Freestyle Fusion Waterproof Surfing MP3 Player

The year was 1984, and since no Orwellian nightmare scenario had blemished my carefree high school fancy, my mind roamed free to wonder about the edges of modern technology. Would it be possible, I thought, for Sony to make a watertight Walkman cassette player? My God! I could surf and rock in one fell swoop.

A device like this would enable me to rip into cutties to the opening riff of The Untouchables Wild Child, ride the tube to the sonic drive of The Cult’s She Sells Sanctuary, or even throw myself into a spastic, loosely Curren-esque, full-tilt, head pivot to an INXS disco beat. Nah…That could never happen, I conceded, as I drifted music-less into the future. We will never be that advanced.

Ka-Boom! The Freestyle Fusion drops like an atom bomb on surfers who really love their tunes. Subtract the caveman cassette tape from my 80’s surf-rock-opera fantasy and add the blinding future shock of the digital age, and you've got this little nugget that boasts a built-in flash memory (128MB, 256MB or 512MB )and is totally waterproof down to 10 feet. Depending on file size, it can hold either 80 or 160 (MP3) songs, which are easily downloaded via a USB cable. It is compatible with a PC or a Mac and packs 40 hours of playtime per charge.

The Review

I opened the box and fiendishly emptied my hard drive of all its pirated musical booty. I packed over 100 MP3’s into the Fusion. With only four over-sized buttons that allow easy manipulation of volume and music files, an extra long headphone chord to hide under your wetsuit, rubber earplugs that fit firmly, and a plastic clip and neoprene case to keep it secure in the midst of even the most radical of maneuvers, I was excited to give it a go.

After securing the MP3 player on to my arm, I paddled out for a session down at Vilano Beach, a fun Florida shore pound guaranteed to tug and rip and fully test the Fusion’s water savvy.

Throughout the session, I jammed out to everything from Outkast and Prince to The Libertines and Tom Waits while pulling into sandy barrels and busting some lengthy flotillas. The earplugs remained snug with only minimal movement.

There is part of me that feels uneasy about surfing without contact with the outside sound waves of the surf world, but overall, the Fusion works well.

However, the waterproof ear buds left me in want of a little more boom. Using other headgear with the Fusion while on land provided a bit of needed boost.

It felt slightly unnatural during my first session. Later, after surfing a few more times that week with the Fusion, I became more comfortable but felt uneasy in a crowd. Solo dawn patrols, on the other hand, were an utter pleasure to the beat of Bob Marley’s Rastaman Vibration.

The Verdict

Overall, the Fusion rips and bumps and bangs and lives up to industry claims. I have surfed about 5 sessions to date and am satisfied with the sound and performance as well as the easy rechargeable feature. Plug in the USB cable to charge or download, throw on your board shorts, and go surfing. Although I would like a little more volume in the water, the music is crystal clear, and I really like the simple, over-sized buttons (easy to use while in the lineup). Its compact size and solid, waterproof construction make this little unit a great addition to any surf trip.