Waterproof Walkie Talkies

How Waterproof Is Your Marine Radio?

I was in the checkout line of a local marine store after purchasing some new deck shoes. I like to retire my good casuals right as they're on the verge of the downhill slide to becoming "knock arounds". I had been looking for a certain pair for almost a year and my ship finally came in. I got the exact shoes I was holding out for and snagged them at discount as well. A no-brainer for sure!

As I waited for the cashier to do whatever it is that they do, as your credit card is charged and your paperwork prepared for signature. This is 90% automated so I don't feel bad for the cashiers. Right at my side in an impulse basket, was a pile of handheld marine radios advertised as waterproof. Wow I thought, the permanent cases for small waterproof VHF radios are about $25 bucks. Upon closer inspection I read that they could stay immersed in up to 2 ft. of water for as long as 3 minutes. That's not waterproof to me - it's a waste of money. With a small Ewa-Marine waterproof walkie talkie pouch you can leave them in the water for as long as needed to retrieve them or use them for that matter, since there's only a .5% loss of signal with the radio in the case.

Don't waste your money or trust your life on a cheap radio marked waterproof. Be sure and put it in a 100% waterproof case, they're cheap insurance!