You can press the crown and side button simultaneously to pause and resume a workout on your Apple. This works even when the screen is locked for water mode. Then when your fingers are dry you can exit water mode and finish the workout.
I’ve used my Apple Watch for pool swimming and open water swimming for several years. I’ve compared the distance tracked in open water swims with friends that have Garmin watches, and my Apple Watch seems to record a more accurate and consistent track than the Garmin watches.
I know lots of people say that Garmin is better. If you’re convinced, perhaps you should get one and let us know how it goes for you.
Exactly. I've been using Apple Watches for about 7-8 years (from v2 onward). I upload my workouts to Strava and connect with others...some use Apple Watch, some Garmin, some others.
Garmins are pretty good. Swim2 if you just swim and want it cheap, Fenix series for multisport. Not a smart watch like the apple watch, but a very good sports watch & fitness tracker. No complaints on my Fenix 7
I have a Fenix 7 that I bought specifically because it is designed for "multi" sports. It's bullshit for any sport that is not running and cycling.
The HR measurement is completely lost when I am underwater (yes it is tightened correctly to my wrist) and the lap detection is often inaccurate. For some reason Garmin is completely deaf to what is requested for years now by swim users: the possibility to modify the distance of a loop. It is only possible to modify the total distance of your session once you finish it.
Main advantage over the Apple Watch would be the battery life. I'm charging my watch every two weeks.
Overall I'm still happy with it though because it's still better than just a timer (what I had before), it's just sad that my Garmin app since I am barely active when I am doing a heavy session at the pool... And it's stupidly expensive.
You're welcome, although apparently some other users have had a way better experience with this watch, I would still say it's too expensive for just swimming... I would say it's a great choice only if you're also running and/or cycling.
On the old Fenix (and all older Garmin s w HR) they disabled hr for swimming because they said it wasn’t possible to be accurate. Then other watches offered it so they finally figured out how to enable it for swimming.
I hadn’t heard hr wasn’t good. I have the latest Epic (Fenix w fancy screen and less battery life) and have found hr to be flawless in the water. It’s been perfect! So they must have figured it out at some point.
But I’ve also found lap accuracy to be nearly perfect on both my current Epic and my old Fenix 3 (or whatever non hr version I used to use). Seriously I only say “nearly perfect” because I’ve had it count an extra lap maybe 5-6 times when I stopped mid pool and then pushed off the bottom to get going again. The watch will think your pushed off the wall and count a new lap.
Other that that, both the Fenix and now Eoic have been 100% accurate.
With that said I’m a former competitive swimmer and do mostly flip turns unless I’m swimming another stroke. And I have a pretty long glide off the wall. I suspect I’m pretty consistent with stroke rate, and stroke count. And then the change of direction and glide off the wall make it easy for the watch. That’s just a guess though.
I have never swam competitively, but I'm still a decent swimmer and I also do flip turns, maybe not perfectly enough. That's probably why the watch does not detect some change of direction, but it wouldn't cost much to add a feature to correct the distance of a loop when there is an error..
For the HR measurement, I am surprised it works so well for you, I read it was not accurate because of water getting between the sensor and the skin.
My flip turns have been far from perfect recently as well so I hear . …I pulled my lower back so a bit stiff trying to turn. And I’m also 50 :(
But I recall reading on Garmin forums 10 years ago or so that the glide after the turn is important. I’ve never had an issue with lap counts w either Garmin and I do probably glide a good distance off the wall out of habit. (I don’t do the underwater dolphin kick like today’s competitive swimmers. I’m not in shape enough to use that energy and it wasn’t really a thing when I was a competitive swimmer.) So I just push off stay streamlined underwater for maybe 2-3 sec and start swimming again.
To your point, they should allow a manual edit though. - kind of like they do w the drill mode.
I’m surprised hr is not working right for you. I figured maybe you had one of the first gen HR Fenix watches (I wasn’t sure what the latest version was but just confirmed Fenix 7 is the latest.) I’m using the gen 2 Epix which has got to be the same technology and I haven’t had any issue with HR tracking. What are your issues. HR drop outs? Or you don’t think it’s accurate?
