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Impress your fellow divers with your knowledge of the Buoyage system. With a few aid-memoirs they are easy to remember.
Cardinal & Lateral Markers
The International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) Maritime Buoyage System replaces the 30 or so national or local systems that were in use prior to 1977. The system uses Lateral Marks, Cardinal Marks, Isolated Danger Marks and Special Marks.
Cardinal Marks of Europe
The cardinal marker system indicate where safe water lies, for example, the North cardinal marker is indicating that safe water is North of itself.
Note that the south cardinal marker has two arrows pointing down (south) and the North cardinal has two arrow pointing up (North). The arrows on the West cardinal buoy looks like a waist line (W waist, W West).
In every case the arrows also indicate where on the body of the buoy the black appears.
Lights
These markers are also contain lights and the sequence of lighting is similar to the clock face, i.e., 3, 6, 9, and 12 or continuous. To ensure that there is no confusion occurs between, east, west and south marks a long flash immediately follows the 6 flashes of the south mark.
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North
VQ or Q |
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West
VQ(9) 10s
or Q(9) 15s |
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East
VQ(3) 5s
or Q(3) 10s |
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South
VQ(6)+LFl 10s or
Q(6)+LFl 15s |
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Lateral Marks Europe
The lateral buoyage system is used worldwide to indicate the edges of a channel when entering harbour. Buoys or posts may be used. Top marks are optional.
When entering a UK harbour, keep the red to port and the green to starboard (note that this is reversed in some countries such as the USA and Japan.
The reverse is true, of course, when leaving port. .
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Port
(Lights = red, any rhythm) |
Starboard
(Lights = green, any rhythm) |
Other Marks
Isolated Danger Marks
 These will be pillar or spar. This designates an isolated danger of limited extent which has navigable water all around, e.g., isolated shoal, rock or reef. The top mark consist of two black spheres positioned vertically and clearly separated. Isolated danger marks are coloured black with one or more red horizontal bands. Light, when fitted is a white flashing light showing a group of two flashes. As an aid to memory associate two spheres with two flashes and note the "Dennis the Menace" (danger) colours.
Safe Water Marks
 They may be spherical, pillar or spar. They indicates that there is navigable water all around and under the mark, e.g., mid channel or landfall mark. The top mark consist of a single red sphere. Safe water marks are coloured white with one or more red vertical bands. Light, when fitted is a white light, isophase, occulting, or signal long flash. As an did to memory associate single sphere with a single flash and the note the "Red Cross" (safe) colours.
Special Marks
 These will be can, conical or spar. It indicate a special area or feature such as: traffic separation schemes, spoil ground marks or cable or pipe line marks including outfall pipes. Top mark, if any, will be a yellow cross. Light, when fitted is a yellow light and may be any rhythm other than those used for the white lights of cardinal, isolated danger and safe water marks.
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