No Wake Buoy – Floating Pool Ring Toss Party Game

Your pool now has a speed limit! Bring a little unnecessary maritime regulation to your next pool party with the No Wake Buoy. Drop it in the water as a fun floating pool decoration, or print the optional rings and turn it into a floating ring toss game. The rings float too, so missed shots aren't headed to the bottom of the pool.   Toss from the deck, challenge someone from across the pool, move the buoy farther away between rounds, or invent your own rules. The floating target adds just enough movement to keep things interesting, and landing a ring is surprisingly satisfying.   The buoy is designed to float upright and stay stable in the water using a removable ballast compartment that screws into the bottom and acts as a keel. Fill it with whatever dense material you have around: gravel, small stones, sand, coins, nuts, washers, or similar items. Gravel works especially well. Keeping that weight below the buoy lowers its center of gravity and helps it stay upright as it bobs around the pool.   And this one is big. The full-size buoy is designed to take advantage of nearly the entire available build height of Bambu P, X, and A Series printers, giving it plenty of presence in the pool and making it a much more interesting target for the ring toss. An A1 Mini version is still in the works.   A single-color version is included for a simple print or for anyone who wants to paint their own. For the full effect, though, the buoy looks fantastic printed in white, orange, red, and black. The default multicolor profile is especially well suited to multi-nozzle or multi-toolhead machines such as the Bambu Lab H2C, Snapmaker U1, INDX, and similar systems.   The rings are completely optional. Print the buoy and you've got a ridiculous piece of floating pool décor. Print the rings and you've got a pool party game.   Either way, have fun and please observe all posted speed limits. Printing & Assembly The entire model is designed to print without supports, and assembly requires no glue, screws, magnets, or other hardware.   Before putting the buoy in the pool, fill the lower ballast compartment with your ballast material. You want enough weight to keep the center of gravity low and the buoy stable without loading it so heavily that it sits unnecessarily deep in the water. This also makes it easy to experiment with the amount of ballast until you're happy with how your buoy behaves.   Test prints were made in PLA, which works great for normal pool use. PETG is another good option, while ASA may be preferable if the buoy will spend extended periods outside in the sun and heat. The floating rings can also be printed in a softer material such as TPU for a more flexible, durable pool toy.   As with any 3D print intended for outdoor or water use, long-term durability and water resistance will depend on your filament, print settings, layer adhesion, and exposure to the elements.