The SeaLife SportDiver Underwater Smartphone Housing is SeaLife’s answer to the growing demand for dive phone cases for smartphones. The SeaLife phone case is using the ‘case + app’ approach that requires users to download an app, connect their phone via bluetooth to the housing and then setting up the dive case.
So is this dive phone case the right one for you? Find out in this comprehensive SeaLife Phone Case Review for 2024.
Table of Contents
Overview of the SeaLife Phone Case
Featuring a sturdy and reliable build from high quality materials and large buttons, the SeaLife phone case allows divers to bring their smartphone to a depth of up to 130 ft / 40 m. The SeaLife phone case is widely compatible with different smartphones including almost all Android models and all iPhone models from the iPhone 8 onwards.
Their SportDiver app is available for Android and iOS. The app is needed to use the underwater housing in any case. To set up the dive case you have to make sure the required AAA batteries have enough charge and the desiccant packs called Moisture Munchers are fresh enough to absorb enough moisture.
The next step includes closing the case with the smartphone inside, pumping out remaining air with a vacuum pump and running the leak test that takes 3 minutes to complete. If all is well, you are ready to dive. If the leak alarm sounds, you have to go through these steps again, making sure the Moisture Munchers are fresh, the air pumped out and the seal not compromised.
The SportDiver app maps the buttons of the SeaLife phone case to the camera functions. On their homepage, SeaLife advises that most camera settings and lenses of different smartphones will be available in the app, while some might be unavailable.
Noteworthy are the travel case, the red filter and the vacuum pump that come with the dive case, so there are no extra accessories required to get started using the SeaLife case.
Pros and Cons
In a rush? Here is a short list of pros and cons for the SeaLife Phone Case + the link to buy it.
✔ Pros
✘ Cons
✔ Depth Rated For Recreational Activities (max. 130 ft / 40 m)
✔ Compatible with most Android and iPhone models
✔ Travel Case Included
✔ Detachable Red Filter Included
✔ Large Buttons for Improved Control Even With Gloves
✔ Dual Leak Alarm to Prevent Flooding
✔ Annual Maintenance When Purchasing Extended Warranty
✘ Additional App Needed
✘ Electronic components
✘ Bluetooth connection needed
✘ Needs Separate AAA batteries
✘ Needs Regular Replacement of Moisture Munchers
✘ Not All Camera Settings and Lenses Work in the App
Key Features and Benefits
Excellent Build and Design
With large buttons that can be easily pressed even when wearing gloves the SeaLife case scores in the design category. Due to the use of polycarbonate, stainless steel and aluminum it is fair to say that quality materials have been used to produce a robust and durable smartphone housing.
The weight of 1.41 lb / 639 g reflects this use of quality materials, while making it slightly heavier than other dive phone cases on the market.
Depth Rated For Recreational Activities
With a depth rating of only 130 ft / 40m the SeaLife case is aimed at recreational divers, snorkelers and swimmers not surpassing this depth. While this is a sufficient depth rating, I will explain in the section ‘My Personal Experience’ why I think the depth rating of underwater smartphone housings should be even higher.
Extended Warranty with Annual Maintenance
A unique service offering in the world of dive phone cases is the extended warranty that can be purchased at a price of 39.95 USD for one additional year or 59.95 USD for two additional years. If you purchase this extended warranty, SeaLife will inspect, test, clean and replace spare parts of your SportDiver case once per year. This saves you from cumbering with your dive case yourself and boosts confidence that the housing will keep your smartphone safe at all times.
Included Accessories
It is nice to see, that SeaLife sends out every SportDiver case with a travel box, a wrist lanyard, a red filter and the vacuum pump needed for set-up. This ensures that you do not need to spend additional bucks on purchasing accessories that are almost always useful and required for proper usage.
Limitations
No product review is complete with simply praising the good parts of a product. So here is a list of shortcomings and limitations of the SeaLife phone case.
Photos and Videos Only With the SportDiver App
It is necessary to download and use the SportDiver app to take photos and videos with the SeaLife phone case. While a dedicated app can potentially add useful functions to a smartphone in a dive case, it blocks some functions and in this case even lenses from being used. SeaLife states on their website, that camera functions might be available based on the smartphone model used.
In addition to this, users completely rely on SeaLife to implement all changes in hardward (lenses) and software (camera modes, recording settings, etc.) into the app – otherwise you will not be able to use them as you could with the native camera app of your phone. With this wide compatibility, it is probably difficult for SeaLife to always stay on top of new developments on the side of smartphone manufactures.