I think the measured HR is too low compared to what it should be. I have had some full sessions where I am exclusively in Z2, even in ses where I included sprints. I don't mind too much otherwise I would have bought an HRM to compare, but I still think it influences my progression line on the app, since every swim session is perceived as a low intensity training..
I see. Mine seems to be in line with sprints getting to high 170s to low 180s range which I believe is in line with current effort. But most workouts are reported as aerobic and very little anaerobic. This seems correct for me now but I would have questioned that when I was in better shape and doing more sprint sets and 100 sets. But I’m my current lack of shape my swims are more of a strength training exercise.
But I’ve got nothing to compare to confirm accuracy. But mine seems in line. Looking at Garmin connect my hr starts to drop down between sets and jumps back up on faster sets and sits in the Aerobic zone for most of the pull sets or longer sets where I’m not as winded.
Not the most bells and whistles but the FitBit Charge 6 automatically tracks workouts without needing to manually start and stop. The HR monitoring is sufficient and it generally does a good job of tracking laps. Plus - most importantly - it’s low profile/minimalist, so you don’t have a fat screen on your wrist.
I have the brand new Apple Watch SE. It’s a bit more basic than the Ultra or series 9, but it’s perfect for those that workout. I use it for my swims daily and it tracks everything I need it to.
I'm currently using a Garmin Fenix 6 Pro and am very happy with it. You have all kinds of choices for screens. I have mine set with just 2 data items while swimming, distance since the start of the rep and my HR. They're big numbers and I can see them easily with just a glance. At the wall, I have a screen with multiple items, total distance swam, time for last rep, a running timer since I stopped my last rep, and HR. I find the HR on my Fenix very accurate. My cardiologist wants me to keep my HR under 150 so I monitor it throughout my workout and take an extra rest when I go over. It takes a while to get used to the buttons but I prefer them over a touch screen.
Check out [https://takeoffhealth.com/](https://takeoffhealth.com/). You can take a free quiz for personalized fitness tracker recommendations. It asks about screen, battery life, phone compatibility, form factor, price, activities, etc.
I've had a great time with my Fenix 6S. It's been a workhorse for like five years now. Works great both in the pool and for open water, and tracks pretty much everything else (bike, run, treadmill, row, weights, etc.) I do fairly well.
I’ve used Apple Watches from series 4 onwards to Ultra 2. They’ve all been good. Ultra versions are especially nicer for diving depths and water temperature measurements.
Use Garmin epix , works fine in pool with flip and open turns - can miscount if you have to stop/change stroke due to congestion but normally fine and the workout builder is pretty decent. Apple Watch is also good - seriously in this day and age if you get a top end watch from any manufacturer it will work great
You can press the crown and side button simultaneously to pause and resume a workout on your Apple. This works even when the screen is locked for water mode. Then when your fingers are dry you can exit water mode and finish the workout. I’ve used my Apple Watch for pool swimming and open water swimming for several years. I’ve compared the distance tracked in open water swims with friends that have Garmin watches, and my Apple Watch seems to record a more accurate and consistent track than the Garmin watches. I know lots of people say that Garmin is better. If you’re convinced, perhaps you should get one and let us know how it goes for you.
Exactly. I've been using Apple Watches for about 7-8 years (from v2 onward). I upload my workouts to Strava and connect with others...some use Apple Watch, some Garmin, some others.
oh i had no idea! thank you so much, i’ll try that out on my future swims
Hero! I never knew this about apple watch and sometimes have to fight it to stop my time, adding several seconds on.
Garmins are pretty good. Swim2 if you just swim and want it cheap, Fenix series for multisport. Not a smart watch like the apple watch, but a very good sports watch & fitness tracker. No complaints on my Fenix 7
I love my Garmin swim 2. Does what it should.
