Waterproof smart phone on PFD with no case?

[Glenn MacGrady]

I shattered the screen on my beloved Google Pixel 5a when I put it on top of my car and it slid off onto the pavement. I had no protective case on the phone at the time. So . . . it's time to shop for a new Google Pixel, likely one of the new model 9s announced in August 2024, for which I get big discounts as a Google Fi customer.

I've used my smart phones leashed to my PFD for photography, but have always used them in a waterproof case such as a Dry Pak:



I had never paid attention to the IP ratings of my phones, but I noticed that the Pixel model 9s have a rating of IP68, which is claimed to be protection against immersion in up to 3.5 meters of water for 30 minutes. That, if true, sounds as if the phone is waterproof enough for all but the most dire canoe situations such as rain and swims.

Has anyone used a naked IP67 or IP68 phone for canoe photography—i.e., without a waterproof case—leashed to the PFD? That could be done through the lanyard holes that are available on some phone cases. What's the argument against doing this?

 

[TimG]

I’ve swam many rapids with my iPhone 12 just in my pfd pocket without issue. However, a “water detected” warning comes on the screen if you try to charge it too soon after. The port usually dries out in an hour or two though.

 

[Chip]

As a Google avoider, I can't comment on your Pixel phone. However, I carry my iPhone 11 in my PFD pocket, swim with it, get splashed with it in the PFD pocket, and don't worry about getting it wet. The phone isn't on any kind of leash, and I worry about dropping it when I take it out of the PFD to make a photo, but that's a different hazard.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

The phone isn't on any kind of leash, and I worry about dropping it when I take it out of the PFD to make a photo, but that's a different hazard.

I don't mean to state the obvious, but the purpose of the leash or lanyard is to prevent harmful drops. I keep my PFD-attached lanyard long enough to bring the phone to my eye for shooting photos, but not so long that the phone would hit the floor of the canoe if I dropped it . . . much less sink overboard into the aqueous depths.

 

[dutchlennart]

To me it depends on where i am.
My phone lives in my pfd in a waterproof pouch attched to the pfd. It can get out to take pics if the environment allows.

I had a firm discussion once when i was on a guided outrigger crossing , where the guide took his phone out of his pouch to take pics of his customer (me) somewhere on the ocean. ...

 

[eckilson]

I'm old school and still use a waterproof camera. The camera is smaller than the typical phone so it is easier to stow in the PFD pocket, and doesn't have that big screen to worry about if you drop it or bang it. It is on a lanyard. Of course, I can't post pictures from the river, but I don't do that anyway. The camera on today's smart phones do take better quality pictures than my waterproof camera, but I can usually fix that once I get home with editing software. As long as someone else has a phone on the trip, mine usually stays in the car.

 

[scoutergriz]

I'm old school and still use a waterproof camera. The camera is smaller than the typical phone so it is easier to stow in the PFD pocket, and doesn't have that big screen to worry about if you drop it or bang it. It is on a lanyard. Of course, I can't post pictures from the river, but I don't do that anyway. The camera on today's smart phones do take better quality pictures than my waterproof camera, but I can usually fix that once I get home with editing software. As long as someone else has a phone on the trip, mine usually stays in the car.

same here, plus I don't appreciate how fast the photo function drains my phone battery, after all it can't do it's main function of calling for help when it's dead.
My camera sure didn't break the bank, but it has all the important features like 7x optical zoom +10x digital zoom, low light use, 30m water (100') resistance, 4m (13') impact resistance,geo location, and can do up to 30 minutes of video with sound, even underwater.
best of all it didn't cost $800 (going price of a new water- resistant phone) and damaging it doesn't mean loss of communications on the way home, even severely damaging (like accidentally running it over, doh!) it doesn't usually mean the loss of my pics- the memory card can still be popped out and loaded into a computer

 

[dutchlennart]

. As long as someone else has a phone on the trip, mine usually stays in the car.

i rahter take my phone as well. If 'someone' is stuck under a rock i want to call before i start rescueing.
and i rather have that everybody has thier phone with them so if needed i can reach their loved ones

 

[Erica]

I have an old iphone SE. It went on my last trip in the pdf with no waterproofing. It did get seriously dunked along with me, but I don't remember why or where. It kept working, but when I tried to charge it, I got a message that water was detected and to wait. So I waited and eventually I could charge it again.

To keep from wearing down the battery, I put it in airplane mode. Otherwise it will continuously be searching for a connection, is what I have been told. I bought this phone used, so the battery has had some use. I'm sure the newer phones with new batteries would work better. My battery, in airplane mode, would last a half day.

If the charge started getting low, I would turn it off to preserve the charge in case of an emergency.

For everyday use and when tripping, I use a very thin, almost invisible, iphone case. Something like this:

Thin Iphone Case

Amazingly, it has protected the phone from miscellaneous drops.

I also take a Big Blue solar charger.

Big Blue Solar Charger

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

In the 12 months since my OP, I have had a Google Pixel 9 Pro with an IP68 rating, which means it can withstand immersion at 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. I use it tethered to my PFD without any case, unlike all my previous phones, for which I always used a case. It's never really gotten wet other than some light rain sprinkles, but I don't worry about water damage. Of course, my canoeing now is limited to flatwater day trips and base camping. I would probably use a soft case if I still paddled overnight in wilderness or in whitewater.

The camera on this phone is superior to my old generation waterproof point & shoot camera.

 

[Odyssey]

I've used my cell phone mostly for it's downloaded maps, but also it's superior camera. It's battery far outlasts my waterproof p&s.
I've no idea if it's got any IP rating (Samsung) so it lives in a slim clear waterproof case tethered to the thwart in front of me. It feels nervy and foolish removing it to take pics but I do. For that reason it probably spends more time without protection than with. One of these days.
The phones image quality and view finder screen size is far superior to my Olympus p&s. We've been gifted a tablet for travel etc. I like the idea of trying that if I could figure it out.