Athletes that have never swam outside of lane lines will gain extra security by having the flotation support of the swim buoy within arm's reach, especially if they don't pace themselves or panic because when they can't touch the bottom. Swim buoy is also for people that swim in high boat traffic areas to increase their visibility to boats. Thirdly, on long distance swims, swimmers can bring nutrition, cell phone & valuables in the dry bag portion of the buoy.
