Best Waterproof Walkie Talkie for Swimmers: Pool to Lake

The best waterproof walkie talkie for swimmers is the Gaswei G2pro+ IP67 Waterproof Floating FRS walkie talkies, a 6.88 oz pair with a sealed IP67 casing, a floating body, and a 2-year warranty. If you need a longer warranty and a six-pack for a bigger crew, the Retevis RB48 steps up with a 5-year radio-body warranty and a 2000mAh battery good for a claimed 20 hours. Neither is a dive radio, and no radio in this set is: the point of a waterproof walkie talkie for swimmers is surviving the drop, not the depth.

Best waterproof walkie talkie for swimmers at a glance

Who this guide is not for

If you were hoping to press a talk button underwater and be heard, close the tab. No handheld FRS or GMRS radio in this set transmits from beneath the surface, and none of the listings claim it can. Radio waves at these frequencies do not travel usefully through water, and the microphone diaphragm cannot move a column of water the way it moves air. A waterproof walkie talkie for swimmers is really a waterproof walkie talkie for people around swimmers: the lifeguard on the deck, the coach on the dock, the safety kayaker shadowing an open-water group, the parent at the pool edge.

That reframe changes what matters. You are not chasing an underwater rating. You are chasing three things: a seal tight enough to survive full submersion when the radio is dropped, a body that floats so you can retrieve it, and enough visibility to spot it on grey water. The picks below all deliver at least one of those. Only some deliver all three.

How I narrowed seven radios from the listings

I compared the published specifications and feature claims side by side, then cut on three grounds.

1. Ingress rating. Anything without a published IP rating or an IPX7 claim was out. A splash rating like IP54 stays in only if the buyer profile makes sense (poolside, not open water).
2. Retrieval. A sealed radio that sinks is a lost radio. Listings that explicitly claim a floating structure went to the top of the shortlist.
3. Set fit. I kept a mix of pair, four-pack, and six-pack options so the guide covers a solo swimmer, a family, and a crew.

Two disqualifications did the most work. The Cobra RX680 kept its slot only because IP54 fits the poolside profile: I would not put it on a kayak. The pxton 999S kept its slot because it offers four radios with headphone jacks for shore-based coordination, but its listing does not publish an IP rating, so it is a coordinator's radio, not a swimmer's.

The picks are ranked by how well the published specifications match the swimmer-adjacent use case, with the winner leading and the six others ordered by fit, not by price position.

1. Gaswei G2pro+ IP67 Waterproof Floating FRS walkie talkies — Best overall

A sealed, floating pair at 6.88 oz that hits the three things a swimmer's shore team actually needs.

Best for: open-water paddlers who need a sealed, floating radio for surface calls Skip it if: you want to transmit from underwater

The G2pro+ pair wins this set on fit, not on flash. IP67 means the casing is sealed against dust and rated for temporary immersion, and Gaswei says the design floats and uses a shatterproof housing. At 6.88 oz per unit and 7 x 1.5 x 2.36 in, it sits in the middle of the pack for size and near the light end for weight, which matters when it clips to a swim buoy tether or a PFD strap. The listing publishes a 2-year warranty, one of only three warranties in this set that comes attached to a specific number of years rather than a paragraph.

Feature-wise, Gaswei claims 22 FRS channels, 121 privacy codes, NOAA weather channels, and a nine-level VOX. FRS is licence-free in the US, which is the right pick for a family or club that does not want paperwork. The trade-off against the Retevis RB48 is warranty length and pack size: two radios versus six, and two years versus five on the body.

Pros:

• IP67 sealed casing with a floating body
• Light 6.88 oz per unit in a 2-pack
• 2-year warranty stated on the listing
• 22 FRS channels, licence-free
• Nine VOX sensitivity levels claimed

Cons:

• Only a pair, so a family of four needs two boxes
• No published battery runtime figure
• Warranty is shorter than the two Retevis picks

2. Retevis RB48 2 Way Radio Long Range — Best premium

A six-pack IP67 radio with the longest published warranty in this set and a MIL-STD-810H durability claim.

