When riding there jet ski people often find they need or want their phone, either due to the need to contact someone in the event of an emergency or simply because they don’t feel comfortable leaving it behind. Additionally some people may wish to take photos of their ride or stay in touch with people on the shore or on another jet ski. However, bringing your phone along with you when riding your jet ski may lead to worries or concerns about damaging or ruining it.
The best ways not to ruin your phone when bringing it with you on your jet ski ride are to get a water-resistant case, waterproof phone box, or a dry bag for your jet ski. Ideally, each of these product options will offer you protection for your phone but the choice between options is dependent on how you plan to use your phone and the space available on your jet ski.
With all of the options and choices presented below, it is important to remember to look at the safety ratings and the use recommendations or reviews before buying a product to protect your phone while riding your jet ski. Your phone is expensive and contains lots of valuable data, you wouldn’t want to lose it because you purchased a subpar product.
Many waterproof products come in a variety of forms each with their own level of safety from water damage and since when you ride a jet ski there is the risk that the jet ski may tip or your phone may fall off, you always want to select a product that will be able to withstand a significant amount of time completely submerged in water.
Phone Usage Options
You will have different needs for a waterproof storage mechanism depending on why you plan to bring your phone with you on your jet ski. You must consider whether your goal in bringing your phone along is for safety in the event of an emergency, because you don’t want to or can’t leave it behind, or because you intend to regularly use it while on your jet ski.
If your plan is to only use the phone on your jet ski in rare or emergency situations then you may not need a storage option that will give you easy access to your phone while riding. Oppositely, if your plan is to use your phone frequently while riding your jet ski, such as stopping to take photos for social media of your ride or to keep in contact with another rider, then you may want a storage option that provides easier access to your phone.
It is important to note that these easier access storage options will protect your phone from water damage but may not keep your phone as well secured to the jet ski as the harder to access options would. Due to this, you will need to decide whether keeping your phone secure to the jet ski or having access is a higher priority for you.
Space Availability
Another thing to consider when deciding how you will keep your phone safe while riding your jet ski is determining what kind of space you have available on your jet ski. For example, if you have space available in storage compartments on your jet ski then you may want to consider a bag or box that can be placed into this storage space and closed away if you will not need frequent access to your phone while riding your jet ski.
However, if you do not have this storage compartment space, you will need to look into alternate ways to store your phone while riding your jet ski. If easy access is a priority and you have limited space you may want to consider a waterproof case and a safety cable. Finally, if you don’t need frequent access to your phone and don’t have direct storage space but have flat surface space, you may want to consider a waterproof box that will suction cup to your jet ski.
Option One: Dry Bag
The first option for keeping your phone safe while riding your jet ski is to put the phone in a dry bag. A dry bag is a great option if you have extra storage space and know that you will not necessarily need easy access to your phone while riding the jet ski. We like this dry bag as you can leave some air in it and it will float so you will never lose your cell phone.
A dry bag can easily be stowed on your jet ski to ensure that your phone is both protected from any water that could splash onto it while you ride and from falling into the water. Other types of dry bags can be clipped on to you or worn, such as a fanny pack, but it is always important to ensure that the drag bag you are wearing won’t get caught or weigh you down in an emergency. On a similar safety-related note, you should make sure the dry bag fits onto or is able to attach to you even when you’re wearing a life vest.
A high-quality drybag will not cost very much, but provide lots of protection.
An advantage to these dry bags is that they will often be larger bags that you can stow items other than a cell phone in. Additionally, you may want to look into a dry bag that comes with a smaller bag specifically designed to hold your phone. This will not only add an additional layer of protection around your phone when you bring your phone on your jet ski but will also allow you to bring a smaller bag along if you do not have adequate space on your jet ski.
These smaller dry bags for phones are often made of clear plastic so, if you remove them from the larger dry bag, you will be able to see if you have any service or messages if an emergency were to arise. There is also a lanyard just in case your hands slip.
The dry bag is a great phone safety option for jet ski riders who do not anticipate needing to access their phone frequently on the jet ski and who have plenty of storage to stow an extra bag.
Option Two: Phone Box
The second option for keeping your phone safe while riding your jet ski is to put the phone in a waterproof phone box. A phone box is a plastic, lockable box that will attach or fit within your jet ski in some fashion. Since this phone box does not need to be as stored as the dry bag, this option is better if you need more frequent but still not constant access to your phone while riding your jet ski. Additionally, much like a dry bag, a phone box will often be larger than your phone so you should be able to put other valuables in with your phone.
This is the option we use. The box floats, provides protection, and provides quick access to our phones and car keys.
An important advantage to this type of waterproof box is that these boxes often come with suction cups on the bottom so that they can be securely attached to your jet ski, or you can throw them in a storage compartment and not have to worry about them getting smashed as they are hard plastic.
Oppositely, an important consideration to remember if opting for a phone box for your jet ski, is to make sure that your phone has a protective case so that if you stop or turn abruptly your phone does not slide around in the box and become damaged. Similarly, these boxes may become damaged if they are banged around roughly since they are made of plastic and if they are damaged they may no longer be as waterproof.
Overall, a waterproof phone box is a good option if you need frequent but not constant access to your phone while riding your jet ski and you have something to either attach it to or a storage compartment that it will fit in.
Option Three: Phone Case
The final option to protect your phone if you plan to take it with you when you ride a jet ski is to purchase a waterproof phone case. A waterproof phone case has the added advantage that it may allow you to have easier or more frequent access to your phone while riding your jet ski, however, it may be less secure than the other two potential options. This is one of the best options if you have a storage compartment right in front of your handlebars.
One thing that makes a waterproof phone case less secure is that most phone cases advertised as being waterproof are actually water-resistant. In order to best ensure that your phone is fully waterproof, thus fully safe while riding your jet ski, you should make sure that the phone is safe for a period of at least sixty minutes and that the case is approved to be waterproof in a depth of at least four to six feet of water. If your phone is any deeper, you may need snorkel gear or diving gear to see it. If it is lost for over an hour, chances are you will not find it with the tide, depth, or current.
Another important safety tip you may want to consider if you are picking out a waterproof phone case is to select a case in a bright or neon color. This will be useful if something were to happen and your phone were to fall off the jet ski because it would make it easier to find your phone in the water. Prices for these cases follow a wide range depending largely on how much of a safety guarantee you want and what type of phone you have.
If you are most interested in the waterproof phone case but worried because it does not secure to your jet ski like the two other options do then you may want to consider a cord to attach the phone to the jet ski. Cords can be clipped onto the jet ski and pulled into the phone or attached to the phone case in a way that will make it harder for your phone to fall off of the jet ski. However, the security of these cords is not as highly rated as the security of the two previously mentioned options, but the combination of a cord and the right water proof phone case could ensure that your phone is both easily accessible and safe when riding your jet ski.
Conclusion
Ultimately, taking your phone with you when you ride your jet ski can be a bit risky or dangerous but there are quite a few ways you can prepare and keep your phone safe from water damage or from being lost in the water altogether that do not require you to leave your phone on shore.
In order to understand which method of protecting your phone is best for you, you should consider how frequently you will need access to your phone, what your budget is, and the amount of or type of space that you have aboard your jet ski to store your phone. An additional consideration may be whether you have other items to protect from the water when riding your jet ski. Ultimately by answering these questions you will be able to best determine whether a dry bag, a waterproof box, or a waterproof case with safety cable is the best option for you while riding your jet ski. No matter which option you choose, your phone should be safer aboard your jet ski.
