My Favorite Beach Technology
Underwater MP3 Players, Kindles, and Dry Bags
Summer is upon us. And for many of us, that means Beach Season. Here in Florida, we go to the beach all year long, even if it is not warm enough to go in the water. Many of us like to read on the beach. We like to walk and listen to music. But sand and water can kill electronics if you do not protect them.
Believe it or not, one can safely take their tech to the beach with the right accessories. You can purchase waterproof electronics. You can also purchase cheap accessories to protect the gear you already own. Today, I am going to review what I carry in my own beach bag.
An Underwater MP3 Player
Now I have had many of these types of players over the years. I find the generic, low frills ones are the best. Players with screens seem to die after a few uses. My favorite amongst the bunch is the TomTop Waterproof MP3 player. This was the FIRST underwater Mp3 player I purchased that lasted more than a month. I would still have my original unit had I not bought a bad replacement charging cable.
I currently have two of these very devices. The newer one is at least 3 years old. The other is several years older, and its battery no longer holds a charge for more than a couple of swims. The headphones have become salt-pitted, as has the jack. It still works, but I need to jiggle the headphones into the jack for both "ears" to work. It is an earlier, lower capacity model, although I personally need only a couple of gigabytes of storage on my workout device. (Remember, 4 gb is still several hundred songs.) The replacement will go a week or two in between charges with daily use, and I keep the old one in my bag as a backup, in case one dies. And yes, I wear it while I swim, float, or just lay in the water.
The player has orange straps that allow you to attach it to a pair of swim goggles, or in my case, to a swimsuit strap. It also fits nicely in a pocket. The headphones are not the best, but they are adequate for a workout. The player also includes an armband to which you can attach it. There are clips on the headphone wires to help keep them in place, but the Gulf Waters kill those within a season. I use a plastic twist tie to shorten the headphone cord.
This is a no-frills player. It has volume controls and skip forward/back buttons, and that is about it. The charging adapter fits into the headphone jack, and charges via USB. When you plug it into a PC, the computer recognizes it as a flash drive, so you can just copy music to it. Windows Media Player recognizes it as a portable device, and alternately, you may use your favorite media program to sync music to the device. Me? I just copy my favorite workout songs.
Now you can order this directly from TomTop, but they send their products via slow boat from China, literally. The TomTop player is also available via Amazon. I ordered my last one via Amazon, as it arrived quickly, and I knew it would be backed by Amazon's stellar Customer Service if anything should happen along the way. And it is actually no more expensive than buying it directly from TomTop. (These have actually dropped in price. I paid around $30 for my first one, and around $20 for the replacements. They currently fluctuate in the $10 - $20 range.)
The device charges in about 2 hours. This should probably NOT be left charging overnight, and overcharging can damage the battery. The player itself will probably outlast the headphones and the charging cable. That is why, at only about $15, I just replaced the whole thing when I lost the cable. After having a cheap cable damage my first one, I think I've learned my lesson.
My underwater MP3 player is my FAVORITE piece of Beach Technology. I do not go to the beach or the pool without it. (I live on a Gulfcoast Barrier Island. I swim A LOT!) And so many people ask me about this device when they see me emerging from under the water wearing my ear buds. Floating on a raft in the Gulf, with my favorite tunes playing, is my idea of heaven.
I love reading on the beach. But I don't like reading paper books on the beach. The pages blow in the wind, and paperbacks can be awkward to hold. I don't like having to remember to retrieve a book from my bedside before hitting the beach. My solution? An e-ink kindle that lives in my beach bag.
This e-ink kindle goes for over a month between charges. One of the BEST features of kindle software is that it syncs your last page read between devices. As soon as I open my device on the beach, it asks me if I want to jump to my last read location on my phone or tablet. And because it is e-ink, it is perfectly legible in the brightest light. I no longer need to bring my reader-sunglasses with me to the beach, as I can adjust the text to a comfortable reading size..
I bought a certified refurbished Kindle from Amazon Warehouse, to save a few dollars. To check on their availability, click on "New and Used" in the right column, under the price, and look for "Warehouse Deals" as the seller. Or this link (http://amzn.to/2qr91o8) should take you to the Kindle Section of Warehouse Deals.