Best for: boating crews who want a six-pack with the longest warranty in the set Skip it if: you only need a single radio for solo swims

The RB48 is the biggest commitment here: a six-pack at 1.61 lb per set-weight figure, 7.1 x 1.3 x 2.4 in per unit, and the most expensive pick in this line-up. What you get for the outlay is scale and paperwork. Retevis publishes a 5-year warranty on the radio body and 1 year on accessories, longer than any other listing in this set, plus a 30-day return window. The brand says the RB48 passed 19 MIL-STD-810H tests including immersion, rain, salt fog, and vibration. Treat that as an attributed claim, not a lab result you can rerun.

Where the RB48 beats the winner is on team size and battery. Retevis says the 2000mAh battery delivers up to 20 hours of use, and the large front PTT button is glove-friendly, which matters when you are wet and cold after a swim leg. The trade-off is weight, price position, and the fact that most swim groups do not need six radios. If yours does, this is the pick.

Pros:

• Six radios per pack for a full crew
• 5-year warranty on the radio body
• 2000mAh battery, up to 20 hours claimed
• MIL-STD-810H durability claim
• Large PTT usable with wet gloves

Cons:

• The most expensive pick in this set
• Overkill for a solo swimmer or a pair
• Heaviest configuration to carry

3. Retevis RB48A IP67 Waterproof Walkie Talkies — Best for heavy use

A screenless IP67 radio Retevis claims runs up to 23 hours per charge, with a floating body.

Best for: long shifts on the water where a 23-hour runtime claim matters Skip it if: you want a screen to see the channel at a glance

The RB48A is the RB48's screenless sibling, and it is the only radio in this set built around a runtime argument. Retevis says removing the screen delivers 35% longer runtime than the RB48, up to 23 hours on a 90/5/5 duty cycle. That is a manufacturer figure, but the trade is real: no display power draw, no display to read. If your swim group runs dawn-to-dusk safety patrols on a lake, the runtime beats the screen. IP67 sealing, a floating structure, and high-visibility colour are all in the listing.

Retevis also claims two-way noise reduction to cut wind and crowd noise, which matters on a windy shore, and a large front PTT sized for gloves. The 5-year body warranty carries over from the RB48. The trade-off against the winner is the missing screen: you set channels by feel and by count, and if the radio wanders off channel you cannot see it happen. For a fixed-channel crew that leaves the dial alone, that is a non-issue.

Pros:

• Up to 23 hours runtime claim
• IP67 sealing plus floating body
• High-visibility colour for retrieval
• 5-year warranty on the radio body
• Glove-friendly front PTT

Cons:

• No screen, so channel state is invisible
• Weight and pack size not published on the listing
• Runtime is a manufacturer duty-cycle figure

4. Cobra RX680 Walkie Talkies — Best for families

A splashproof IP54 pair with 60 preset channels and Cobra's Vibralert, sized for poolside coordination.

Best for: poolside parents who need splash protection, not submersion Skip it if: the radio is likely to be dropped into deep water

The RX680 is the only pick here rated IP54 rather than IP67 or IPX7, and that decides everything about who it is for. IP54 means dust-protected and splash-resistant from any direction, but not sealed against immersion. Drop it in the pool and it can flood. Wear it on the deck in a rain shower, get it splashed by a cannonball, or clip it to a swim bag that gets set down on a wet tile floor, and it should be fine. Cobra publishes a 1 lb pair weight, 3.54 x 10.9 x 6.89 in packaged dimensions, and a limited 1-year warranty.

What earns the family slot is the feature set aimed at coordination rather than survival: 22 FRS channels plus 38 pre-programmed channel/privacy code combinations for 60 presets total, NOAA weather channels, VOX, and the patented Vibralert vibration cue for incoming calls in noisy pool halls. The trade-off is obvious: no floating claim, no IP67, and you should not take it near open water.

