I don’t know about you, but I get so bored when I swim laps. My brain seems to run on overdrive, thinking about the most random things or continually counting laps. It really makes a one hour swim hard to take at times. I ran across Underwater Audio on Facebook and loved the idea of listing to music while swimming. There are studies that show that listening to music while swimming laps has some serious benefits, but more on that later.
Underwater Audio was started when
the founders started to look for a music player that was waterproof. There were several proprietary mp3 players on
the market, but one of the founders loved the idea of using one of Apple’s
products because it would give him access to his music library. There were other companies that waterproofed
iPods, but as an engineer, he was concerned with the process the other
companies used in the waterproofing process.
He researched the amount of people who returned their units to these
other companies because of leaking, so he decided to make a better
project. What are the benefits of
swimming with music though?
I recently
ran across an article “5
Reasons Swimmers Should Listen to Music During Practice” by Bri Groves, a
Swimming World College Intern. Bri stated
some of the benefits of swimming with music. (1)
1) Upbeat
melodies can increase motivation – That doesn’t mean that you should listen to
any music, but shoot for songs that range with a BPM (beats per minute) of 125
to 140. You can find the BPM for a song
by doing a google search. (1)
2) In several
studies (2),
scientists concluded that as the BPM’s of music increased, the power output of
the athletes’ increased as well. This
could result in a greater distance per stroke in swimmers. (1)
3) As you swim
in sync with the rhythm or beat of the music, your stroke rate will increase as
you listen to faster music. (1)
4) In another
study (3),
they concluded that athletes who listen to music while exercising had a lower
rating of perceived exertion (RPE) than athletes who worked out in
silence. Basically, it states that music
is a subconscious motivator and stress reducer. (1)
5) Athletes who
train with music regularly had 15% more endurance than athletes that don’t
listen to music. More endurance leads to
a more sustained competition performance. (1)
I tested the
SYRYN
mp3 bundle with
Swimbuds SPORT headphones. The unit
was waterproofed by Underwater Audio
and comes with a ton of extras.
The SYRYN
is an 8GB mp3 player that is extremely simple to use and is relatively compact. It has one port for the headphones (standard
headphone jack) and three buttons. There
are back/volume down, play/pause, and a forward/volume up buttons. The unit is easy to use. To turn it on, simple hold the play button
for a few seconds. To skip to the next
song, touch the forward button once or to turn up the volume, hold the forward
button down. The same process is
followed for going to a previous song or turning the volume down, by using the
back button. The player also has a
shuffle option to mix up your playlist.
The SYRYN
is built to withstand submersion of up to 10 feet of water and meets IPX-8
standards.
The
headphone jack also is where you charge the unit, which only takes about an
hour to fully charge. You also connect
the USB to headphone cord here to download your mp3s from your computer. Simply drop them on the device like it is a
flash drive.
You also get
the Underwater Audio Swimbuds
SPORT headphones. They create the
perfect waterproof seal while you swim.
I have been using ear plugs for the past year while swimming because I
don’t like water in my ears after I swim.
The Swimbuds
SPORT headphones do a great job of keeping the water out. You get several different types of
earbuds.
Trees:
Creates maximum noise isolation and the best water seal.
Fins: Work
with the widest range of ear sizes and creates a watertight seal.
Ergos:
Ergonomically designed with a comfortable fit for many sports.
Rounds: For
everyday use.
I like the
trees the best. I have never had an
issue with them falling out or letting water in. There is a short cord which works well in the
pool, since you clip the SYRYN
on the back of your goggle straps. There
is also an extension cord if you want the player near your waist.
All products
are covered by a warrantee of 2-years from the date of purchase and will be
repaired or replaced. They have a 5-day
turnaround so you aren’t without your music for months like some other
companies out there. Click here for more warrantee information.
Pros:
Completely
waterproof (to 10 feet, IPX-8 standards)
Provides music
without water in ears
Great price
(starting at $65.95 with free shipping)
Great 2-year
warrantee
May improve
performance and fights boredom
Underwater Audio’s Social Media Links:
I love
everything about the SYRYN
and Swimbuds
SPORT headphones. They have changed
my swimming for the better. Not only am
I not bored anymore, but I have seen my lap times drop. The best part of this bundle is that you can
get it for $89.95
on Amazon and if you are a Prime member, you get free same-day
shipping. They also have the SYRYN
with the original Swimbuds for $59.95. How about that! You can have it for your swim tomorrow (if
you order by noon). Underwater Audio has a wide variety
of waterproof headphones and also has an iPod Shuffle version on
their website starting at $185.00.
There is a Delphin
version that is like a miniature Android tablet on Kickstarter that will allow
you to connect to your Pandora and other apps, without your phone. The Delphin
is $180 on Kickstarter and is scheduled for release in July of this year. I can’t wait for this to come out. Change your swimming and grab your mp3 player
from Underwater Audio today. If you do, please drop me a line and let me
know what you think.
References:
Amazing blog Waterproof Mp3 Player
ReplyDelete