One of the always interesting elements of an open water swimming competition is the size, shape, color and number of turn buoys used on a course.

The buoys are be merely directional in nature (intermediate or guide buoys) or obligatory changes in direction (turn buoys).

The buoys can be color-coordinated or a mix bag of yellows, reds, pinks and whites.

The buoys can be numbered, but in most cases they are not.

The buoys are distinctively shaped and can also be called cans or floats depending on where you are in the world. The various types of turn buoys include:

1. Triangular pyramid buoy or tetrahedron buoy
2. Cylindrical buoy (used either vertically or horizontally)
3. Sausage buoy or banana buoy
4. Spherical buoy
5. Salmon egg buoy
6. Custom buoy of a specific dimension, shape and color
7. Rectangular buoy

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