Swim to the Beat of Your Own Ear Drums

By Sarah Casey

Looking to add a little something extra to your water workout? You’ve probably seen many MP3 players with accessories made to keep athletes moving while running on the track or working out at the gym. Now you can keep the momentum going during laps in the pool as well.

Speedo’s Aquabeat waterproof MP3 Player is an ideal supplement to any aquatic activity. With 1GB of built-in storage space, the Aquabeat can hold up to 250 MP3 files or 500 WMA files, and also comes with playlist editing software that’s Windows XP and Windows Vista compatible, so you can choose which songs you want to swim to, depending on your mood or type of workout.

Ergonomically-designed earbuds ensure your workout won’t be put on pause due to excessive movement or waves, and the convenient goggle clip on the back of the Aquabeat makes securing the MP3 player a snap. The player itself floats when submerged, so if it does get away from you, the Aquabeat is easy to recover in the pool.

The Aquabeat can be charged through a PC or laptop USB port, and plays for nine hours on a fully-charged battery. The battery status can be seen in bright or dimly lit pool areas thanks to the LED display, so you’ll know exactly when it needs to charge.

FINIS, a worldwide leader in technical swimming development, has created a similar product, the FINIS SwiMP3.1G, but this underwater device uses bone conduction of sound to transfer music from the MP3 player to the swimmer. Like Speedo’s Aquabeat, the SwimMP3.1 holds 1 GB’s worth of songs, but no earbuds are required—simply clip the SwiMP3.1G to your goggles and the device sends sound vibrations to the inner ear, giving you exceptional sound quality as you propel through the water.