BayAreaKiteboarding.com

What is the best (field tested) version of Ipod / water proof case / water proof head phones..
I am hoping to hear from people who use these things and would love to hear what to avoid and what to look for. Although I do currently have an Ipod I think I am going to start from scratch with this..
Points of interest:
1. Waterproofability
2. Attachment to body (avoid getting in the way of key equipment)
3. Sound
4. Ease of pulling off and putting on ears
5. Stayonability in a wipeout..
6. Ease Volume adjustment

I am hoping to minimize safety comments/concerns such as:
“It’s a bad idea to have music playing in your ears when you should be watching for boats, beach goers, other kiters and windsurfers, …..”
AND,
“Having yet another thing to worry about is not a good idea, wires, volume, loosing it in a crash..”

I realize having music blaring in your ears while ridding is probably not a super safe idea, but I still want to try it.. If I find it is too distracting I will not use them.. plus I swim on a regular basis and would like something for that as well..


Found this review from 1 Year ago by yuri... :
“Coming from having bought every single available waterproof headphone on the market, that I know of, i can tell you there arent many worth trying.

The 2 that are somewhat ok are firefox and aquapac.
the firefox ones that i have go out immediately after a quick splash. They are rated for 10' submerged!
The aquapac sound pretty good but dont have a ear clip.

So what can be done is to use the sony fontopias, which sound the best for under $50 by far, and silicone the 3 air holes on the back.
The problem is now that they stupidly decided to use unequal length lines which makes it not only awkward but impossible to swap out the ear clips that freestyle uses. Without something to hold them in place they will fall out and they will get ruined. The seals on them are good enough that if they get wet on the outside water will have a hard time entering.

Another headphone that works well is sony's water resistant around the neck sports model, off amazon they are less than $15. they will take a few splashes and sound great, but really wont handle salt water abuse.

Otterbox and h20 make great cases.
only one complaint and that is that the headphone jack could be slightly tighter tolerances.

The freestyle and H20 headphones are the worst of them all craftsmanship and definitely poor sound quality. "

Adam, that still holds true. H20 audio's were crap last 2 models but i have heard th 3 gen. is not as bad. I still have about 8 pairs of various waterproof headphones though if you want to try some of them. Otterbox rules, and on that note, if anyone wants they can buy mine with the ipod shuffle. 1 gig and any set of headphones they want..$100.

I just never use it anymore.

I have this years model of the H20 Audio case for the Ipod shuffle, with their version of the waterproof headphones. It works great. A few user tested reccomendations:

1) I bought a 1gig shuffle just for this use ($50) The waterproof case makes even the microscopic shuffle much more bulky. So i think the shuffle is the way to go. A nano or regular ipod would just be too big in my opionion. Also, you can only access the normal function when the thing is in the case but cannot turn the shuffle on/off or use the shuffle/song-by-song switches on the bottom when it is in the case. The battery will last for about a week of use (I get out 5-6 sessions a week) And this shuffle case is the easiest to open/close compared to the other ones for the nano, etc.
2) Buy their optional sports armband. I just cinch this down on my left bicep and it stays there good and the headphone cord goes around my back. The armband has slipped during more dramitc wipeouts but never comes off my arm.
3) They give you these little rubber cover tips to put over the earphone and plug into your ear, basically sealing the earbud to your ear. you will loose these so don't even bother. Having a bit of space betwwen the earphone and your ear allows you to also tune into and hear some wind, other riders, etc.. And it allows water to drain out of your ear. The sound is not stereo-rich when used like this, but for waterproof audio it sounds pretty good.
4) If I am going out to bust big airs and practice tricks, I don't take the player out becuse the headphones do get ripped off your head after big crashes and you have to keep putting the things back on. I never loose the headphones becuase the connection to the player is solid, btu they end up trailign behind you after crashes.
5) I ususally listen to tunes when I want to go out and just cruise for a long amount of time. Great for exploring the glassy patches on the far side of the lake at Sherman or going for big long explorations at 3rd or Crissy.
6) You will learn that trying to go out and get amped on heavy punk rock will only cause you to crash more spectaculary and waste your time putting the headphones back on. Go for downtempo chill vibes or heavy dubbed-out reggae- I find this to be the perfect accompianment to long crusing sessions - sort of gives you the 007 or mission impossible feeling.
7) I only wear the things about half the time I go out, but enjoy it when I do. If riding in crowds it is not a good idea due to safety. Go out and find your own little space to ride in if you are tuning out to other sounds while on the water.

My 2 cents

My wife gave me a nice waterproof mp3 player last year. It sounded good but the headphones were impossible to keep in your ears...Kinda of gave up after a while...Would love to find good fitting phones to try again, till then the frustration makes it not worth it...

Kirk

my set up has the following benefits:
* over 10gb of music
* perfect sound with rich bases and killer treble
* easy to control volume/song selection
* great power supply, has not run out yet
* headphones stay in even after massive face plants
* playlist always matches the mood at hand
* can hear other riders really well
* keeps automatically updating w/the latest music that I dig

What is my set up? it's the tried, true and tested, brain ipod.....;-)

Ok, it's monday, just trying to put a smile on your face.

I actually like the fact that there is the sound of nature when I'm kiting....If I want to listen to my brain ipod, boom, it's on.....if I want to think about work, boom, the PPT is right there in front of my eyes.....if I want to daydream, boom........if I just want to enjoy what's around me and not think about anyting else, boooooommmmmmmm.......

Get some, z.

Nice! Sometimes being out on the water with a bunch of your buds is almost exactly like playing in a band and hitting the grooves perfectly.

The wind and water keep the beat (drums and bass), and everyone gets their own solo, accompanied by background vocals of the rest of the crew.

Saturday night we were playing a little surf music out there... with some nice duets from Zev and Joanie.

Who was the last one out on Saturday night? The colors were cool for sure with the smoke. Might have been lighter if the smoke wasn't around.

I'm leaning towards this one>>>>..
iPod Nano 3rd Gen Armor Case with Waterproof Headphones and Armband

Yes, I can see that it would may not be that practical to use it when I am thrashing around trying new tricks.. I'm not 22 anymore and need something to keep my energy up during those long sessions..

FYI, if anyone is interested, I have an H2O Audio case, band, and headphones for the big ipod (30 gig video) that I am trying to sell. The whole setup is a little big for my puny arm.

I want to try it with the shuffle, but don't want to re-invest until I sell the first one... Or if anyone has suggestions for what works for small females (i.e., skinny arm and small head), please do share.

Anyway, if you're in the market, I have the setup on the classifieds, so check it out. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone tiny, but if you're a decent sized guy it should be great.

i agree with Z..
I would rather listed to the sounds of nature when kiting, the wind, waves, birds, tourists cheering on the ferry boats, talking to other kiters and cheering each other on to share the stoke out on the water.
If i wanted to listen to my music i would do so when i'm driving or at home

Just my 2 cents but i love being out and enjoying my surroundings when kiting rather then trying to block them out. Also for safety reasons. I don't want the horn of a tanker bearing down on me to get drowned out in a rocking track on my ipod.

:)