Aquapac water-proof pouch review

June 16, 2014

Aquapac water-proof pouch review

We all have those awesome adventures that we wish we could have recorded. It could be jumping of a cliff in to water or a wild ride at Sea World. these moments would have been great on video. One problem, most of them involve water, and electronics don't tend to like water. So what do you do? well if you happen to have a few hundred dollars to burn you could buy the famous Go pro camera, spend a few extra hundred on buying all the adapters and harnesses you need and then go on your adventure. However more than likely you don't have that type of cash to burn. Allow me to present a solution to your problem, it is not a Go pro by a long shot, however, if adventure is your middle name? this piece of gear will satisfy your need to get that awesome shot of you doing that back flip in to the swimming hole.

Here are the specs:

Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.5 x 0.8 inches.
Submersible up to 15 feet.
Its made out of a UV-stabilized TPU material that won't be broken down or discolored by sunlight.

It is really a quite simple contraption, you place your camera or phone in the bag, flip down the locks, make sure its sealed and you are good to go. I have taken this pouch everywhere. From the steamy summer woods of Tennessee to the coarse water filled Cenotes of Yucatan Mexico and it has yet to fail me.

The first test I did was upon receiving it, I filled the sink in my bathroom. placed the camera inside, said a little prayer and cringed as I submerged my brand new Flip camera. No bubbles, Thank god. I submerged it a couple more times, all the while my camera stayed dry as a bone. I was glad that it survived this very easy and simple test, however, I knew that I did not get this thing in order to film in my sink. I wanted to be able to record with out limits so I figured a more "real world" test was in order. Fast forward a week or so and I now found my self on top of a 12 foot boulder looking down on the hypnotizing blue of the swimming hole below. As I gripped my camera the lanyard dangled from the pouch as it connected to my wrist. I figured if there was ever a test, this would be it. The swimming hole easily reached over 10 feet in depth and with my weight, and velocity I would reach from this height, I was sure I would come close to reaching the bottom once I jumped. I took a breath, let out a shout and plummeted in to the deep blue. Bubbles rushed past my face as I sunk down. when I reached the surface, I realized that my camera was still dry and I now had some awesome footage. The test was passed.

Took the pouch paddle boarding on the TN River.

Since then I have taken this pouch on every type of water I can think off. Fresh, salt, and chlorine, this pouch has survived it all and given me great footage. I love its flexibility, since it is not a rigid hard case designed for a specific model, you can store more than just your camera in it. In this day and age most people use their phones as their cameras, and they will be glad to hear that this pouch is good for that too, I say good and not great because the pouch does make the touch screen functionality of phones a bit gimmicky but not impossible. Over the years my pouch begun to build up a small amount of haze on the inside, I realized this when my footage begun to look a bit cloudy. I am not sure what that is from, but a quick wipe with some Windex cleared it right out. I also discovered that if you allow a little bit of air to get in before you seal the pouch, it will actually float. The case will also keep sand and dirt off but be careful when you open it when wet, I have dripped water in to it while taking my camera out before.

I do feel that I must state the obvious, It is not a hard case, so be careful. I have foolishly been too confident with it and allowed it to knock against rocks and other objects. The vinyl is pretty thick so thankfully it did not puncture, how ever a person most use caution.

Waving at the river tour as it passed by.

Over all this peace of gear is a must have. It is great for the casual adventurer that likes to document his/her feats. If you are looking more in to adventure film making and documentaries I would recommend a more sturdy hard case, as you will have more control of your gear with proper equipment. I give this pouch a 4 out of 5 stars, it does what it claims and compared to other ways to get water footage, this is the most affordable. I hope you enjoyed this review and let me know if there is any questions or specs you may want to know.