As a swimmer, I wasn’t keen on working out with my smartphone in a waterproof armband case and other water workout units seemed bulky. Then came Underwater Audio, the company that created the waterproof forth-generation Apple iPod Shuffle-and my underwater jam changed. If you are a swimmer, love watersports or running in the rain, then you might want to listen up. The company also offers the option for customers to send in their current iPod Shuffle for waterproofing – very cool.
Underwater Audio offers the 2GB Apple iPod Shuffle individually or in a bundle package with Swimbuds, extension cord and their specialty HydroHarmony headphones ranging between $165-175.
Being a newbie with this equipment, my advice is to spend sometime finding the right earbud combo, securing the cords and Shuffle in your goggles and then taking a few laps to get it right. The cords for this product are really lightweight and if you begin to swim with some speed, the cords could drag by your face or pull the earbuds out. I’d take the company’s suggestions on how to secure the product for swimming.
As for sound quality, I wouldn’t expect this amazing HD quality sound, but the tunes sounded fine and crisp underwater and seems to block out external noise.
The Shuffle clipped easily to my goggles as it would my suit; the unit controls will require more pressure to change because of the waterproofing, but it’s something you can easily do during or at the end of a lap.
The company offers a free coupon with the bundle package to try out the swimmer program with Olympic swimmer Rebecca Soni. After completing this workout, my evaluation is simply…meh. For the average swimmer that hasn’t had technical training, some of the cue words in the script just won’t make sense. The workout itself was basic, going through the strokes, and pushing you to increase tempo over a 15-minute period. For the seasoned swimmer, you’re not getting much out of it, but it could work for the recreational swimmer. Also, I don’t know who coached her on the voice over, but aside from the up tempo instrumental music, the coaching and instruction was totally flat and I wasn’t convinced of the motivational inflections. Maybe it’s my style, or personality-or the fact that I was trained by a female Olympic Medalist from Germany who hollered at me in two languages from the side of the pool to push myself and not to give up regardless if your whole body was begging to stop-but when I’m swimming for 30 plus minutes I need to feel like a real coach is in my ear. But hey, for the rec swimmer that buys the bundle, give it a go and see if it works for you.
In the end, thumbs up to the Underwater Audio, it’s a good unit to check out for your water workout, other watersports or dancing in the rain.
Read more about Underwater Audio here
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