Thanks! I'd be happy to extend a 10% forum discount. Just email me at
chainline@babzusa.com and I'll set you up with a code. I have also done group buys for other forums in the past. I would be happy to set this up if there is interest for it.
I can't speak to other similar products and when this type of question is asked, the suits would tell me to regurgitate some kind of cookie cutter disclaimer. But I would 100% recommend BABz to be used against just about any dock. I’ll say our floating dock here on Lake Travis sits on a main channel and is covered in BABz (current model and some prototype testing). On the weekends it gets some pretty crazy wave action. We don’t use any other type of fender. Several years and just about any boat you can think of and they're doing just fine. Just need a cleaning every now and then to keep them looking good.
We have never had a BABz pop under normal use. We have had a few occurrences where one has deflated from the handle tearing. But all of these have been from them not being tied up properly. Each time the rope was tied in a way that created a ever tightening scenario with the handle. Eventually the rope created enough of a shearing effect where it cut. These were also under pretty extreme conditions. House boats during storms and what not.
When they are tied up properly, BABz are very hard to bust (see photo of handle below). The way
@haknslash has his Exile balls tied is one of our recommended methods under extreme conditions. The only difference is sometimes we like to have it hang directly on the line that is going from cleat to cleat instead of a separate line underneath. This allows the ball to move freely and readjust itself with movement. On a second line, if the boat moves in too close to the dock, sometimes the ball/line can dip down too far. Other recommended methods include using gear ties (you can find these at home depot or amazon). These are great to tie BABz up to other objects that aren't cleats, like towers or railing. These are also just awesome to have for all around boating use. Rubber coated carabiners are also good. Hook It Clips is a good small business for those. Of course you are welcome to tie them up however you like. These are just our recommendations for extreme conditions. For 90% of scenarios you won't have issues tying them up in whatever method you prefer.
All of that being said, anything that inflates like BABz do has the ability to pop. They are not indestructible. If you pull up to a dock lined with nails and pitchforks, BABz are not going to survive. But random dock splinter you find on most public docks aren't going to do anything. We are actually working on some "stress test" videos to really show off their durability. If you happen to find yourself tying up to a particularly shady dock, I would just recommend tying up a backup. This is what the house boat guys out on Lake Powell do. But again, I wouldn't say it's necessary by any means.
Also, this was my comment on a thread in a facebook Tige Owners group I was being summoned to. The thread was discussing several different types of fenders... “For the record I am the owner of BABz. I am obviously biased here. So I’ll try and keep my comments short. 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 actually have now). But I’m sure they are built just as well. 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. I’ll say BABz are much more heavy duty than a kids hopper ball. When you get one in your hands you will feel the difference. Feel free to contact me directly with any questions.”
Edit: This is actually an older photo. We have beefed up the design even further since then. We have some new comparison photos coming out soon.
. I think they do their new year announcements around August so won’t be too much longer. The boats are handmade with a lot of detail and care. Each stage requires a bunch of signatures and QA before it goes to the next stage on the line. They use some pretty cool materials in the construction of the boat. If you’re ever in the area for whatever reason I highly recommend stopping by the factory and taking a tour.
