Yes Really, It Floats.
This year’s buzz of the tradeshow circuit was the Pool Buoy! Industry experts agree the Pool Buoy will make everyone’s life simpler as a great option for in-pool shade. The Pool Buoy was created by a couple in Texas, Jeremy & Erica Sloan, who wanted shade not just on the edge, not just on the ledge – but truly Shade On-Demand. With a genetic disposition to skin cancer, Erica prefers to be in the shade whenever possible but found the water a difficult place to stay social, while also out of direct sunlight. The options on the market just weren’t versatile enough. They seemed too permanent. When Jeremy realized that a circular Styrofoam with a proper counterweight underwater could keep an umbrella upright in water, they realized they were on to something big. And it is that simple concept that is the basis for the product today. The Pool Buoy is a floating tabletop that balances a 7 foot umbrella canopy and has five over-sized cupholders. Another important aspect of the product is that the Pool Buoy is light-weight, easy to assemble and disassemble and transport. This makes any pool, hot tub, hotel or boating adventure the perfect place to pop up your shade and relax.
When the product launched last May, they never dreamed the Pool Buoy would have been picked up by distribution networks so quickly, including PoolCorp. For retail stores, the Pool Buoy is that perfect FUN product for customers already coming in to pick up their regular chlorine—something eye catching with a little bit of an awe factor. Even builders agree the Pool Buoy is an inexpensive option when a family is looking for in-pool shade but is deterred by the price tag of the permanent options. The company also offers its customers the ability to put their logo on the umbrella for a small charge as a regular reminder of who the most awesome builder/store in town is for themselves and their friends.
Whether you are a new mom with an infant or want the skin protection for yourself, the Pool Buoy delivers shade exactly where you want it, when you want it.
{Guest Post submission by Erica Sloan, Pool Buoy and Shade Science}