Electronic Components and Battery
The SeaLife Phone Case needs a bluetooth connection to function and has electronic parts built into the case. As I have mentioned many times on this blog, adding electronic parts to a dive case increases the likelihood of any of those parts failing, especially in wet environments.
The case also uses AAA batteries that have to be carried with you, should you need to replace them during a dive trip.
Needs Regular Replacement of Moisture Munchers
The SeaLife phone case uses desiccants named Moisture Munchers to soak up excess humidity inside the case. These Moisture Munchers need to be replaced frequently, with some users reporting that a daily change is necessary. If they are too old and do not soak up enough humidity, the case might fail its initial leak check and sound an alarm. A pack of 10 Moisture Munchers is available for around 20 USD on Amazon, which adds a significant extra cost to the maintenance of the SeaLife case.
Compatibility and Accessories
The SeaLife phone case is compatible with many smartphones including most Android models and all iPhone models from the iPhone 8 onwards. This makes the SeaLife SportDiver one of the most widely compatible smartphone dive housings. The only other phone housing offering even wider compatibility is the DIVEVOLK SeaTouch 4 Max that I also reviewed here on this blog.
SeaLife offers a range of accessories for their smartphone housing, ranging from additional color correction filters to different video lights and handles. If divers want to use different lenses or ports, they need to purchase the SportDiver 52 & 67mm Lens Adapter that allows mounting most lenses to the case. They also offer their own range of lenses including a wide angle lens, which can offset the limitations of using the wide angle lenses of your phone imposed by the app.
My Personal Experience with the SeaLife Phone Case
As of now, I have not had a chance to try the SeaLife phone case myself. This section is therefore based on my understanding of the features in the context of a typical dive day.
Since I am a big friend of wide compatibility, the SeaLife SportDiver is very appealing to me, as it is compatible with most newer smartphone models. Even though extra apps seem a bit cumbersome to me, I have to note that the SportDiver app is at least free of charge and does not urge users to complete any in-app purchases.
Furthermore I like the rang of accessories, giving me all possible set-ups I can think of and that basic accessories are even included right out of the box.
In my opinion, carrying spare batteries as well as Moisture Munchers creates scenarios in which I cannot use the case because I do not have enough spare parts.
Lastly, my personal preference is seeing a depth rating exceeding 130 feet / 40 meters. This is because I will get worried if I am on a deep dive that touches the 40m mark and I would rather see a conservative margin to that on every possible dive. After all, you never know what you will see on a dive and some of the most spectacular action happens at deeper depths.
For many divers, this might not be a limitation whatsoever and if you know that you are not going to explore the limits of recreational diving with this phone case, it might not bother you at all.
Online Reviews
I always aim to give you an extensive view on products and therefore I include summaries of online reviews in my articles. I intentionally never include reviews from a manufacturer’s online shop, as those reviews are easy to manipulate. The average rating on Amazon is 4.4 with more than 400 ratings for the SeaLife SportDiver.
Note that while the SeaLife case has more than 400 ratings on Amazon, only 7 of those are written reviews. This section is therefore based on the 7 written reviews available on Amazon at the time of writing.
Positive feedback centers on:
- Intuitive Interface: Reviewers admired the intuitive user interface and reliability of the app and the dive case.
- Photo Quality: Users reported excellent photo quality produced by the SeaLife SportDiver.
- Build To Last: The durable build and sturdiness of the housing was mentioned by users.
Negative aspects mentioned:
- Cumbersome Set-Up Process: Some users report initial difficulties with learning the set-up process and mention that many steps are required to make the case ready for a dive. This could potentially be even more difficult when getting the case ready on a boat just before a dive.
- Moisture Alarms: One user reported being unable to dive with his SeaLife case because he could not pass the leak test and turn of the moisture alarms, caused by using Moisture Munchers that were not replaced in time.
Pricing and Availability
The SeaLife Phone Case is priced at 349 USD on Amazon and at a slightly higher price in SeaLife’s own online shop. Looking at the price span of underwater phone housings in general, the SeaLife SportDiver is positioned in the medium range with prices ranging from around 150 – 500 USD.
Final Thoughts and Conclusion
The SeaLife phone case stars with universal compatibility and a wide range of accessories. While using the SportDiver app streamlines the experience for all users it also poses limitations on the functions of your smartphone camera.
Overall we are looking at a solid dive phone case here that is positioned in the medium price range, comes with valuable accessories and a unique optional warranty extension.
Divers will have to be prepared to understand and learn the set-up process and remember to bring all spare parts necessary to their dive holidays to ensure they can use the case without interruptions.
