Waterproof MP3 players for swimming

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  • I will say though, as a guy with tinnitus, and hearing loss... I blast it too... and yet I can't not tell you ... the ringing in my ears I wear as a "badge of honor" that I would rather not have!
  • swimdailyswimdaily Member
    edited May 2014
    The way I envision using this is that I have file folders in the memory. Each folder has a (at least a) playlist that facilitates a different workout. When I'm doing sprint work, I want short hard pulsing heart racing, thumpin', humpin' music! Hot Rod Honeymoon, My Thing, Earth Quake, Rollin' and Tumblin' and lots of other Jeff Beck.
    I have a waterproofed IPod shuffle. I keep only about 4 playlists on it at a time because I flip between playlists based on what I need for a set. The ipod "speaks" the playlist number so I just have to remember which one is which. works ok for me.

    I would like to hear MORE suggestions of good pushed tempo music. Apparently my taste in music is all "forever pace" music and I need to push it and get more uncomfortable.
  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member
    @TimDex, the problem with headphones is they will only work if they are fully seated in your ears. Any water gets btwn your ear drum and the headphone, you'll be listening to music that sounds like it's coming through a paper towel roll.

    I went through a pair years ago which drove me batty. That's why I went to the bone conduction model.

    @Dredpiraterobts, your plan sounds good, although I've not worried about folders. Not sure how easy it would be to change among multiple folders.

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • edited May 2014
    Swimdaily,

    Be glad to help. What era are you interested in? The oldies are usually 2:30 which was the AM radio standard, You can't go wrong with The Ventures Wipeout But the distance that you're matching it with is sort of odd; 250M?
    Like wise Pipeline keeping with the California idiom.
    I feel Good James Brown gets me swimming on top of the water.
    Born In Chicago

    @ 3Mins, it's out of the sync (or swim) But I swim with a swagger when I play Electric Blues.
    You'll be the hippest cat in the water with this fueling your motorboat Fire by Jimi Hendrix.

    As we get into the age of FM radio the songs get longer, but Smokin by Boston Humps up a rhythm that's a challenges to keep up with.
    Like Brit Music? Paint it BlackRolling Stones.
    If the river was Whiskey, and I was a diving duck Rollin n' tumblin' Jeff Beck
    You warmed up yet? Here's 3:30 minutes of hot
    What Mama Said It truly is a Mad Mad Mad Mad World.
    And if you like Led Zepplin then you have to hear Beck's Bolero with Keith Moon on drums.

    I could go on for hours, but I have to get to work.
  • Dredpiraterobts,
    THANK YOU--some great suggestions that took me in some different directions with my tempo swim play list.

    And I thought I had the best username--but dredpiraterobts beats them all!
  • What are the main reasons you guys wouldn’t recommend listening to music during an OW competition? I have a Neptune Finis and it allows you to hear what’s going on around. I am swimming my first 5k on Saturday and continue to debate back and forth on whether I should use it or not. The competition allows the use of mp3 players.
  • wendyv34wendyv34 Vashon, WASenior Member
    Most competitions don't allow them for safety reasons. I guess if the race allows them and yours allows you to hear (whistle, horn, boat engine, lifeguard yelling, etc.) adequately, it would be a matter of personal preference.

    I like to be able to hear what's going on around me during a race, (arms splashing and breathing?) so I don't think I'd ever opt use one. Music tends to help me zone out, which is the last thing I need during a race. I have to concentrate during a race, especially if I end up swimming alone, because my natural tendency would be to slow down to a comfortable pace.

    Good luck with your 5K!

    It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.

  • dc_in_sfdc_in_sf San FranciscoCharter Member
    zorritone wrote:
    What are the main reasons you guys wouldn’t recommend listening to music during an OW competition?

    A lot of events won't allow them, so apart from safety concerns etcetera is probably better to get used to not swimming with one, rather than becoming dependent on it.

    Other than that, if it is your first 5k you will probably have enough other things to deal with that getting rid of one superfluous bit of gear is probably not a bad idea.

    Enjoy the event!

    http://notdrowningswimming.com - open water adventures of a very ordinary swimmer

  • danswimsdanswims Portland, ORMember
    Wouldn't consider music because being in the moment and the full experience of the swim is the whole point for me.

    Have fun!
  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member
    @zorritone, I use them occasionally in practice, but would never use them in open water even if the race organizers allow it. Too many things could go wrong. You could miss out someone trying to get your attention for safety reasons (I have a Neptune also, so I understand what you mean about still being able to hear).

    An mp3 player in a race is just another piece of equipment to go wrong. And the way the Neptune fits on the back of your goggles, if you have to adjust your goggles more than you can do by simply flipping on your back, then you've got that heavy contraption making things difficult.

