Why I Started Taking Music Into the Lake (And You Should Too)

I’ll be honest-when my buddy first told me he listens to podcasts while swimming, I laughed. “What’s next, a TV on the handlebars?” I said. That was two years ago. Now I’m the one fumbling with a waterproof case before dawn patrol at the reservoir, trying to find the right playlist before the sun creeps over the ridge. How things change.

I’ve been a mountain biker, skier, and hiker long enough to know that gear evolves fast. But swimming? That felt sacred. Pure. Just me, the water, and the sound of my own breath. I didn’t want to mess with that. Then I nearly got clipped by a wakeboard boat because I couldn’t hear it coming, and I started rethinking everything.

The Myth of Total Silence

We outdoor types love to romanticize quiet. Trail runners talk about “the sound of nothing.” Skiers brag about those silent powder mornings. But the truth is, most of our sports are noisy. When I’m bombing a singletrack, I hear chain slap, tire hum, wind noise. When I’m snowboarding through trees, there’s the crunch of snow and the hiss of my board. Those sounds are part of my situational awareness-they tell me what’s coming.

Swimming has always been the outlier. In the water, you’re cut off. That can be meditative, sure. It can also be dangerous. A boat, a paddleboarder, another swimmer-you won’t hear them until they’re right on top of you. I learned that lesson the hard way, and it made me open to trying something I’d dismissed: bone conduction headphones.

What Bone Conduction Actually Does

If you haven’t tried them, here’s the short version: they sit just in front of your ears and send sound through your cheekbones, leaving your ear canals wide open. You can hear your music or podcast and the world around you. For swimming, that’s a game-changer. You keep your awareness while adding a layer of motivation or distraction, depending on your mood.

I use mine for all sorts of water sessions now:

• Early morning lake swims - something upbeat to wake me up while I can still hear the loons calling.
• Long pool laps - a podcast keeps my mind from wandering into boredom territory.
• Cold water acclimation - breathing exercises or calm music help me relax instead of panicking.
• Open water crossings - I can hear boats and other swimmers while still getting my audio fix.

What I’ve Learned From Real Use

I’ve tested a few different setups over the past couple seasons, and here’s what actually matters:

1. Fit is everything. If the headphones shift when you turn your head or dive, they’re useless. Look for something that stays put even during flip turns.
2. Don’t skimp on waterproofing. Splash-resistant won’t cut it. You need IP68 or equivalent-something that can handle full submersion for an hour or more.
3. Battery life needs to outlast your session. I aim for at least 6 hours. Nothing kills the vibe like dead headphones halfway across a lake.
4. Plan your content ahead. No phone, no signal, no streaming. Download everything before you hit the water. I keep a dedicated “water playlist” and a few podcast episodes queued up.

Where This Is Heading

The tech is still evolving, but I’m excited about what’s coming. Imagine bone conduction headphones that give you real-time stroke feedback. Or ones that automatically lower the volume when a boat approaches. Or a single pair that works for swimming, skiing, and mountain biking without missing a beat. That’s not far off.

For now, I’m just happy to have found a way to stay connected without losing my connection to the water. I still do silent swims sometimes-when I want to hear nothing but my breath and the waves. But having the option to bring sound along? That’s freedom. That’s control. That’s the kind of choice I want in all my outdoor adventures.

So next time you’re standing at the water’s edge, give it a try. You might find that adding a little sound doesn’t take anything away-it just gives you more ways to be present.