Smart Buoys

Our Smart Buoy technology is the result of years of development in the world’s most demanding fisheries. With the help of these dedicated fishers, we have built an integrated solution that offers real time connectivity on and off the water anywhere, anytime. Whether setting out to haul gear or looking back at the past season’s data, fishers trust Blue Ocean Gear to make their lives easier and more profitable.

Our core Farallon Smart Buoy is a depth-rated ruggedized hard plastic buoy designed to withstand the rigors of offshore fishing while transmitting in all conditions via Iridium satellite and radio. The buoy is small enough to be stored inside a crab or lobster pot, but durable enough to be bounced off the deck or whipped around by 20 foot Arctic seas.

  • Integrates seamlessly with a wide range of gear: from traps to longlines, gillnets and even FADs, attaching as a trailer buoy

  • No on/off switch, just an automatic sensor that turns the buoy on when it hits the water

Smart Charger

Our wireless Smart Charger offers a convenient, fishermen-specific design to quickly recharge our Smart Buoys on board.

  • Easily accommodates a rigged buoy

  • Battery lasts up to 6 months between charges depending on a customizable data frequency of once per day, or can last 2 weeks between charges at 15 minute data frequency

  • Charge time is 8 hours

PlotterLink

The PlotterLink transceiver allows easy integration with both hardware and software based plotters

  • Smart Buoy connectivity without any additional onboard internet

  • Compatible with wide range of plotters including Garmin, Furuno, Raymarine, Time Zero etc.

  • Communication via radio for last mile recovery

Buoy Bundles. Lead time one month. Need sooner? Phone us.

Our Products

Software

Integrated solution allows you to track and monitor your gear through your plotter, phone or PC.

Plotter Integration

Smart Buoy data is delivered directly to onboard plotters via onboard internet or our PlotterLink.

  • Compatible with software and hardware plotters

  • Displays latest buoy location along with velocity, track lines and historical positioning on a highly customizable basis depending on plotter

On Your Phone

Our Buoy Locator app provides an intuitive map as well as detailed coordinates and buoy status updates in the convenience of your phone.

  • Get customizable alerts if your buoy:

    • Moves outside of a designated radius

    • Resurfacing after a dive

    • Exits the water unexpectedly

  • Switch buoys into faster or slower timing modes

On your PC

Our BlueVue data portal provides a flexible and dynamic view of our user’s Smart Buoy networks.

  • Access buoy location and environmental conditions

  • Dig deeper into the patterns of your gear over longer historical periods

Captain Nate Perez

“On a big day, Smart Buoys save me 5 hours.”

Captain Paddy Daniels

“Knowing exactly when and where my buoy resurfaces saves me $5,000 per trip.”

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Battery life varies based on a number of factors including message frequency, ocean conditions and ambient temperature. We regularly achieve battery life in excess of 6 months for long-term deployments and find that even with the most frequent message rates monthly charging is more than enough.

  • We are officially rated to 400m and have seen even better results in actual use.

  • Data collected by our current Farallon Buoy includes lat/long coordinates, distance traveled, velocity, ambient water temperature and acceleration. We will be announcing several new features later this year.

  • No. Radio frequencies cannot transmit through water. Farallon buoys can gather and store data while submerged and then transmit that data when they surface.

  • No third parties can see your data without your permission. We may in certain circumstances use your data on an anonymized, aggregated basis. Please see our data privacy policy (link) for more details.

  • You can set up multiple user accounts within in your organization with customizable access to some or all of your buoys. You can also share data selectively with third parties (such as regulators, other vessels in your fleet, etc.)

  • Our technology works well with any onboard satellite internet system include Starlink. Our PlotterLink vessel transceiver will provides universal connectivity and will be available early next year.

  • We are currently selling buoys in North America, Western Europe and ANZAC and have a growing list of partners and distributors worldwide. For more information, you can visit our contact page.

  • All of our products comes standard with a one year warranty, protecting the buoy to depths up to 400m. If you experience any issue, you can contact us at support@blueoceangear.com or the phone number on our website.

How to set up your buoys

PlotterSync Guide: TZ Pro

We accept online orders to USA. We have a growing worldwide network of dealers.

Order online or by phone +1-415-729-9231. If you need an estimate to another country, click here and we will reply in 3-5 days with a delivery estimate. For a list of our worldwide dealers, click here.

Interested in 30 buoys or more? Ask us for volume discounts.

Want a product review? Ask us to connect you with of one of our customers.

Customer Reviews