Pros:

• 60 preset channel combinations
• Vibralert vibration cue for noisy venues
• VOX for hands-free calls
• 22 FRS channels, licence-free
• NOAA weather channels

Cons:

• IP54 only, not rated for immersion
• No floating design claim
• Shortest warranty of the branded picks

5. Gaswei G2pro+ 4-Pack — Best for beginners

The winner's four-pack sibling, with a 3-year warranty and dual PTT buttons for left- and right-handed users.

Best for: groups of four learning the ropes with dual PTT and a three-year warranty Skip it if: two radios would cover your crew

If the winner is right but you need four radios instead of two, this is the same platform in a bigger box. Same 7 x 1.5 x 2.36 in body, same IP67 floating claim, same G2pro Plus model number. The differences the listing publishes are the count, the yellow-only colour, and a 3-year warranty rather than 2 years. Gaswei calls out a dual PTT design so both left-handed and right-handed users can find the button without thinking, which is genuinely useful when you are handing radios out to a new group at the start of a session.

Beginners are the right audience because a four-pack drops the cost per person and the dual PTT lowers the learning curve. The trade-off against the two-pack winner is the price position: this is the most expensive Gaswei configuration, and the second most expensive pick overall. If two radios is all you need, buy the pair. If you are outfitting a family of four or a small swim club, buy this.

Pros:

• Four radios per pack for a group
• IP67 sealing and floating body
• 3-year warranty on the listing
• Dual PTT for left- or right-handed use
• 22 FRS channels, licence-free

Cons:

• Second most expensive pick in this set
• Overkill if a pair would do
• Yellow only, no colour choice

6. Cobra ACXT1037R FLT Floating Walkie Talkie — Best budget pick

A single 5.6 oz IPX7 floating radio with a rewind feature that replays the last 20 seconds.

Best for: adding one floating IPX7 radio to a set you already own Skip it if: you need a matched pair out of the box

The ACXT1037R FLT is the cheapest pick here and the only single-radio listing. That framing matters: it is not a starter kit, it is an add-on. If you already have a Cobra radio at home and want a floating one for the kayak, this is the one to grab. IPX7 means it is rated for temporary immersion, and Cobra says the orange core floats to make retrieval easy. At 5.6 oz, it is the lightest radio in this set by a clear margin, and the 7.5 x 1.5 x 2.4 in body is roughly the same footprint as the Gaswei.

The stand-out feature is Rewind-Say-Again, which automatically records the last 20 seconds of incoming audio. That is genuinely useful when you miss a call because you had your head underwater. NOAA weather, VOX, and 22 FRS channels round out the list. Cobra publishes a 1-year manufacturer warranty and a 2025 release date. The trade-off is the count of one: you need someone at the other end for a radio to be useful.

Pros:

• Single-unit configuration for add-on buyers
• Lightest at 5.6 oz
• IPX7 rated with floating orange core
• Rewind-Say-Again replays 20 seconds
• NOAA weather receiver

Cons:

• Only one radio in the box
• 1-year warranty, shorter than most
• No paired set option here

7. pxton 999S 4-Pack — Most versatile

A four-radio GMRS set with headphone jacks, useful for shore coordinators around swimmers rather than in the water.

Best for: shore-based coordinators who want four radios and headphone jacks Skip it if: the radio will actually go in the water

The pxton 999S is the odd one out, and the listing is honest about it: there is no published IP rating. That is why it lands last for a swimmer-focused guide. It stays in the set because a swim event is not just swimmers. Coaches, timers, and safety spotters on the shore need radios too, and the 999S is a four-pack with headphones included, a 1500mAh battery pxton says charges in 2 to 3 hours, USB charging, NOAA weather scan across ten channels, and GMRS repeater compatibility for longer range.

