A small family owned business, Underwater Audio started in 2011. We are proud to have served thousands of delighted customers, and to have helped make swimmers happy worlwide.
About Us
History
2011 | THE BEGINNING
Underwater Audio began as a direct response to a lack of available technology which left swimmers decades behind other athletes. Co-Founder Todd Walker suffered a back injury from a car crash and required subsequent physical therapy in the pool. He had dreamed of relief from what he humorously coined “the lap swimming blues,” which plagued his daily workouts.
In 2011, Todd developed a new proprietary technique for converting the wildly popular iPod Shuffle® into a 100% waterproof swimming companion. Todd quickly recruited his son, Scott, who would then jump-start their venture into the world of the waterproof tech business. In July of 2011, Scott and Todd sold their first 100% Waterproof iPod Shuffle.
2012 | PICKING UP STEAM
Underwater Audio's first year was explosive. While Todd was home in Corvallis, Oregon, running a manufacturing and shipping operation in his basement, Scott would frequently find himself stepping out of his classes at BYU to take customer service calls.
In recognition of the uncanny innovation and subsequent growth of the company he and his father had built over the past year, Scott was awarded first place in the Utah Student 25, an award recognizing student entrepreneurs and their success.
2013 | A FULL-TIME COMMITMENT
Scott graduated from BYU with a business degree and a full-fledged company on the rise. Due to the ongoing popularity of the Waterproofed iPod Shuffle, more hands were needed to keep up. Underwater Audio set up shop at its current headquarters.
2014 | SWIMBUDS SPORT
In October of 2014, Underwater Audio released Swimbuds Sport Headphones, an upgraded version of Swimbuds Classic. Swimbuds Sport became a triumph at the time and continues to stand as completely different and superior to anything else on the market.
2015 | READY, SET, LAUNCH!
Inspired by the success of the Swimbuds Sport headphones, Underwater Audio launched Swimbuds HydroActive as an alternative option.
In anticipation of the season of the iPod Shuffle coming to a close, Underwater Audio introduced what would eventually become an Amazon Best Seller, the SYRYN Waterproof MP3 player, with the intention of bringing music to a broader range of swimmers at a much lower price point.
2016 | AQUAGUARD
AquaGuard Pre-Swim Hair Defense was born and launched in February of 2016 and quickly became one of Underwater Audio’s most successful products and a necessity for swimmers interested in keeping their hair from turning green and crunchy.
2017 | THE DELPHIN
With technology progressing at an exponential rate, Underwater Audio had for years been acutely aware of the influx of people choosing to stream their music, as opposed to purchasing and owning music files. Underwater Audio, acknowledging this change, experimented with different ways to get music from your phone to your device while in the water. Over many tests, the founders learned that transmitting information wirelessly is really difficult while underwater. Instead, if the device itself had the apps and information on it directly, swimmers could achieve a seamless experience with apps while swimming. The Delphin kickstarter launched in February of 2017.
In July, the news Underwater Audio had expected for years finally arrived. The iPod Shuffle was officially discontinued. Following this unwelcome change, Underwater Audio fought to purchase as many of the remaining iPod Shuffles as were available.
2018 | MORE WAYS TO LISTEN
Underwater Audio introduced FitGoo, a unique mixture of tea tree oil, petroleum, and honey extract, which aids in creating a natural, watertight seal between a swimmer's ear and their earbuds.
2019 | PROGRESSION
In July, the product of eight years of customer feedback and technology came together with the introduction of two new pairs of headphones. The Swimbuds Flip: designed to be worn during flip turns and ‘upside down’.
2020 | ADAPT, IMPROVE, UPDATE
With an unforgettable roller coaster of a year, the team at Underwater Audio figured out how to adapt, work safely, and/or work from home.
While everything was a jumble, it allowed the team to think more creatively, and many products and services found themselves getting updated and refreshed. While it might have felt like the world was on pause, Underwater Audio was working on new products in the background and getting ready to launch in 2021.
AquaGuard Kid's was officially launched near the end of the year.
2022 | TO BE CONTINUED…
We're always working on something new. We can't wait to share our newest creations with you when they're ready!
Our Team
Our Employees are awesome! We have a small staff for a global company, but we work hard and are happy to provide our customers with great service and products!
We provide full-time, year round jobs and have been able to adapt with the pandemic precautions to allow members of our staff to work from home. We of course look forward to when we can all return to the office, we miss our at-home employees’ faces! Underwater Audio is based in a small college town, and is also able to provide very flexible jobs to students and help out with their crazy schedules.
We try to keep the Underwater Audio community feeling like a true family and hope you feel truly welcome here with us!
Our Advantage
OUR PRODUCTS ARE DESIGNED WITH YOU IN MIND
You speak, we listen. As a company, Underwater Audio is dedicated to creating products which fulfill the needs of our customers. Our devices are designed to be lightweight and small in order to resist drag while swimming. Each set of headphones comes with a wide range of ear tips to help you to achieve the best fit and sound possible.
OUR PRODUCTS ARE 100% WATERPROOF
IPX8 water-sealed and completely submersible up to 10 feet, our devices are durable and suited for any wet or dry environment. Except the iPod Shuffle, our products are made -- inside and out -- to be entirely waterproof. Go ahead and unplug your headphones underwater—these devices don’t mind! Each product passes submersion and integrity tests before being shipped to you. We fully test each of our products in salt, fresh, and chlorinated water. So sweat on it, dunk it, swim with it, or surf with it! They won’t mind.
HEADPHONES - PERFECT WATERTIGHT SEAL, HIGH QUALITY SOUND
Understanding that ears are all different shapes and sizes, we send each pair of headphones with a large variety of ear tips. To create a perfect water-tight seal, all you need is the right pair. Once you find the right fit for your ear and your needs, your music-listening will be seamless!
Our headphones are designed with the intention of guaranteed quality in both sound and function.
YOU CAN FINALLY LISTEN TO SPOTIFY AND OTHER APP SERVICES IN THE WATER
More and more people are transitioning from owning their own music to using streaming apps, especially while working out. Underwater Audio responded to this paradigm shift by creating the Delphin. The Delphin provides the only way to listen to music, audiobooks, and podcasts in the water, and it is darn good at what it does!
YOU CAN JOIN OTHER ATHLETES IN SWIMMING WITH MUSIC
Athletes choose Underwater Audio because we design our products specifically to meet their needs. Our waterproofing technology, used in both our headphones and devices, enables you to listen to music, podcasts, and audiobooks. Thousands of people using our products every day continuously vouch for their reliability and usability. Made to endure hours of adventures: swimming, surfing, and anything in-between, our products are chosen time and time again for just that reason.