Our Products

A UNIVERSAL SOLUTION

Our Smart Buoy based technology is the result of years of testing and 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 a course for the next piece of gear to haul or looking a summary of the past season’s data, fishers trust Blue Ocean Gear to make their lives easier and more profitable.

HARDWARE

Farallon Smart Buoy sitting on a lobster trap

Farallon Smart Buoys

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. It is small and light 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

Wireless smart charger

Smart Charger

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

  • Easily-mounted and accommodates a rigged buoy

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

  • Charge time is 8 hours


Blue Ocean Gear vessel transceiver product image

Coming Soon: PlotterLink, accepting pre-orders

Our proprietary two-way PlotterLink vessel transceiver is an optional component of our system that provides an additional layer of communications and data access flexibility

  • Access your buoy data on any plotter without internet or cell service

  • PlotterLink enables fleets the ability to easily share data for applications like gear conflict or shared gear mapping

  • Compact box that is easily mounted on a mast or cabin-top with a single power and data cable

Software

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

Buoy data on a TimeZero plotter

Plotter Integration

Smart Buoy data is delivered directly to onboard plotters via internet connectivity such as cellular or satellite internet. If you do not have internet, ask us bout 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

Buoy Locator app on an iPhone

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

BlueVue data portal shown on iMac

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

How to set up your buoys

Answers to common questions

FAQ

  • 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.