Pool noodle

Colorful pool noodles

A pool noodle is a cylindrical piece of polyethylene foam, sometimes hollow.^[1] Pool noodles are used by people of all ages while swimming.

Pool noodles are useful when learning to swim, for floating, for rescue reaching, in various forms of water play, and for aquatic exercise. The most common dimensions are about 160 centimetres (63 in) in length and 7 centimetres (2.8 in) in diameter. The pool noodle is also used for people who experience difficulties in swimming.

The pool noodle is often used to protect sharp edges and corners.

Types

The term "water woggle" derives from Koswell Holdings trademark Water Woggle, which was first marketed as a foam water toy in the 1980s.^[2]

The term "noodle" derives from Jakks Pacific's trademark FunNoodle water product, which was created as a foam tube water toy.

Canoodle ("connect a noodle") is the polypropylene (plastic) erector set manufactured in the US by Serranoventions.^[3]

A Noodleskin is a custom cover that is placed over a foam pool noodle which allows two pool noodles to be made into a floating seat.

Connectors

There are several pool noodle connectors on the market. One connector is a piece of pipe made out of foam, slightly larger than a pool noodle so that it can connect two pool noodles by encasing the end of each. The other connector is made of food grade polypropylene and manufactured in the USA.

This noodle connector comes in the form of an erector set that is screwed into the cavity or center of the foam noodle and attaches to a 6 sided noodle connector. This allows larger structures to be built from pool noodles. There exist at least two-, four- and six-hole foam connectors and a variety of polypropylene connector parts that enable users to build all types of structures and designs.

Other uses

Pool noodles are actually nearly identical to industrial and residential foam insulation for pipes, the only difference being the industrial use version of the technology is a denser foam and has a structural reinforcement outer layer. People have used pool noodles as cheaper versions of the industrial pipe insulation inside buildings at a substantial cost savings, as the industrial version is about twice to four times as expensive.

Live action role-playing games often use pool noodles as foam weapons. It is generally the least expensive form of construction available and very easy to make into a safe weapon, however, pool noodle foam is more prone to break down with extended use than other types of foam.

Modern martial artists occasionally use pool noodles as tameshigiri (test cutting) targets, in lieu of more expensive targets like meat or tatami omote mats.^[4]

FIRST Robotics Competition robots use the foam from pool noodles as a bumper to protect the robots from damage during collisions.^[5]

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pool noodle.

• Cavert, Chris; Sikes, Sam (1997). 50 Ways to Use Your Noodle. ISBN 0-9646541-1-3. 
• Cavert, Chris; Sikes, Sam (2002). 50 More Ways to Use Your Noodle. ISBN 0-9646541-5-6. 

References