single-chamber float is a few dollars.
- Whether the maker publishes a buoyancy figure. New Wave states 20 lb for the 15 L drybag, 33 lb for the 20 L and 26.5 lb for the Bubble. ZONE3, Swim Secure, JOTO and ProCase publish nothing. A float with no stated buoyancy is a visibility marker, which is a legitimate thing to buy - just buy it knowing that.
- Swimmer weight, not cargo volume. New Wave's own sizing advice is by swimmer: under 190 lb takes the 15 L, over 190 lb takes the 20 L or the Bubble. People size these by how much they want to carry and get it backwards.
- Dry storage, and how dry it really is. A "dry bag" on a swim buoy keeps a towel dry and a phone mostly dry. New Wave's own FAQ says water will likely get in and recommends putting a phone in a plastic bag first. Treat the compartment as water-resistant and put anything electronic in its own sealed pouch.
- The belt and the leash. The belt has to fit the person wearing it - Swim Secure is the only float here that publishes a range (23 to 42 inches), which is exactly the figure a larger adult or a lanky teenager needs. The leash has to be long enough to keep the float out of your stroke and short enough that it does not wander into a boat lane.
- Drag, which is real. An empty float you stop noticing in a hundred yards. A 28-liter bag loaded with wet towels you notice the whole way. Buy the smallest float that carries what you actually carry.
New Wave Swim Buoy Drybag
The default open-water tow float in the US: a two-chamber buoy with a dry compartment, in two sizes keyed to swimmer weight.
Specifications
- Type
- Tow float with dry compartment
- Capacity
- 15 L (medium) or 20 L (large)
- Buoyancy
- 20 lb (15 L) / 33 lb (20 L), per maker
- Swimmer weight
- Up to 190 lb (15 L), 250 lb (20 L)
- Material
- PVC, or nylon TPU at a higher price
- Worn
- Adjustable waist belt with leash
What works
- Two inflation chambers, so a single puncture does not end the swim
- The dry compartment is the reason to buy this over a plain float - keys, a towel, shoes and a shirt all fit in the 15 L
- The maker publishes buoyancy and swimmer-weight figures for both sizes, which most buoys at this price do not
- The inflation chambers are separate from the storage compartment, so opening the bag does not deflate the float
- Sold in fluorescent orange, yellow, pink and green - all four read as high-visibility from a boat
What doesn’t
- The dry bag is water-resistant, not submersible: the maker's own FAQ says water will likely get in and recommends bagging a phone separately
- Buy by swimmer weight, not by how much you want to carry - a swimmer over 190 lb needs the 20 L
- PVC scuffs on docks and gravel, and a scuffed seam is where a slow leak starts
- Any tow float adds drag, and a loaded 15 L adds noticeably more than an empty one
Who it’s for
Anyone swimming any distance from shore who also has to carry a car key, a phone and dry clothes.
Bottom line
The one to buy if you want both jobs done. Size it by your weight, and keep electronics in their own sealed pouch inside it.
JOTO Swim Buoy 2 Pack
Two hi-vis tow floats for less than the price of one brand-name buoy - the family answer, with the family caveats.
Specifications
- Type
- Tow float, no storage
- Pack
- 2 floats (neon yellow and orange)
- Worn
- Adjustable waist belt
- Buoyancy
- Not published by the maker
What works
- Two floats means a parent and a swimmer are both visible, which is the actual safety gain on a lake
- The cheapest way to put a float on every swimmer in a household
- Two colors in the pack, so you can tell your swimmers apart from shore
- Light and small enough that both live in the swim bag permanently
What doesn’t
- JOTO publishes no buoyancy figure, no material spec and no belt range - treat it as a visibility marker only
- An Amazon-native brand with no open-water track record behind it, unlike New Wave or Swim Secure
- Single-chamber construction at this price, so a puncture ends that float's season
- No dry storage, and nothing on it to clip a key to
Who it’s for
Families outfitting two or three swimmers who need to be seen in a busy lake, not to carry gear.
Bottom line
Buy it for coverage, not for specs. Two visible swimmers beats one well-specified float in a boat channel.
ZONE3 Swim Safety Buoy Dry Bag 28L
A 28-liter recycled-polyester dry bag with dual air bladders built around it - the one you swim out to an island with.
