Floating Disc Golf Discs — Which Ones Actually Float?
Water hazards are a part of disc golf that can test both your nerves and your wallet. Lakes, ponds, rivers, and even small ditches have swallowed more discs than anyone wants to admit. Watching your favorite driver hit the water and disappear is a bad feeling. The good news is, not all discs sink. A handful of plastics and molds are made to float — giving you at least a fighting chance of getting your disc back.
Why Most Discs Sink
Standard golf discs are dense. Plastics like Star, ESP, Neutron, and Champion cut through the air beautifully but have no chance of floating. Once they hit the surface, they go straight to the bottom. If there’s moss or mud under the water, that disc is gone for good.
To make a disc float, the manufacturer either makes it lighter, traps air inside the rim, or uses a buoyant material that resists sinking.
When Floating Discs Help — and When They Don’t
Floating discs aren’t always the best choice. If you’re throwing across a pond or lake, a floater can save you from losing a favorite mold. The disc will stay on the surface, giving you a chance to reach it with a retriever or wait for a light breeze to push it toward shore.
But in a small stream or moving water, a floating disc can backfire. A sinking disc might drop where you can reach down and grab it. A floating one could drift away before you get there, leaving you chasing it downriver. In that case, you might actually prefer something that sinks quickly and stays put.
Major Brands That Make Floating Discs
Innova
Innova has been making floaters longer than anyone.
Dragon – lightweight distance driver that always floats.
Wahoo – faster driver with the same buoyancy.
Hydra – putt and approach disc with a sealed air rim that guarantees flotation.
Blizzard Champion plastic – microbubble technology makes certain lightweights (under ~140g) float.
Shop Innova floating discs at Infinite Discs →
DGA
The Blowfly and Gumputt models are soft, flexible discs that float in water. Great for putts near hazards or casual rounds on soggy courses.
Dino Discs
Made for kids and newer players, these ultralight molds all float thanks to the buoyant Egg Shell plastic.
Allosaurus – understable, long-gliding distance driver.
Spinosaurus – overstable high-speed driver for bigger arms.
Discmania
The Mermaid from the Active line (made by Yikun) is a reliable floating fairway driver that feels and throws like a standard disc.
Yikun Discs
Their Swift plastic produces floatable molds like the Zhu and Rong. The Zhu is a fairway driver with Teebird-like stability and smooth glide.
Guru Disc Golf
From Norway, Guru’s Safety Line plastic creates light, floatable discs ideal for family play or courses with heavy water presence. Floating models include the Cumulus (straight putter), Contrail, and Cirrus.
AquaFlight Discs
Every disc in the AquaFlight line floats. Models like the Osprey, Pelican, and Dragonfly are built for water-heavy courses and casual rounds.
Lightning Discs
The original Lightning Discs from Texas used a standard plastic that floated across nearly all 25 molds. When production moved to Gateway, the plastic formula changed — new Lightning discs don’t float the same way. If you find an old Texas-made Lightning disc, that’s a true floating collectible.
Millennium
The Aquarious driver (spelled just like that) is Millennium’s floatable option, built in partnership with Innova.
SuperSonic Discs (Europe)
A newer brand out of Europe, SuperSonic makes an entire line of floating discs from a unique lightweight polymer. Every mold they produce floats — an impressive feat for a premium-feeling material. Learn more at SuperSonicDiscs.com →.
Other Floating Plastics
A few other technologies can make discs partially buoyant:
Dynamic Discs Air and Latitude 64 Opto/Gold Line Air – microbubble plastics; only the lightest runs float.
Aerobie Epic – old elliptical driver with naturally low-density plastic. Rare, but it floated surprisingly well.
Best Floating Discs by Category
Best Overall: Innova Dragon
Best Floating Putter: Innova Hydra
Best Midrange: AquaFlight Dragonfly
Best for Kids/Beginners: Dino Discs Allosaurus
Best High-Speed Option: Innova Wahoo or Millennium Aquarious
Most Innovative New Brand: SuperSonic Discs
Final Thoughts
Floating discs aren’t magic, but they do give you a second chance when water comes into play. For still ponds and lakes, they’re worth carrying. For streams or shallow moving water, be cautious — sometimes a sinking disc is easier to recover than one that floats away.
If you play near water often, it’s smart to keep one floating driver or putter in the bag. It might save you a lost disc — or at least spare you from wading into the muck.
