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Thread: Fenders

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
    Posts
    1,372

    Default

    I use the small hoppy balls, they're still really big.
    2018 Supra SA400 aka The Ron Burgandy
    2011 Sea-Doo Wake 155
    2015 Mojo Surf, sold...2013 Axis A22 Recon Edition, sold...2010 Axis A22, sold...2007 Maxum 1800sr3, sold

  2. #12
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Posts
    4,920

    Default

    Received my Exile Buoy balls today, slight issue with one, but Exile Audio customer service is OUTSTANDING and more than took care of it.




    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    2021 Supra SA 400
    2018 Supra SA 400 (SOLD)
    Michigan

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Wake Forest, NC
    Posts
    875

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    This season I’ve switched to these:

    Jolly Pets 10-Inch Tug-n-Toss, Blueberry https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001C4CHX6..._UUufDbFYP1TTB

    Smaller and easier to stow. I glued a vacuum cap into the hole so they don’t collapse.
    2018 Murder Max
    2008 Outback V-Bought new; sold in 2018

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Posts
    3

    Default

    Hey guys! I'm the owner of BABz Boat Fenders here in Austin, TX. I try to make myself available to all the forums by periodically scanning the interwebs for activity. Today that led me here! I'm not here to push product. I'm simply here to answer any questions you might have about BABz.

    First off, we have just released our Version 2 variant of BABz. These offer some pretty awesome improvements over the previous model. We just shipped out all preorders on Friday. So these should be seen hitting the water starting this week.

    I will go ahead and touch on the comparison to the children's hippity hop balls as it's something we hear often. These are 100% where BABz were born from. Long ago I used the Disney Princess balls to tie up in the cove. The worked ok. But I soon became obsessed with boat fenders. I just couldn't believe there wasn't a better option out there for our wake boats. After being extremely dissatisfied with the current offerings, I decided to start BABz and create an inflatable ball style bumper that could not only serve the purpose of the Disney hopper balls, but also act as a full on replacement to traditional fenders. I could write a lot of info on this subject. But the short version is they have a very similar exterior shape and features of the kids hopper balls. We are actually already working on our Version 3 variant that will have some new exterior design elements. But the honest truth is there just aren't many ways to redesign a ball. However, the exterior shape is where the similarities stop. We are constantly tweaking the plastic blend and other features to make BABz the best fenders on the market. Many features we work on like the plastic blend or UV coating are hard to see. But other features are more noticeable. The easiest way to see the difference is having one in your hands. They are much more durable than any competitor out there. The standard kids hopper balls you find on Amazon or toy stores aren't even close. I really try not to bring the Exile balls up on the forums as they make a fine product that suits many customers. But since they are specifically being mentioned, I will say that the photo below is of a handle of a BABz and Exile ball. Again, they work great for many people. But BABz are much more durable and probably more importantly, considerably larger. On that same note, many boaters still use the kids hopper balls! They can work great for tying up in a calm cove. As I said before, I used them for many years. But I would never trust a 100k+ boat to them in just about any except the calmest of conditions.

    With the release of our Version 2 line, we're working on a comparison video of several different fender products. This will include cross sections like in the photo below. I think this will really shed some light on the hopper ball issue. Until then, if you're on the fence, I would invite you to order a single BABz on Amazon and see for yourself. We've done away with the package discount. So you aren't missing out on any price breaks by ordering 1 or 10. We've also started to roll out our dealer program. So these will also be in many dealers around the country in the very near future. So hopefully you will be able to go check these out locally very soon.

    Attached are two photos. One is the handle cross section I referred to earlier. The other is a post on wake world awhile back where someone compared the BABz and the Exile balls.

    Again, I'm not here to push product. I'm here to answer questions or concerns about not only BABz, but just about anything on fenders! I've pretty much tested them all!

    -Caleb







    EDIT: As far as the Mission Fenders go, this was my response on a facebook post awhile back asking about the same comparison between BABz, the Mission fenders, and traditional Taylor Made fenders...

    "Mission is a fine company. I’ve owned both their Delta wake shaper and their large inflatable mat. Both are well built products. I have not seen their fenders in person (I have now). But I’m sure they are built just as well (they are). That being said, on my boat I want separation from whatever I’m tied to. Those and the other pad style just don’t do it for me. In calm conditions they will work great. But when the rollers come in I just don’t trust them. They also aren’t the best at contouring to different hulls. For me a ball style just works better. The Taylor Made traditional style commercial fenders are extremely heavy duty. They are nearly impossible to damage. But they WILL eventually scratch your boat’s gel coat. Usually sooner than later. It’s why a lot of people run the cloth/nylon sleeves over them. But those too will start scratching when they get dirty. The sleeves will work, you just have to make sure they stay very clean. When I see these tied up at public docks where they’ve been beat up for years without cleaning and people have their brand new 100k+ wake boats tied up, I legitimately get the shivers. Those are my quick thoughts..."
    Last edited by BABzUSA; 08-12-2019 at 08:38 PM.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Posts
    4,920

    Default Fenders

    Soooooooo you are sure you are not pushing products???

    That was like a 30 minute infomercial.....
    Lol


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    2021 Supra SA 400
    2018 Supra SA 400 (SOLD)
    Michigan

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
    Posts
    1,372

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by larry_arizona View Post
    Soooooooo you are sure you are not pushing products???

    That was like a 30 minute infomercial.....
    Lol


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Didn't even give a discount code for a few bucks off a $40 dollar hoppy ball. Lol
    2018 Supra SA400 aka The Ron Burgandy
    2011 Sea-Doo Wake 155
    2015 Mojo Surf, sold...2013 Axis A22 Recon Edition, sold...2010 Axis A22, sold...2007 Maxum 1800sr3, sold

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Posts
    3

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by larry_arizona View Post
    Soooooooo you are sure you are not pushing products???

    That was like a 30 minute infomercial.....
    Lol


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Sorry! Truly didn’t mean to come off that way! Was just trying to share information. Didn’t realize I’d typed a small novel until I looked back just now.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Posts
    311

    Default

    I am certainly not mad about what he posted. It was informational and helpful. Its great to know more about the products we order. I was an early adopter of BabZ and they work great. We used the to tie up multiple boats on the lake at the sand bar. They offer maximum spacing which is what is needed.
    2019 Mondo

  9. #19
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Posts
    4,920

    Default

    I don’t think anyone was mad, I just thought it was funny that he wasn’t trying to sell any bumpers......lol


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    2021 Supra SA 400
    2018 Supra SA 400 (SOLD)
    Michigan

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Posts
    947

    Default

    Holy crap those Babz balls are huge. I've never needed bigger than the Exiles I have. Keep me as far off the dock as I need to be, and the sandbar we hang at gets some rollers and I've never had an issue with boats touching, aside from having to remove boards from same-side racks to keep them from banging together.
    2019 Supra SL450

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