Hi all, I was hoping for advice regarding carrying my phone while SUP touring. I have had waterproof phone cases in the past with mixed results and wanted to hear from anyone who paddles with either a waterproof waist band or deck dry bag. I don't really need to access it while paddle but need to be contactable for my wife's peace of mind! Thoughts?

Buy an Apple watch series 3. Waterproofing problems solved and it's on your wrist the whole time. No need to cart your phone with you. Wifey can "Find My iPhone" to see where you are using the Family feature.

You can record your paddle as well, but that starts to chew into the battery life if you want it for emergency contact as well.

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Gorgo said..
Buy an Apple watch series 3. Waterproofing problems solved and it's on your wrist the whole time. No need to cart your phone with you. Wifey can "Find My iPhone" to see where you are using the Family feature.

You can record your paddle as well, but that starts to chew into the battery life if you want it for emergency contact as well.

If you get an Apple watch 3, make sure to get the Nike sport version with velcro strap. The standard strap comes off too easy. The phone works well but I did add Paddle Loger app for distance accuracy . Plus I've got credit card with Apple pay and loyalty cards.
My wife fell off in the creek and ruined her iphone with an Overboard bag. Bag was tightly closed but enough water got in to damage the phone.

I had the velcro strap and replaced it with the standard sport strap.

The velcro strap will stay looped even when it comes open, but there's still a risk it will slide off your wrist. I found the velcro would stick to my wetsuit sleeve and that was enough to open the strap right up. I had to catch it before it slid off my wrist. Once the sport strap is closed and under the wetsuit sleeve it's pretty much bombproof.

The other problem is that the velcro strap stays wet and gets dirty .

For recording my sessions I use a Garmin Fenix. It has better battery life and a bigger screen that is visible the whole time. The data you get out of it is much better. The Apple watch sits on my other wrist and is there for emergencies.

One issue with the Apple is that it has a touch screen. You have to put it in water mode so that water drops, or a wet sleeve, don't activate the screen. You can get a glimpse of the screen by pushing the crown, but it's not very convenient. When you unlock the screen it can be difficult to work with wet fingers. You can do SOS by pushing the button, and make calls using voice control. It's a bit of a pain. It's best if you just put it on your wrist and save it for emergencies or after the session.

Another alternative is most manufacturers do a waterproof phone. Put that in a waterproof bag and it would be bombproof. Personally I couldn't be bother lugging more crap around. An extra watch is about the limit for me.

Thanks for the reply's all, food for thought!