At 3.22 lb for the four-pack and 9.6 x 1.2 x 2.2 in per unit, it is the largest configuration here. The warranty language is 30 days for returns with lifetime after-sales service, which is a policy statement rather than a stated warranty term. Treat this as the coordinator's radio: it sits on the deck, connects to a headset for quiet comms, and never touches the water. Pair it with a floating IP67 pick for anyone who might.

Pros:

• Four radios with headphones included
• GMRS repeater compatibility for longer range
• USB charging, 2 to 3 hour charge time claim
• NOAA weather scan across 10 channels
• Lifetime after-sales service policy

Cons:

• No IP rating published on the listing
• Heaviest configuration in this set
• Not suitable for water immersion

What does IP67 actually mean for swimmers?

IP67 is the rating you want to see on a waterproof walkie talkie for swimmers, and knowing what the two digits promise saves you from overpaying or under-buying.

• The 6 means the casing is fully sealed against dust. Sand at the beach, chalk dust at a pool deck, and grit on a lake shore cannot get inside.
• The 7 means the casing withstands temporary immersion in up to 1 metre of fresh water for 30 minutes under standard test conditions.

That is drop-and-retrieve protection, not swim-with-it protection. Four of the seven picks here publish IP67 (both Gaswei configurations and both Retevis models). The Cobra ACXT1037R FLT publishes IPX7, which is the same immersion figure without a rated dust digit. The Cobra RX680 is IP54, which is splash-only. The pxton 999S publishes no IP rating at all. Match the digit to the risk: pool deck buys you IP54, dropped in the lake buys you IP67 or IPX7, and no rating buys you nothing you can rely on.

Do any of these work while submerged?

No. None of these radios work while submerged, and none of the listings claim they do. FRS and GMRS radios transmit in the 462 to 467 MHz band, and those frequencies attenuate sharply the moment the antenna is under water. Even if the microphone could pick up a voice through a diaphragm covered in water, the signal would not carry more than a few centimetres from the antenna. The radios in this set are built to survive being submerged so you can pick them up and use them again on the surface, not to transmit from underwater.

If your use case is genuinely underwater voice communication, you are looking at diver-specific hardware, not FRS or GMRS handhelds. For everything else that swimmers actually do, from open-water crossings to pool sessions with a coach on deck, the surface-only limitation is the correct trade.

Floating design, high-visibility colour, and why both matter

A sealed radio that sinks is a lost radio, and a floating radio that blends into grey water is a squinting exercise. The picks that get both right are the two Gaswei configurations, the two Retevis models, and the Cobra ACXT1037R FLT.

Here is what each listing publishes:

1. Gaswei G2pro+ pair. Floats, black and yellow colourway.
2. Gaswei G2pro+ 4-pack. Floats, yellow.
3. Retevis RB48A. Floating structure, yellow, listing specifically calls out kayaking, fishing, and boating as retrieval scenarios.
4. Retevis RB48. Yellow body, ruggedness claims but no explicit floating language in the listing.
5. Cobra ACXT1037R FLT. Floats, orange core called out for easy retrieval.

The Cobra RX680's black-and-orange scheme is high-visibility but the listing does not claim it floats, and it is IP54 anyway. The pxton 999S is black. If retrieval matters to you, and for swimmers it always does, buy a yellow or orange radio with a stated floating claim.

What more money buys across this set

Prices rise across the seven picks in a way that reveals what you actually pay for.

• The entry positions are the Cobra ACXT1037R FLT (single radio, IPX7, 5.6 oz), the pxton 999S (four radios, no IP rating), and the Retevis RB48A (screenless IP67 pair with the runtime claim). Each is cheap for a different reason: fewer units, no rating, or no screen.
• The middle positions are the Gaswei G2pro+ pair and the Cobra RX680. Similar price band, very different products. The Gaswei is IP67 and floats. The Cobra is IP54 with more feature polish.
• The premium positions are the Cobra RX680, the Gaswei G2pro+ 4-pack, and the Retevis RB48 six-pack. Here you pay for count and warranty, not for a step up in the ingress rating itself. IP67 is IP67, whether it sits on a pair or a six-pack.

