For kayaking, a splash rating covers paddle drip and spray but not a capsize. Because IPX8 conditions vary, check the depth and time the maker actually states. Older iPhones, for example, are IP67, which Apple defines as a maximum depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. For the bigger picture, see waterproof vs. water-resistant.
How to Keep Your Phone Dry While Kayaking
How-to Kayaking
Dry is half the job. The other half is making sure the phone is still with you after a capsize.
Seal your phone in a case or bag made for submersion, carry it on your body rather than loose in the boat, and treat the phone's own water rating as a backup. Those three layers handle splash, a capsize, and the swim that follows.
Layered protection
The three layers that keep a phone dry, and with you
Each layer covers a different way phones get lost on the water: splash, submersion, or drifting away. Tags show where each point comes from.
1The phone itself
Its IP rating, if it has one
- Helps with
- Accidental splashes and exposure within its rated depth and time Apple
- Not for
- Swimming, intentional submersion, high-velocity water Apple; salt water Samsung
- Watch
- Wears down over time Apple; cracks reduce it Samsung
2A sealed case or bag
Made for submersion, not just splash
- Helps with
- Capsize and full immersion, if its rating or maker says it's submersible TÜV / maker
- Not for
- A closure you didn't finish sealing, or a phone sealed in damp
- Watch
- Test it before every season; check the closure each time
3On you
Worn on your body, not loose in the boat
- Helps with
- Keeping the phone with you, and reachable, if you and the boat separate RNLI
- Not for
- Replacing a life jacket or other safety gear
- Watch
- It should stay put through a swim and not snag
Organized by SKÖ from Apple, Samsung, TÜV Rheinland and RNLI guidance. Untagged cells are SKÖ's practical reasoning, not a sourced rule.
Decoder
What the water-rating codes actually mean
The second digit of an IP code (IEC 60529) is the water part. Definitions from TÜV Rheinland's IP-testing page.
- IPX4
- Splashing from all directions
- IPX7
- Immersion to 1 m
- IPX8
- More severe than IPX7, conditions set by the maker
- No code
- Read the maker's own claim closely
Routine
Before you launch: five steps
-
Match the protection to the water
On calm water close to shore, splash is the main exposure. On moving water, open water or anywhere you might swim, use a case or bag made for submersion. Maryland's paddling guidance tells kayakers to expect to capsize and swim occasionally.
Why: a splash-rated case isn't built for immersion.
-
Test it at home
Put a folded paper towel inside the closed, empty case or bag and hold it under water in a sink for a minute. A dry towel means the closure works.
Why: a leak found at home costs nothing; one found mid-paddle costs a phone.
-
Seal the phone in dry
Wipe the phone and the inside of the case dry first, and close it in dry air, not on a damp beach after a swim.
Why: moisture sealed in has nowhere to go and can fog the window. See why phone cases fog up.
-
Wear it
Carry the sealed phone on your body, where a capsize can't separate you from it, as the RNLI advises. Compare ways to carry a phone, wallet and keys.
Why: a phone in a cockpit pocket floats or sinks with the boat.
-
Close it fully, every time
After each photo, reseal it before you pick up the paddle. Check that zippers sit fully closed and roll-tops have their full folds.
Why: a waterproof bag is only waterproof when it's closed.
Recovery
If your phone gets wet anyway
What Apple and Samsung tell owners to do. Follow your own phone maker's instructions first.
Check 1Was it salt water, or anything other than fresh water?
Yes: Samsung says to wash the phone with fresh water, then dry it thoroughly with a clean, soft cloth. Apple says to rinse with tap water if another liquid got on it.
No: Apple says to wipe it with a soft, lint-free cloth. Then go to check 2.
Check 2Do you need to charge it soon?
Yes: wait. Apple says to let an iPhone air-dry for at least 5 hours before charging it.
No: let it air-dry. Apple says not to use an external heat source or insert foreign objects into the ports.
Sources: Apple Support; Samsung Support. Flow organized by SKÖ.
Questions
Phone and kayak FAQ
Is a waterproof phone case enough, or do I need a dry bag too?
For the phone, a case or pouch made for submersion is the key layer, as long as it's sealed and on you. A dry bag is for bulkier gear: clothes, food, a first-aid kit. A phone in a big dry bag tied to the boat stays with the boat, not with you.
Can I use the touchscreen through a waterproof case?
Usually, though response through a plastic window can be less sensitive, and wet screens add their own problems. Try it dry at home before the trip. If it won't respond, see why touchscreens stop working in waterproof cases.
Is my IP68 phone waterproof enough to kayak without a case?
Not by its makers' own guidance. Apple advises against swimming with an iPhone and against high-velocity water, and Samsung says not to expose Galaxy phones to salt water. Treat the rating as a backup to a sealed case.
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