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Anyone have a good way to drop a buoy for race training when you don't have a boat?

Mainly I want to practice hitting laylines. There aren't any buoys in convenient spots. They're all either part of a busy channel or too far offshore.

It has to be fairly large so that it can be seen from several hundred meters away. Ive tried using crab pot buoys, but they're so low in the water that you lose them when you're more than 100m away

run a 3/4 pvc pipe, 3' or so, through a crabpot buoy, attach a couple pounds weight to bottom, a square of high visibility cloth to top. If too heavy or cumbersome, maybe use an inflateable pool toy.

https://www.amazon.com/Signal-Marker-In ... B00W69QCR8

Attach a weight to the fat end, and it will float vertically, a thin line to another SCUBA weight will anchor it

A variation of these were what we were using: http://www.etpracemarks.com/standard-ra ... ace-marks/

Edit: They are a bit of a PITA to deploy without a boat.

These are commonly available at marine stores. You can see an 18" one from hundreds of meters away.
To anchor it be sure to use some chain near the surface so it goes downward and you don't have any rope dangling around the surface.


CG

maybe a flag instead of a buoy? might be able to find a cheap dive flag somewhere

Flag is not a very good idea, because you will not see it properly from all positions.

Thanks for the ideas!

Those big orange bumpers are nice, but pricey.

I got a big beach ball and tied up some lines and an anchor to it, but never wound up using it because didn't think I'd be able to kite out with it.

I like the idea of a flag on a small buoy. I can go put it out on a clam day with a SUP and just leave it there. I think the angle of the flag should be OK to see it when coming at an angle upwind.

This ($13.99 for a dozen), some string, a pop bottle full of sand. Tape some rocks to the skinny end to make it stay upright, or funnel some sand into it before inflating if you prefer...

http://m.orientaltrading.com/giant-infl ... 49_74.fltr

Have a dozen of various buoys in my garage. That's a result of kiteracing in 2009-2015.
Most of them were custom made in Poland by WATS.com.pl

pyramid type:
http://www.wats.com.pl/boje_typu_piramida,p105.html

this is a result of our testing - training buoys:


http://www.wats.com.pl/boje_treningowe,p107.html
The weight was 4kg ish for a 20cm diameter and 150cm long pillar buoy. Price 60€ each.
The valve - the same as for SUP boards.

Additionally my buoys had straps to carry them on my back.

However the best for kiteracers according to our national team were buoys made of a kite strut bladder
The lightest ones and the easiest to carry.
Take a biggest strut bladder and put in an red, yellow or orange canopy. Attach 2kg weight to it which you carry by connecting it to the harness hook.
You might add a large flag to a top of the bladder too.