Read that as a warning about the obvious upsell: paying more does not buy you a better seal in this set. It buys you more radios, longer warranties, and better battery claims. If those matter, the money is well spent. If they do not, the winner's pair is enough.

The verdict

The Gaswei G2pro+ IP67 Waterproof Floating FRS pair is the right default for a swimmer's shore team. It publishes the IP67 rating that matters, it floats, it clips light at 6.88 oz per unit, and it carries a 2-year warranty on a licence-free FRS platform. Two-thirds of readers here will be picking between it and one of the two Retevis models.

The tie-breaker is your crew size and your patience with paperwork. If you need six radios and want the longest warranty in the set, the Retevis RB48 wins on both counts, with a 5-year body warranty, a 2000mAh battery good for a claimed 20 hours, and a MIL-STD-810H durability story. If you need two radios that will run all day without a screen to worry about, the Retevis RB48A takes the runtime crown at up to 23 hours per Retevis.

Skip the pxton 999S if the radio will ever get wet: no published IP rating means no promise. Skip the Cobra RX680 for open water: IP54 handles splash, not submersion. Buy the Cobra ACXT1037R FLT only as an add-on to a set you already own.

FAQ

Is the Gaswei G2pro+ waterproof enough for lake swimming?

Waterproof enough for the drop, yes. The Gaswei G2pro+ carries an IP67 rating, which means the casing is sealed against dust and rated for temporary immersion in up to 1 metre of water. Combined with the floating body, that is the right spec for a radio clipped to a swim buoy or a PFD. You still cannot transmit from underwater; no FRS radio can. Retrieve it, dry the speaker port, and keep going.

Can any of these walkie talkies transmit while I am underwater?

Transmit while underwater? No handheld radio in this set does, and none of the listings promise it. FRS and GMRS frequencies do not carry usefully through water, and the microphone cannot capture speech through a submerged diaphragm. The waterproof rating on these picks exists so the radio survives being dropped or splashed, not so it works below the surface. For underwater voice, you need diver-specific hardware outside the scope of this category.

What is the difference between the Retevis RB48 and RB48A?

The difference between the Retevis RB48 and RB48A is the screen and the pack size. The RB48 is a six-pack with a display and a 2000mAh battery Retevis says runs up to 20 hours. The RB48A is a screenless pair that Retevis says runs up to 23 hours, a 35% gain the brand attributes to removing the display's power draw. Both are IP67 and both carry the same 5-year body warranty.

Which pick is best for a family at a swimming pool?

Best for a family at a swimming pool is the Cobra RX680, if you accept that a pool deck is a splash environment rather than an immersion one. IP54 sealing handles cannonball splash, poolside puddles, and rain, and the 60 preset channel combinations plus Vibralert vibration cue help in a loud pool hall. If the radios might actually get dropped into deep water, step up to the Gaswei G2pro+ pair for its IP67 rating and floating body.

Do I need a licence to use these waterproof walkie talkies?

Need a licence depends on which pick you buy. The Gaswei G2pro+ radios and the Cobra RX680 use FRS channels, which are licence-free for personal use in the US. The pxton 999S is described as GMRS, which in the US does require an FCC licence for the higher-power and repeater channels, though one licence covers the whole family. Check your country's rules before you buy, since the categories and licensing differ outside the US.

Start with what you know about your own group. Count the swimmers, decide who on shore needs to hear the call, and choose the pack size that covers both. Then match the water rating to the worst-case drop: pool deck, lake, or open water. The Gaswei G2pro+ pair covers the widest range of those answers without asking you to overspend, which is why it leads. The runners-up are ranked so you can trade up to a bigger crew, a longer warranty, or a longer runtime without leaving the IP67 tier. Whichever you pick, buy the yellow one.

Last updated: September 7, 2026. Product availability re-checked.

This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.