The 9 Best Waterproof Selfie Sticks
Updated by · How we research
Nine floating grips and salt-proof poles for GoPro and other action cameras, compared on buoyancy, reach and mounts. The GoPro Floating Extension Pole leads. When users buy our independently chosen editorial recommendations, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
Most aluminum selfie poles sink once a camera is on the end, so a dropped pole in the ocean can take your footage with it. Waterproof here means the pole shrugs off salt, not that it floats. These picks are for snorkelers, surfers, kayakers and pool swimmers filming with a GoPro, DJI or Insta360 camera rather than a phone.
Editor's Notes
November 1, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Admin:
The GoPro Floating Extension Pole takes the top spot for one reason most poles can't match: it floats with a camera on the end and still stretches far enough for a two-person shot. The Quik Pod Sport, Sandmarc SM-207 and XShot Aqua have disappeared from sale, the Selfie World Professional and Shihong Bendable have no current listings, and the Yokkao Bluetooth is a phone stick that isn't built for water, so all six are gone. The Trehapuva Short Pole and HSU Extendable Pole stay as low-cost choices.
The new picks follow the three shapes that work in the water: floating grips like GoPro The Handler and the MiPremium Floating Grip, a floating tripod in the Soonsun 4-in-1 Grip, and long poles like the Telesin Carbon Fiber Pole for wide shots and 360 cameras. Nobody seems to dunk these poles in a lab, so the evidence was makers' length, mount and buoyancy claims, snorkeling and GoPro accessory guides, a retailer's owner reviews of the new GoPro pole, and a CPSC recall search that came up empty.
September 07, 2019:
Taking a great selfie is harder than it looks, especially if you're trying to capture a unique shot or video with an action camera. You need to get the lighting, angle, and distance just right--and that's tricky to do if you're using just your arms. That's why a selfie stick is a worthwhile purchase. They give you much greater range in terms of distance and angle so you can add some personality and variety to your photos and videos.
Our selection of waterproof options will help you capture the moments, even if those moments are soaking wet. In this update, we evaluated items based on quality, ease of use, feature-richness, and value, and removed some items due to concern about their availability. We added the Shihong Bendable, which we like for its versatility. You can use it as a selfie stick, of course, but also as a monopod that you can mount anywhere, giving you much more choice than the standard telescoping option that does not bend. And it comes with a Bluetooth remote shutter so you don't have to mess with the timer on your camera or phone.
Special Honors
Quik Pod ULTRA Quik Pod, a Canadian maker that has sold extension poles since before selfie sticks had a name, makes the ULTRA for salt water. The maker says it passes standard salt-spray corrosion tests and reaches past 4 feet, with a longer warranty on orders from its own store. It was sold out on the maker's site when we checked, so look there for restocks. quikpod.com
Float Or Sink: Decide First
Floating designs are rated for light action cameras, though.
In this category, waterproof means the pole survives salt and chlorine, not that it stays on the surface. There are no electronics to flood, so the real risks are a lock that slips, a tube that seizes with sand, and a camera that sinks when you let go. Bare aluminum and carbon fiber poles sink once a camera is on the end, so wear the wrist strap every time.
If you swim in deep water or surf, a floating grip or a foam-wrapped pole is the safer bet. Accessory guides such as Storyteller Tech single out foam grips like GoPro's for this reason. Floating designs are rated for light action cameras, though. A heavy camera in a dive housing can outweigh the foam, so check the stated load before you trust it in open water.
Length, Mounts And 360 Cameras
A grip with no extension is best for close underwater shots and fish at arm's length. For snorkeling selfies, about 2 to 3 feet is a comfortable middle: long enough to get your face and the reef in frame, short enough that the camera doesn't wobble in current. Poles of nearly 4 feet are for groups and for 360 cameras, which stitch the stick out of the shot. Snorkel Around the World makes the same split between floating grips and long rust-free poles.
Check the mount. GoPro cameras use a two-prong "finger" mount, while DJI and Insta360 cameras often use a quarter-inch tripod screw or their own clips. Many poles ship with both, and makers like Telesin include adapters for several brands. A phone clamp on a pole doesn't make a phone safe in water; the phone needs its own sealed case.
Salt, Sand And Safety
Rinse the pole in fresh water after the ocean or a chlorinated pool, extend every section so it dries, and brush sand out of the twist locks before they grind. Check the thumb screw now and then, since cheap screws are usually the first part to rust. Quik Pod rates its pole against standard salt-spray corrosion tests, which shows what a maker can document when it tries.
Aluminum and carbon fiber both conduct electricity. Keep a raised pole away from overhead power lines, and get off the beach and out of the water when thunder rolls; the National Weather Service says no place outside is safe in a thunderstorm. Many parks, stadiums and theme parks ban selfie sticks, and a long pole can bump other swimmers or touch coral, so keep it close in crowds and over reefs.
How we researched this
We compared 16 waterproof poles and floating grips, read the makers' length, weight, mount, buoyancy and warranty claims for the 9 picks, read snorkeling and GoPro accessory guides and a retailer's owner reviews, looked for owner patterns around sinking, rust and slipping locks, and searched the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's recall database by brand, which turned up no recalls. We found no independent test of these poles in water.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take a regular phone selfie stick in the water?
Not safely. Bluetooth phone sticks aren't sealed, the phone needs its own waterproof case, and Bluetooth signals don't carry well through water, so the remote button stops working once you're under.
Do waterproof selfie sticks float?
Most don't. Bare aluminum and carbon fiber poles sink with a camera on them. Foam grips, foam-wrapped poles and floating tripod grips stay up with a light action camera. Wear the wrist strap either way.
What length is best for snorkeling?
About 2 to 3 feet suits most snorkelers. It frames your face and the scene behind you without much wobble. Longer poles of about 4 feet suit group shots and 360 cameras.
Will salt water ruin an aluminum pole?
Not if you rinse it. Rinse in fresh water after each swim, extend the sections to dry, and clear sand from the locks. Steel screws are the parts most likely to rust, so look for stainless hardware.
Do these poles work with DJI and Insta360 cameras?
Most do, through a quarter-inch tripod screw or an included adapter. Floating grips with only a GoPro-style two-prong mount need an adapter for other brands.