The dry bag also has a strap attached so that you can carry your kindle over your arm or around your neck. It makes it easier for me to find the kindle at the bottom of my beach bag.
I can use all of my kindle's controls right through the bag too. I can read while dripping wet, and not have to worry about where I am resting my device. This bag protects my electronics from the sand, the water, and my own wet body.
Now this sucker is like a hundred times thicker than the most expensive sandwich type bag, and it is well worth the few dollars. I have seen folks drop phones protected by zipper bags into pools before, and not all survive. Those kitchen type storage bags do not float either. Kitchen bags are adequate for splash protection, but for true water protection, you need a dry bag.
I test my dry bag at least twice a year to make sure it's still intact. What I do is take a stack of misprinted ink-jet paper and fold it, ink side out. Then I fill a sink with water. I put those papers in the dry bag, close it, and drop it into a sink. I'll hold it underwater for a few minutes, then I'll let go. I'll leave it to float in the sink for a while, flipping it a couple of times. Then I lightly dry it in a towel, open it up, and examine the contents for moisture. Ink-jet ink runs at the slightest introduction of water. If the bag no longer floats, or if it lets the slightest bit of water in, it's time to replace it.
Since it's the New Millennium, and no one can go anywhere without a phone, I also recommend phone-sized dry bags for the beach. (I cringe looking at that unprotected phone in the photo at the top of this article.) Yes, you can use a tablet-sized dry bag for a phone, but it's easier to use an appropriately-sized one. A large bag, wet hands, and too much room for a device to slide around inside just lead to frustration.
Now I have yet to find a phone bag with the same triple-lock closure the larger bags have. Rather, these have hard plastic tops, with plastic thumb-clamps you twist to secure. But other than that, they operate exactly like the larger dry bags. They protect your devices from scratches and water. Laying a phone in the hot sand is equivalent to laying it on fine sandpaper. It is horrible for your screen. Moisture of any kind is bad for a phone, including the moisture from your wet little fingers. It amazes me that people will spend $700 on a phone, and then skip the $10 bag which could extend its lifespan.
Now you can order this directly from TomTop, but they send their products via slow boat from China, literally. The TomTop player is also available via Amazon. I ordered my last one via Amazon, as it arrived quickly, and I knew it would be backed by Amazon's stellar Customer Service if anything should happen along the way. And it is actually no more expensive than buying it directly from TomTop. (These have actually dropped in price. I paid around $30 for my first one, and around $20 for the replacements. They currently fluctuate in the $10 - $20 range.)
My underwater MP3 player is my FAVORITE piece of Beach Technology. I do not go to the beach or the pool without it. (I live on a Gulfcoast Barrier Island. I swim A LOT!) And so many people ask me about this device when they see me emerging from under the water wearing my ear buds. Floating on a raft in the Gulf, with my favorite tunes playing, is my idea of heaven.
My E-Ink Kindle
I have a Kindle Fire Tablet that lives by my bedside. It functions as an alarm clock, music player, and reading device. But the Fire screen is hard to read in bright sunlight. In fact, you need to bring a baseball cap to put on your tablet if you want to read in bright sunlight.
This e-ink kindle goes for over a month between charges. One of the BEST features of kindle software is that it syncs your last page read between devices. As soon as I open my device on the beach, it asks me if I want to jump to my last read location on my phone or tablet. And because it is e-ink, it is perfectly legible in the brightest light. I no longer need to bring my reader-sunglasses with me to the beach, as I can adjust the text to a comfortable reading size..
I bought a certified refurbished Kindle from Amazon Warehouse, to save a few dollars. To check on their availability, click on "New and Used" in the right column, under the price, and look for "Warehouse Deals" as the seller. Or this link (http://amzn.to/2qr91o8) should take you to the Kindle Section of Warehouse Deals.
I absolutely love my kindle, especially for reading on the beach. But to make it more water-friendly, I keep it in another vital accessory: a dry bag.
Dry Bags
Dry Bags are an absolutely wonderful thing. They are a must have if you want to take your technology on a boat, to the pool, or to the beach. Not only do they protect your devices from scratches, but they also protect them from water. If you drop your tablet or e-reader off your boat, and you have it in one of these bags, it will float.