    Finally, I like being alone with my thoughts, which is probably why my Neptune hasn't seen the light of day for a long time. I wrote two masters theses while swimming. I've solved many of the world's problems, or at least family/life problems, while swimming. It is kind of nice.

    And, I've got my own rocking soundtrack going through my head when I swim. That's music enough for me.

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • I have been using a waterproofed shuffle for audiobooks during training. I usually get a pretty good ear seal. Have previously used the swiMP3, but had trouble with audiobooks. Is the Neptune any better? I find I don't hear boats well even without the earbuds but my open water (10 meters off my back door) has little to no boat traffic during the weekdays (watermen laying crab traps) and I pull the International Swimmers Hall of Fame Buoy for visibility and solo swimming safety, but would agree that I'm taking a risk with earbuds)
  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    edited June 2014
    I wouldn't use an MP3 player in open water, even if they were allowed, even if they were so small and convenient that I could implant them in my ears.

    One of the joys of open water swimming is getting away from the world and its electronically produced noises. The sound of water sloshing around me is inherently beautiful, and is all I need or want while swimming.

    Also I want to hear the boat prop before it gets to me first.
    swimmer25k
  • Thanks for the inputs and good wishes. Will keep em in mind to make a final call. Saludos! :)
  • wendyv34wendyv34 Vashon, WASenior Member
    I LOVE that sloshing sound!

    Glub, glub glub.....

    It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.

  • MoosieMoosie Member
    I use the SwimP3's alot. I had 2 1 gig ones and the newer 2 gig ones. The Neptune replaces them now. I had issues with them having one side go out and the help desk helped a lot. They gave me the option to replace or get the newer one at a discount. The back and forth with IT took a while but in the end it worked out.

    I never thought about putting them "behind" the ear. I might have to give that a try.

    I used water proof cases before and the Bud's came off 2 times in my ear because I jammed them in and had to have someone dig it out with a bent paper clip. I know, don't push it so far in but it happens ;)

    All in all I'm pretty happy with the SwimP3's/
  • DaveypDaveyp Member
    The best one out there by far at the moment is the new FX-Sport VR1 model. What dredpiraterobts mentioned about uploading programmes is exactly what these can do - but better. If you uploaded a normal mp3 file, you would be stuck listening only to that file - no music. With the VR1 the messages play at the designated times, but return you to your music.
    Also the way it is waterproofed is by using a silicone case. This may seem like a backward step - why not have the device itself fully waterproof? Reason is that then the speakers have to be waterproof and the music quality is always tinny. The VR1 actually gives good bass [and volume] because the speakers don't have to be fully waterproof. You wear it with a swim cap they provide. It simply works and does so very well. The programmes are such a great idea and it has basically completely changed by swimming and how I perceive my training sessions. A real game changer.
  • kejoycekejoyce New EnglandSenior Member

    A friend is taking swimming lessons (yay!) And had asked me my opinion on waterproof mp3 players. I prefer the sound of the water and the quiet time to think in my own head, so I have no input other than the one I bought in the early 2000s was crap.

    The last post here is from 2014, so I expect things have improved some.

    Anyone have one they like? Dislike? Swam from Cuba to Florida with?

    evmorosemarymint
  • MoCoMoCo Worcester, MASenior Member

    my husband haaaates to swim (but hey, he's a triathlete so he does it anyway). he uses the most recent finis player. aside of forgetting the charge it and forgetting to put new music on it, he's had no problems.

  • akswimakswim United StatesMember

    bump. any opinion on the latest bone conduction players vs. earphones/buds?

  • BogdanZBogdanZ Bucharest, RomaniaSenior Member

    Wanted to share that I recently purchased a bond conduction player from AfterShokz Openswim and I am very glad I did.
    I haven't tested the full battery duration, but can say it lasts for at least 3 hours in pool training session, in swim mode, shuffle and volume pretty high. The quality of the materials is impressive - I think they use titanium and weight is not felt. And sufficient memory space.
    Historically I had a Sony pair.. which sucked. The sound was not clear.

    LakeBaggerWalter
  • WalterWalter Southern CaliforniaMember
    edited September 2023

    I sometimes use Shokz OpenSwim model in the ocean. I don't wear earplugs though - so the sound quality isn't always great, depending on the track, and it's certainly not an immersive sound experience. It is more like having music playing from a speaker on an escort boat, which is all I'm after really. If you'd like to hear music during open water swims, but not too loudly or to the exclusion of hearing other things, you might like this setup.

    I'm not very popular around here; but I've heard that I'm huge in Edinburgh!

  • swimmer25kswimmer25k Charter Member

    Having anything playing in your head is a recipe for disaster. There’s a reason why it’s illegal to wear headphones when driving. You need to hear what’s going on around you (EMS for example).

    You need to be aware of what’s going on around you rather being tuned into a podcast or other form of distraction.

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