Speedo Aquabeat MP3 player sinks, floats, and is terrible at the butterfly stroke
By Joshua Fruhlinger 
posted Jun 28th 2008 11:42AM
posted Jun 28th 2008 11:42AM
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Hooray for swimming jokes. I've been swimming for 9 years and only just learned I've been doing Butterfly wrong the whole time. Needless to say my time dropped like crazy once I got it down ^^
But yeah, I don't really see this player as very useful considering I never really practice alone. The only times I'm in the water are during regular team practice (where I need to hear feedback from the coaches) or competitions, which would be a terrible place to use this. I'm pretty sure just diving in would blow the thing away.
How is that not useful? I enjoy swimming but it is one of the most boring sports I have ever done. lap after lap after lap after lap after lap after lap after lap after lap after lap after lap after....with music it would be 10X better
Things change. I used to do competition swimming, but I didn't want to take the commitment for college, so I just do casual, solo swimming these days to keep fit. Which is what this device is more targeted for: your average lap swimmer. Heck, when diving in a competition, you don't even use googles.
That said, for $145 with 1GB, it's not a great bargain. At least they could have included a screen with a watch and timer.
Also: is the $145 figure a straight FX from Japanese Engadget? Is there a US press release?
swmarc-- like I said, I don't do individual workout swimming. I am either practicing with my team or at a meet. Therefore, it's not much use to me... or any of the swimmers I know, who do the same thing.
at last, an iRiver product that can be used in a river. *
*we warn against shoving these down your Speedos.
Sincerely, iRiver.
I wish Apple would do a nice waterproof iPod. I swim laps every morning and would really like to have something waterproof to listen to. If I wasn't so tied to the Apple ecosystem, this would work.
There are waterproof iPod cases like the the otterbox,
I think there's a general lack of waterproof stuff. Especially waterproof stuff with removable battery and removable memory cards, which - as far as I can tell - doesn't even exist (fond memories of Sports Walkmans here). Everything is embedded, limited-life and disposable, which I think sucks.
Sony haven't announced any new Sports 'S2' Walkmans since 2006. They play AAC but not DRMd Apple Store stuff.
http://www.swimman.net/main.html
No experience with this. Personally, using a "old" 30G iPod w/Otterbox. In my experience, the problem's generally with the headphones.
I have a few friends that swim hundreds of laps 3 or more times a week. This product is a no brainer.
Fly is not my stroke but this seems decent. Might be a pain when doing closed turns. also where would we put it and also wouldn't this cause more drag? Like the person said above me, people (usually) don't swim alone and need to hear their coaches.
And also your not really paying attention to sound or whatever while your swimming...well at least i don't.
You could always clutch it in your cheeks...
Good point, I usually neglect audio input entirely while swimming. Too much music, especially with a defined beat, might mess up my stroke pattern ^^
God knows you don't want to mess up your stroke pattern. I don't swim, and I'd sure hate to mess up my stroke pattern - that's a fact.
3 Meters?
Wouldn't it make more sense to make them minimum 10 M able?
um, I'd think 10m would be a bit excessive, think about it, that's pretty deep...
I think 3m is quite sufficient, I don't really ever swim deeper than 10 feet
Most pools aren't more than 3 meters deep. I'm not sure, but I figure divers would be too focused on their diving to need music. Lap swimmers at your local swimming pool, however...
PFFFFFT 1 GIG? are they trying to mock us?
I personally like the Swimman (www.swimman.com). While it is a bit pricey, it and the headphones work better than anything I've tried. Basically the folks at Swimman take a stock iPod shuffle and waterproof it.
David
Man that looks pretty cool, now if only they could have done it to a Creative Zen Stone +, which has a stop watch, or better yet a Sandisk Clip which sounds nice, and has a clip also.
This seems more like a novelty item than an actual tool.
I think its a good looking product, but 1GB must be a joke when flash memory is so cheap and the player is $145.
Comes with a special 'dual-pouch' Speedo suit that guarantees to minimize cold water 'package shrinkage'...
nerds cant swim.