I have had my tablet-sized dry bag for at least 5 years. Mine is exactly like the one I've linked to. It is made of thick plastic that is very hard to puncture. At the top are three "zipper-type" closures, which then fold down. Further leak protection is provided by the top that folds over the zip-closures, which is secured by snaps. I have actually dropped my kindle in the pool with only one of the three zippers closed, and my kindle remained dry.
I can use all of my kindle's controls right through the bag too. I can read while dripping wet, and not have to worry about where I am resting my device. This bag protects my electronics from the sand, the water, and my own wet body.
Now this sucker is like a hundred times thicker than the most expensive sandwich type bag, and it is well worth the few dollars. I have seen folks drop phones protected by zipper bags into pools before, and not all survive. Those kitchen type storage bags do not float either. Kitchen bags are adequate for splash protection, but for true water protection, you need a dry bag.
I test my dry bag at least twice a year to make sure it's still intact. What I do is take a stack of misprinted ink-jet paper and fold it, ink side out. Then I fill a sink with water. I put those papers in the dry bag, close it, and drop it into a sink. I'll hold it underwater for a few minutes, then I'll let go. I'll leave it to float in the sink for a while, flipping it a couple of times. Then I lightly dry it in a towel, open it up, and examine the contents for moisture. Ink-jet ink runs at the slightest introduction of water. If the bag no longer floats, or if it lets the slightest bit of water in, it's time to replace it.
Dry Bags for Phones
Since it's the New Millennium, and no one can go anywhere without a phone, I also recommend phone-sized dry bags for the beach. (I cringe looking at that unprotected phone in the photo at the top of this article.) Yes, you can use a tablet-sized dry bag for a phone, but it's easier to use an appropriately-sized one. A large bag, wet hands, and too much room for a device to slide around inside just lead to frustration. 
Now I have yet to find a phone bag with the same triple-lock closure the larger bags have. Rather, these have hard plastic tops, with plastic thumb-clamps you twist to secure. But other than that, they operate exactly like the larger dry bags. They protect your devices from scratches and water. Laying a phone in the hot sand is equivalent to laying it on fine sandpaper. It is horrible for your screen. Moisture of any kind is bad for a phone, including the moisture from your wet little fingers. It amazes me that people will spend $700 on a phone, and then skip the $10 bag which could extend its lifespan.
I also use my phone bag as an ID and boarding pass holder when I fly. I just stick my ID and boarding pass inside, leaving the top unlatched, and wear that sucker around my neck. Solves the "no pockets in women's clothing" issue pretty well.
I own several dry bags, including the one I've linked to above. However, in researching this post, I discovered Amazon has begun making its own phone dry bags. They are part of the Amazon Basics line.
I own several dry bags, including the one I've linked to above. However, in researching this post, I discovered Amazon has begun making its own phone dry bags. They are part of the Amazon Basics line.
Again, upon receipt, and about every six months, you should check the integrity of your dry bag. To check my phone dry bags, I use dried out kitchen sponges. I cut a sponge to the size of my phone, put it in the bag, then dump it in a sink. To repeat, you're checking to ensure it still floats and that it is still water tight. If that sponge shows ANY signs of moisture when it comes out of the bag, it's time to replace that bag. (And if a new bag leaks, of course it's time to return it.)
My Beach Bag
As I said, you'll find all of this in my own, personal beach bag. I also keep a few ziploc bags, for trash or shells, my sunscreen, a baseball cap, and a couple of towels. And yes, I probably do have more tech in my beach bag than most. But my tech is protected from sand and water. I can be a klutz and drop my phone or my e-reader in the pool with no worries. And nothing is better than relaxing in the water while listening to one's favorite tunes!
What do you carry in your beach bag? Are there any beach tech necessities I've missed? How do you protect your own devices from sand, water, and sweat? Let us know in the comments.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. This means Techlaurels will get a few pennies if you click through our links to purchase a product. This post is not sponsored by Amazon, nor by any product manufacturers mentioned within. This article is based on personal experience with the products listed.
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