With all my music, now on my iPhone, my old iPod has been displaced. But there's one area where I have stuck to a non-Apple MP3 player, and that is swimming. I had a cheap but (allegedly) waterproof MP3 player that my wife and I used while swimming laps. However, not only did it have limitations in terms of storage and navigation, the darn thing broke.
Fortunately, I had the opportunity to try the DryCASE waterproof case for my iPhone. The DryCASE ($39.99) is a heavy-duty clear pouch with a waterproof jack and internal audio cable. Using a pair of waterproof earbuds, like the DryBUDS from DryCASE, you can listen to music and even talk on the phone thanks to the built in microphone.
I'm not sure I would carry on a conversation while swimming, but it's certainly great for the hot tub or beach. Speaking of swimming, my wife's concern was the armband was a little too bulky for active swimming given her smaller build. But for me, I liked knowing that it was substantial and would not slip off easily, especially in the ocean. I lost my wedding ring snorkeling in Hawaii, and would not want to go through that again!
With support for up to three meters of water, you can do some rather deep swimming or snorkeling while taking photos and listening to your personal soundtrack! DryCASE has a secret advantage over copycat cases. There is a port that can be used to extract air from the inside of the case, using the included handheld vacuum pump. This makes the screen easily accessible by eliminating air pockets, and it does the job. There are cheaper waterproof cases but most of them are nothing more than a glorified Ziplock bag. The DryCASE has a solid seal and removes excess air, making the touchscreen usable. The inline headphone jack makes it possible to listen to music as long as you have a waterproof set of headphones. I no longer need to rely on an MP3 player with limited storage, and I don't have to worry about updating it or remembering which songs are in MP3 format. Now my iPhone can go with me wherever I go, and the DryCASE is flexible enough that it can accommodate a variety of phones and iPods.
