Bone Conduction, SwiMP3, and a Swimmer's Snorkel
It’s not exactly new technology: bone conduction was known as early as the 16th century, and in the 17th century some pioneers were using it to help deaf patients and create early hearing aids. That doesn’t stop it from being fundamentally cool- and a technology that most people haven’t yet come into contact with.
Finis has utilized it to create one of the first waterproof MP3 players that don’t require any headphones, and can be used by swimmers who might otherwise be prevented from rocking out to Outkast during their daily laps.
It’s called the SwiMP3 , and though it’s not much to look at, it works pretty well- much better underwater though. It also doesn’t work much below 10 feet under the surface, which is interesting but forgivable considering the market. Also, the included goggles are decent, but using your own pair (and swimmers are finicky) can be difficult.
Forgive the mere 128 MB of memory, enough for only 30 or so songs at high quality, and ignore the fact that it can’t handle any of the other formats or music with DRM (OGG, AAC, iTunes, etc). Luckily, the batteries are pretty decent, and last for about 3 or 4 hours before recharging (via USB or an optional wall charger) is necessary. The controls take some getting used to, but are pretty simple and straightforward. And once nice feature is that it can work with both PC and Macintosh computers, and the software is easy to use. Overall, the SwiMP3 is pretty handy, and bone conduction works surprisingly well, but unless you are a heavy swimmer you might not want to drop the $200.
But even if you’re just a casual swimmer, you may want to consider another piece of gear: the Swimmer’s Snorkel. This handy item is perfect for those who love swimming but just hate the whole “turn your head to breathe” thing. We were skeptical, but it can help, encouraging decent posture and form and allowing you to focus on your stroke. Of course, it only works for freestyle/front crawl, but is another neat tool that works precisely as it should. $40, for sale online, and available in blue for adults and yellow for youth.
