Treo 650 R.I.P.?

Yes, that is me... with my very wet and presumably dead Treo 650. And yes, I am smiling, it was either that or break down crying. Yesterday, while taking pictures of the incredible waves at Huntington Beach, I did something incredibly stupid. I didn't keep an eye on the waves.

These weren't your everyday waves... these were 15-20 foot swells crashing into the beaches of southern CA. The last time I saw waves like these, it was 1983. And I was in town, so I thought I'd go take some shots of these waves.

OK... So, I was taking pictures on the pier, on the sand, and at... the waterline. No problem. I took a lot of shots without incident. Then a couple on the other side of the Huntington Beach pier caught my attention. They were having a blast, and were running from the waters edge with each wave. They were acting like little kids. It was just... cute. Well, my attentions were distracted away from the waves by me. I got hit by one that just went past my ankles. No big deal. Pants were wet from the knees down. The one right behind it was over 3 feet tall AT THE WATERLINE. This bugger had a lot of power! The undertow, even at what was the waterline was pretty strong, and knocked me down. "Save the camera!" was my thought at the moment, and I did. My arm shot straight up, and my camera was fine. A little spray on it, but I wiped it off quickly. No damage.

About that time, I realized my Treo 650... my UNLOCKED GSM Treo 650, was in my pocket. My now SOAKED pocket! I pulled it out. The screen had water in it. And it was making a hideous sound. I pulled battery, but I think I killed it. I need to get the right Torx driver and open it, give it a cleaning and a new battery, and see if it works again. Somehow, I really doubt it. Salt water is horrible to electronics. Hindsight is an amazing thing. I should have left my Treo in my Jeep. Or at least saved it instead of the camera. The camera is worth half the price of the Treo. Sigh.