Man VsT ech
Are waterproof gadgets really waterproof? T3 heads for the coast with the latest tech to find out…
Just how waterproof is your waterproof gear? We head to the coast and test a bunch of tech, from smartphones and watches to a rather fetching wetsuit.
From dunkable smartphones to beach-ready speakers, loads of tech companies are shouting about the waterproof capabilities of their latest gadgets – welcome news for victims of the smartphone toilet drop or swimmers who’ve discovered their smartwatch isn’t waterproof after all. To test the validity of these claims, T3’ s putting a selection of H2O-proof gadgets through their paces in extreme situations.
Suited and booted
I knew this mission would involve me getting as wet as the gadgets I’m testing, so I thought why not combine it with some high-tech watersports? A quick web search throws up Aquatic Jetpacks, a Dorset company specialising in extreme watersports. They’re offering everything from Flyboarding – effectively strapping jetski-powered boots to your feet and hovering up to 30 feet above the water – to jetski safaris and powerboat trips. Perfect. With a Flyboard and jetski session booked, I now need some top waterproof gadgets to test – after some collaboration with the
T3 team, LG, GoPro, Garmin and Ultimate Ears will be my guinea pigs.
My journey to Poole is lashed with strong wind and rain – there’ll be no issues getting my test kit wet today, then – and on arrival the Aquatic Jetpacks crew tell me this weather would usually mean cancellation, but they’re bending the rules for T3. No turning back now.
One safety briefing later, I jump into a Ribeye 650 sports boat, powered by a meaty Yamaha 150HP engine. Skipper John Vinson guides us through the relative shelter of Poole Harbour and out towards the churning waves of the English Channel. I’m too focused on keeping my lunch down to protest. Mercifully, as we approach the shelter of Studland Bay, the scene of my Flyboarding mission, the wind settles and we anchor up.
My instructor for the day, Matt Goble, has been trailing us on a SeaDoo GTI watercraft. It’s this 130HP ocean stallion that will be powering the Zapata Flyboard Pro I’m about to strap into. Matt rigs the Flyboard up to the SeaDoo’s propulsion system via a water outlet and supply hose. I slip my feet into a pair of sturdy boots, which clip into snowboard-style bindings. The whole system feels heavy and I’m convinced I’ll sink. Could this be my last ever T3 assignment?
Before I can back out, it’s time to get wet. Naturally I want to capture all the action, so I’ve opted for GoPro’s tiny, voice-controlled Hero5 Session camera – supposedly waterproof to 30 metres. I strap a chest mount over my life jacket, attach the camera and shout “GoPro, start recording.” It quickly gets to work shooting glorious 4K footage.
As I plunge into the frigid water I’m thankful for the snug O’Neill Psycho One F.U.Z.E wetsuit. Silicone-coated fluid seam welds, a Front Upper Zip Entry system and a well-sealed, lined collar mean the wetsuit is toasty, and the flexible TechnoButter 2 neoprene gives me full mobility.
Man overboard
My heart is racing. The Garmin Fenix 5X GPS watch on my wrist is kitted out with Elevate heart-rate monitoring, and reveals my ticker has jumped to 96BPM. The Garmin’s stunning sapphire crystal screen is clear in direct light as well as underwater, and the sturdy buttons make navigation simple. While the 51mm casing is on the large side, the Fenix 5X weighs just 98g and it’s barely noticeable on the wrist – ideal for outdoor sports fans.
Enough distractions, it’s time to shoot skyward on a high-powered jet of water! As instructed, I lie on my front with arms outstretched. As Matt gently revs the SeaDoo, sea water gushes out of two nozzles at the base of my Flyboard. Matt shouts “legs under!” and throttles the jetski as I bring my legs beneath me. I lift out of the water like a wetsuited Excalibur and fly
The driving rain feels like needles, but nothing can wipe the grin off my face
upwards. I feel like Iron Man, at least for a couple of seconds, but my balance fails me and I bomb into the brine. This GoPro footage is going to be ace…
Matt tells me to point my toes further forward and slightly bend my legs. Advice noted, I rise up again and settle into a comfortable hover, enough for T3’ s photographer to get some shots. The power of the Flyboard increasingly blows my mind as I inch higher and hover for longer, topping out at about 10 feet for 25 seconds. Back in the boat the Garmin shows my heart rate jumped to 128BPM.
Any port in a storm
Back on dry(ish) land, I check in with my wife using LG’s flagship G6 smartphone, the hammering rain and my wet face causing zero problems for the IP68-rated waterproof handset. The 5.7-inch FullVision Quad HD+ touchscreen works a treat, despite my soggy hands. I give the G6 a dip in the harbour to really push the claimed 1.5m waterproofing, but any nerves are unfounded as it passes with flying colours.
To get me in the mood for stage two of my mission, I pair the G6 with the funky Ultimate Ears Wonderboom waterproof Bluetooth speaker. The rain does nothing to hamper the Wonderboom’s mighty sound, and the 40mm active drivers and 46.1 x 65.2mm passive radiators help blow the sea water from my ears.
Just as I’m getting the feeling back in my fingers, Matt pulls up on a SeaDoo GTI. I climb aboard and he talks me through key controls, including the Intelligent Brake and Reverse control system that enables riders to stop on a dime and make precision manoeuvres. I’m armed with a Learning Key, which can be programmed to limit speed and cut the engine if I fall off.
With a push of the electric start button, the GTI’s four-stroke 899cc Rotax engine rumbles to life. The driving rain feels like thousands of needles flying at my eyeballs, but that does nothing to wipe the huge grin off my face. The 272kg GTI cuts through the choppy water with ease and makes decisive moves as I slalom between buoys.
The point of this mission was to test whether waterproof tech actually works. After today’s performance it’s a resounding yes for everything on test.