Patent ID: 8425156

Claim:
An underwater buoy having modular members and configured to suspend a tubular duct between a seabed and a surface, said buoy comprising: a frame having a longitudinal hollow body configured to receive said extended tubular duct, a plurality of said modular members, each modular member of the plurality of modular members forming a float configured to be replaceably mounted in and to be removable from said frame, each said modular member extending longitudinally between a first modular member end and a second modular member end opposite the first modular member end; retaining devices mounted radially on said hollow body and configured to hold each said modular member substantially parallel to said hollow body, and said modular members being arrayed around said hollow body; said retaining devices comprise two opposing retaining structures spaced longitudinally from each other on said hollow body, each retaining structure of said two opposing retaining structures comprising a plurality of receiving areas, each receiving area comprising a branch having a longitudinal extent oriented in a radial direction and positioned directly over or directly under the first modular member end or the second modular member end so as to receive and to trap the first or the second modular member end; said retaining structures being held in fixed positions relative to each other, such that said receiving areas of said retaining structures face each other and are spaced apart to trap at least one said modular member when said opposite ends of said at least one modular member are engaged in respective facing said receiving areas.