Specifications
- Type
- Tow float and dry bag
- Capacity
- 28 L
- Fabric
- 100% recycled polyester
- Chambers
- Dual air bladders around the compartment
- Worn
- Adjustable dual belt with leash
- Deflated size
- 72 x 37 cm
What works
- 28 liters is a genuine kit bag - towels, shoes and clothes for two people on a point-to-point swim
- Dual bladders inflate around the storage compartment, so the load sits inside the flotation rather than on top of it
- The leash is set to keep the bag out of your stroke range, which cheap floats get wrong
- Reflective logos, a hi-vis orange or pink shell, and a 12-month warranty from an established swim brand
What doesn’t
- The most expensive float here by a wide margin, and the largest to tow
- ZONE3 does not publish a buoyancy figure for it, so there is no number to compare against New Wave's
- A 28 L bag loaded with wet kit is a lot of drag for a short lake crossing
- The LED version is a separate, dearer product - this one has reflective logos only, which do nothing in the dark
Who it’s for
Point-to-point swimmers, swimrun, and anyone who has to carry everything across a lake rather than back to the same dock.
Bottom line
Buy it for capacity and brand support, not for buoyancy numbers. Overkill for a swim that starts and ends at the same dock.
New Wave Swim Bubble
The same brand's float with the dry bag deleted: more published buoyancy, less drag, and nothing to pack.
Specifications
- Type
- Ultralight tow float, no storage
- Buoyancy
- 26.5 lb (12 kg), per maker
- Swimmer weight
- Up to 250 lb, per maker
- Material
- PVC
- Worn
- Adjustable waist belt with leash
What works
- More published buoyancy than the 15 L drybag model, at a lower price
- Nothing to load means nothing to forget, and the lightest tow of the floats here
- Rated by the maker for swimmers up to 250 lb, so it covers most adults
- Packs down to a pocket, which is what gets it taken on vacation
What doesn’t
- No storage at all - if you need to carry a key or a phone, this is the wrong model
- Marketed as the brand's ultralight float, so there is no second chamber to fall back on
- Thin PVC wants looking after; this is not the float to drag over a gravel ramp
- Still not a life jacket, and no tow float on this page is approved as one
Who it’s for
Confident swimmers who want to be seen and nothing else, and families buying a float for a teenager.
Bottom line
The cheapest sensible way to be visible in open water. Choose the drybag version only if you actually need the bag.
Swim Secure Tow Float
A plain two-chamber visibility float from a UK open-water specialist, and the maker is blunt that it gives no buoyancy while you swim.
Specifications
- Type
- Tow float, no storage
- Chambers
- Two, with a one-way valve
- Material
- PVC
- Belt
- Adjustable, 23-42 in (58-108 cm)
- Deflated size
- 41 x 32 cm
What works
- Two separate chambers at a lower price than any other dual-chamber float here
- A published belt range (23-42 in) is the only honest way to know it will fit a teenager or a larger adult
- A short leash keeps the float behind your hip instead of under your arm
- Swim Secure states plainly that it is not a buoyancy aid - rare, useful honesty in this category
What doesn’t
- No dry storage whatsoever
- Swim Secure's own wording is that the float 'does not give any buoyancy whilst swimming', so do not plan to rest on it
- Orange or pink only, and pink is the less visible of the two in flat evening light
- A UK brand, so US stock comes and goes and the price moves with it
Who it’s for
Swimmers who want a second chamber for redundancy and have no interest in carrying anything.
Bottom line
A good plain float with an unusually honest spec sheet. Read its own warning before you treat any float as a rest stop.
ProCase Swim Buoy Float
The pocket-money option: one neon float, one waist belt, and no claims it cannot back up.
Specifications
- Type
- Tow float, no storage
- Material
- PVC, per the listing
- Worn
- Adjustable waist belt
- Buoyancy
- Not published by the maker
What works
- The lowest price at which a swimmer can be properly visible in open water
- Neon yellow is the most visible color on the water in flat light
- Deflates to nothing, so it travels in a carry-on without a thought
- Cheap enough to replace rather than patch
What doesn’t
- No published buoyancy, and retailer listings disagree with each other on belt range and load
- No maker spec sheet exists to check anything against
- Single chamber, thin film, no dry storage
- Nothing here that a family with two swimmers could not get better from a two-pack
Who it’s for
A swimmer trying a tow float for the first time who does not want to spend on one.
Bottom line
A legitimate starter float. If it earns its place in the swim bag, replace it with a two-chamber buoy next season.
