Packaging material consisting of a two-dimensional array of thin-walled polyethylene bubbles attached to a sheet of similar material has been found to offer better vibration isolation for a Langmuir trough than commercial pneumatic spring isolators. Surface waves at the air-water interface were detected using a reflected laser beam. The resonant frequency of a mass supported by a single bubble has been evaluated for vertical motion and found to be in good agreement with experiment. The modes of vibration of an isolator consisting of a granite slab supported by a single sheet of bubble film have been analyzed and found to be in good agreement with experimental measurements made using an accelerometer and signal analyzer.