I swim 1.5 miles 3x/week and often think it would be nice to have something like this (there are a number of competitors with videos on Youtube), but I can't find a video of it in action and would hate something that created awkward drag or could fly off on a flip turn and sink to its death in the deep end.
Application for underwater mp3 player: audio tourguide for divers! Divers use signals rather than sound, after all ... you could do with ones that do better than 3 metres.
Yeah. You could waste your money on that. Or... you could buy a swimman. I got one about a year ago, hasn't failed me yet. They waterproof an ipod shuffle from the inside out. You end up with just a shuffle, no case. Just buy the waterproofed headphones off ebay for like 15$ (theirs are too expensive) and you'll have the ultimate setup. You can send your own shuffle in too, and they'll waterproof it.And i think its the same price as this ugly thing. www.swimman.com
This ugly thing does float, though.
this came out awhile ago. I ordered one and the right headphone dies in a week. The next week, it stopped playing back altogether. They have really good customer service, they gave me a complete refund!
And how do you fix your device ? you put it in your speedo ?
I've tried this one & the nu dolphin & have trouble with the earphones on both . I was given a swimman waterproof ipod shuffle for my birthday , now this one really is great . The patented headset makes all the difference . If you do tumble turns this is the one for you .
I wasn't sure if these types of waterproof MP's would actually wrk, was skeptical about the headphones in water. Luckily saw a 35.00 512K Sakar Iconcepts MP3 waterproof player at Fryes (also available Walmart) so cheap figured what do I have to lose. Had to rig a device that allowed it to hang on my goggles but works fine. Limiter would be if ear pieces get water inbetween ear and sound lowers the quality so every 15 laps pull them out and shake head and returns to normal. Surprisingly you don't hear bass but when you get in water all of a sudden you hear bass.
Any idiot that questions if you need this type of device truly is a nitwit and doesn't understand the boredom of doing hundereds of laps, probably some clueless fattie.
Finally learned how to get the earpieces to work with the Sakar Iconcepts waterproof MP3 player. yo have to corkscrew them in your ear with wires points up. This provides a seal somehow against the water getting in your ear. Makes sense since there are thee rubber pads on the ear piece. This really solves the issue of boredome and really get me pumping when I swim now thanks to the music, now I look forward to my swimming laps.
13Deals.com was selling the old Aquabeat model for $74.99, but conveniently failed to advertise that.
Also, that version has the R and L mislabeled... I got screwed.
speedo change the hearphones to new one. tube that goes into the ear it's a beat smoler that those in picture. I have big ears so usally i have to readjuste the earphones after 100 meters of swimming . The sound is good but i would prefer to have more volume (maybe they did it to protect our eardrums ) .
Quality is prefect and even when water inserted between earphone and eardrum you can hear . I like it because i can listen to music when i am resting between exersises. If you want to listen when you are swimming it will be a lilte difcult (bubles from beathing etc is very noisy ) you can listen but not very clear...
I din't change my mind for buying it !
I researched a lot before buying a waterproof mp3. It came to me that if i had to trust something like that kind of technology, Speedo would come to my mind first. I didnt even hesitate to order this one.
It attaches to the googles, is really easy and simple to use, the battery lasts for like, 7 to 9 hours, depending on the volume of the headphones. The cord that connects is shorts and doesnt stand in the way or makes you feel uncomfortable to swim.
I can swim every style with it and i have had a great time swimming and listing to air bubbles from my breathing. GREAT PRODUCT!
I agree with Iris. I borrowed a friend's (before buying my own) and used it today for the first time - expecting it NOT to work. And it was fantastic, better than I could have imagined. I'm a lap swimmer, so it makes it all the more pleasant. It's perfect for those of us who swim 3-4 times a week, those of us who are happy with the headphone quality, while not perfect it is good enough for me. And it is incredibly easy to use. You'd have to be really stupid not to be able to make these work. It suits my needs perfectly! I am happy. Tomorrow I will buy my own.