Dry bag or no dry bag: pick this first
Everything else on the spec sheet is secondary to this one decision, so make it before you compare anything. A float with storage costs more, tows heavier and gives you somewhere to put the car key. A float without storage is cheaper, floats more for the same money and has nothing to forget.
The useful test is where your swim starts and ends. If you walk down to the water with a towel and walk back up to the same spot, you do not need storage - you need to be seen, and a Bubble or a two-pack does that for less. If you swim point to point, swim from a boat, or swim at a lake where leaving a key on a towel is asking for trouble, the drybag model earns its extra money the first time out.
One real-world note on capacity. A 15-liter compartment swallows a towel, a t-shirt, flip flops, a phone and a key with room left. The 28-liter ZONE3 is a different category of object: it is for carrying two people's clothes across a lake, and it tows like it. Most swimmers who buy 28 liters use about 10 of them.
Fitting and towing a float so it actually works
- Inflate it firm, not hard. A float you can press a thumb into has lost air; a drum-tight float in hot sun stresses its seams. Top it up at the water rather than in a hot car.
- Belt on the waist, buckle at the front, float behind the hip. Worn high on the ribs the leash drags under your arm every stroke. Worn at the waist the float sits in your wake and you stop feeling it.
- Check the leash length on dry land. It should trail the float clear of your feet on the recovery. Too long and the float swings wide into boat water; too short and it slaps your legs.
- Bag anything electronic separately. A sandwich bag inside the dry compartment is the difference between a damp phone and a dead one, and it is what New Wave itself recommends.
- Swim the first hundred yards along the shore. That is when a leaking chamber, a loose belt or a badly set leash shows up, and it is the one stretch where you can simply stand up.
Open water with children: what a float does not fix
A tow float makes a competent adult swimmer visible. It does nothing at all for a child who is not a strong swimmer, and it is not approved to hold anybody up. Children swimming anywhere beyond standing depth belong in an approved life jacket, which is a different purchase with a different legal status - our best kids' life jackets roundup covers sizing by weight, and lake swimming safety covers the rest of the rules a lakefront lodge will hold you to.
Where a float does help a family is on the parent side. The adult swimming alongside a child in a life jacket is the one person on the water with no visibility gear at all, and a float on that adult is what a boat sees first. If you buy one float for a household, buy it for whoever swims furthest from shore.
The other honest caveat is water temperature. A float does not keep you warm, and cold water, not boat traffic, is what ends most open-water swims badly. In a lake under roughly 65F an adult wants neoprene before they want anything else; for children, our best wetsuits for kids page covers where that line sits by age and thickness.
Care, patching and what kills a float
Floats fail in three ways and all of them are avoidable. Seams go on floats that have been dragged over gravel ramps and dock edges - carry it to the water instead of towing it across the beach. Valves go on floats stored inflated in a hot garage, so deflate before storage and leave the valve open. And films go brittle on floats left in full sun all summer, which is what a dark garage shelf is for.
Rinse the whole thing in fresh water after a lake swim, including the belt webbing, and dry it before it goes away. Lake silt in a valve is what makes a float that will not hold pressure next June. A vinyl repair patch costs a dollar or two and works on PVC floats, which is most of this list - but a patched chamber on a single-chamber float is not something to rely on at distance.
If you are building a lake kit from nothing, the float is one of the cheapest items on it and one of the few that changes your margin for error rather than your comfort. Our family swim gear budget works out the order to buy in, and the lake day packing list is what ends up in the bag alongside it.
What to buy alongside it
Open water asks for different gear than a pool does, and the float is only one piece. Goggles with a wide peripheral view and a mirrored or smoke lens make sighting across a lake possible at all - that is the whole subject of best swim goggles for open water. A bright silicone cap does double duty as warmth and as a second visible marker, which is covered in best adult swim caps.
On your feet, the entry matters more than the swim: most lake shores are rock, gravel or mussel shell for the first ten yards. A closed-toe water shoe handles that, and if standard sizing has never fit you, best water shoes for wide feet covers the designs that work on a broad foot. Swimmers who get water up the nose on every breath should also read best nose clips for swimming - a clip costing a few dollars fixes a problem people assume is just part of swimming.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do swim buoys actually keep you afloat?
What size swim buoy do I need?
Is a tow float dry bag really waterproof?
What color swim buoy is most visible?
Do I need a tow float on a lake with no boats?
Can a child use a swim buoy?
Sources
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