Pool Noodles

[Mark McLeod]

2012

Originally Posted by Bill's Blog 5/30/12

I was asked if teams should purchase pool noodles for their 2013 robot bumpers now while pool supplies are more readily available, but I honestly can’t answer that question. The rules around robot bumpers will be released along with the Game Manual at Kickoff, so in the meantime, do what you think is best regarding stockpiling floatation devices for your robot.

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

I suspect the reason he isn't saying anything this year is because of the rethinking of the bumper rules that was mentioned at FRC Live this year.

GDC say what?

Very interesting I wonder what they are thinking about for next years game. I really loved back in the day with no bumper rules where the robots looked and sounded better. They are nice now as we have less damage to our machines and I'm sure FIRST has less field damage each year as well!

Hmmm...

[loyal]

If you can't find noodles at pool supply stores or walmart, check pool equipment warehouses. If they don't have them, they will generally give you leads to companies who sell pool noodles, allowing you to buy them in bulk and probably cheaper.

[Phyrxes]

We'll probably just buy another one of our every other year boxes of pool noodles and call it done. If the GDC throws us a curveball we can use them for SeaPERCH or something else.

[JonathanZur1836]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

Most of us don't live in southern California, Jonathan. Pool supply stores in north central Indiana probably do always have stock, but they're not open year round.

You're completely right, I apologize for not taking that into account.

[akoscielski3]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

Most of us don't live in southern California, Jonathan. Pool supply stores in north central Indiana probably do always have stock, but they're not open year round.

Trust me. Canada does not have pool stores open during the winter...
lol

[Foster]

Mark highlighted the wrong part of Billl's message, I fixed it.

Originally Posted by Bill's Blog 5/30/12
I was asked if teams should purchase pool noodles for their 2013 robot bumpers now while pool supplies are more readily available, but I honestly can’t answer that question. The rules around robot bumpers will be released along with the Game Manual at Kickoff, so in the meantime, do what you think is best regarding stockpiling floatation devices for your robot.

And that means the water game is ON!

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Foster

Mark highlighted the wrong part of Billl's message, I fixed it.



And that means the water game is ON!

I was going to say, that settles it. On-water game. (As opposed to Under-water game.) The pool noodles are there to help keep the robot upright.

[Camren]

Originally Posted by dag0620

I know our team purchased a bulk box of pool noodles a few years ago. We store them in our loft and just take from them when we build our bumpers of use them for nicer astetchic bumpers in the off-season. Although Bill can speculate back and forth, it's safe to assume bumpers are here to stay, in some way or form.

Bumpers also make good game pieces for driver tryouts

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by akoscielski3

This may be a good time to get pool noodles for next year, ...

Originally Posted by FrankJ

Anyway noodles are cheap. Buying them now is cheap insurance.

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

Pool supply stores in north central Indiana probably do always have stock, but they're not open year round.

Originally Posted by JohnBoucher

And for those that wait, AndyMark has them

AndyMark

For the reasons given above, I added a box of pool noodles to my latest AndyMark order. They were delivered today, and are now stashed in the garage of my team's lead marketing mentor, who is also our bumper designer. We are good to go for next season.

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by Foster

And that means the water game is ON!

Well, in the FRC Live presentation discussing game design, they DID have a member of the GDC on stage, and after she mentioned that the 2013 game was just about finalized, the stated very clearly and unequivocally:

Don't rule out a water bottle game.

Makes you think, eh?

[FRC BOTMOM]

Our local dollar tree has them in stock. last year they went on sale 2 for a dollar and I bought all they had for our team.

[Bill_B]

Make SURE you get the correct diameter noodles. Like everything else being sold these days, there are cut-rate dimensions in this product. You know like the 30 oz. mayonnaise jar instead of 32 oz.. or the non-half gallon ice cream containers. Don't let the first measurement of your noodled bumpers be at the tournament inspection station.

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by Bill_B

Make SURE you get the correct diameter noodles. Like everything else being sold these days, there are cut-rate dimensions in this product. You know like the 30 oz. mayonnaise jar instead of 32 oz.. or the non-half gallon ice cream containers. Don't let the first measurement of your noodled bumpers be at the tournament inspection station.

And if it is... don't yell at the inspector when you have to redo them.

[Steven Sigley]

Anyone thought about the possibility that we won't even NEED bumpers?

What if the game has the robots separated in partitions of the field.
Without robot against robot action, bumpers might not be required.

Just an idea.