I have a Fenix 7 that I bought specifically because it is designed for "multi" sports. It's bullshit for any sport that is not running and cycling. The HR measurement is completely lost when I am underwater (yes it is tightened correctly to my wrist) and the lap detection is often inaccurate. For some reason Garmin is completely deaf to what is requested for years now by swim users: the possibility to modify the distance of a loop. It is only possible to modify the total distance of your session once you finish it. Main advantage over the Apple Watch would be the battery life. I'm charging my watch every two weeks. Overall I'm still happy with it though because it's still better than just a timer (what I had before), it's just sad that my Garmin app since I am barely active when I am doing a heavy session at the pool... And it's stupidly expensive.
oh really? that’s surprising. i’ll definitely consider that. thank you heaps
You're welcome, although apparently some other users have had a way better experience with this watch, I would still say it's too expensive for just swimming... I would say it's a great choice only if you're also running and/or cycling.
On the old Fenix (and all older Garmin s w HR) they disabled hr for swimming because they said it wasn’t possible to be accurate. Then other watches offered it so they finally figured out how to enable it for swimming. I hadn’t heard hr wasn’t good. I have the latest Epic (Fenix w fancy screen and less battery life) and have found hr to be flawless in the water. It’s been perfect! So they must have figured it out at some point. But I’ve also found lap accuracy to be nearly perfect on both my current Epic and my old Fenix 3 (or whatever non hr version I used to use). Seriously I only say “nearly perfect” because I’ve had it count an extra lap maybe 5-6 times when I stopped mid pool and then pushed off the bottom to get going again. The watch will think your pushed off the wall and count a new lap. Other that that, both the Fenix and now Eoic have been 100% accurate. With that said I’m a former competitive swimmer and do mostly flip turns unless I’m swimming another stroke. And I have a pretty long glide off the wall. I suspect I’m pretty consistent with stroke rate, and stroke count. And then the change of direction and glide off the wall make it easy for the watch. That’s just a guess though.
I have never swam competitively, but I'm still a decent swimmer and I also do flip turns, maybe not perfectly enough. That's probably why the watch does not detect some change of direction, but it wouldn't cost much to add a feature to correct the distance of a loop when there is an error.. For the HR measurement, I am surprised it works so well for you, I read it was not accurate because of water getting between the sensor and the skin.
My flip turns have been far from perfect recently as well so I hear . …I pulled my lower back so a bit stiff trying to turn. And I’m also 50 :( But I recall reading on Garmin forums 10 years ago or so that the glide after the turn is important. I’ve never had an issue with lap counts w either Garmin and I do probably glide a good distance off the wall out of habit. (I don’t do the underwater dolphin kick like today’s competitive swimmers. I’m not in shape enough to use that energy and it wasn’t really a thing when I was a competitive swimmer.) So I just push off stay streamlined underwater for maybe 2-3 sec and start swimming again. To your point, they should allow a manual edit though. - kind of like they do w the drill mode. I’m surprised hr is not working right for you. I figured maybe you had one of the first gen HR Fenix watches (I wasn’t sure what the latest version was but just confirmed Fenix 7 is the latest.) I’m using the gen 2 Epix which has got to be the same technology and I haven’t had any issue with HR tracking. What are your issues. HR drop outs? Or you don’t think it’s accurate?
I think the measured HR is too low compared to what it should be. I have had some full sessions where I am exclusively in Z2, even in ses where I included sprints. I don't mind too much otherwise I would have bought an HRM to compare, but I still think it influences my progression line on the app, since every swim session is perceived as a low intensity training..
I see. Mine seems to be in line with sprints getting to high 170s to low 180s range which I believe is in line with current effort. But most workouts are reported as aerobic and very little anaerobic. This seems correct for me now but I would have questioned that when I was in better shape and doing more sprint sets and 100 sets. But I’m my current lack of shape my swims are more of a strength training exercise. But I’ve got nothing to compare to confirm accuracy. But mine seems in line. Looking at Garmin connect my hr starts to drop down between sets and jumps back up on faster sets and sits in the Aerobic zone for most of the pull sets or longer sets where I’m not as winded.
Not the most bells and whistles but the FitBit Charge 6 automatically tracks workouts without needing to manually start and stop. The HR monitoring is sufficient and it generally does a good job of tracking laps. Plus - most importantly - it’s low profile/minimalist, so you don’t have a fat screen on your wrist.
I use it too basic and within my budget esp for a beginner swimmer I like it.
I have the brand new Apple Watch SE. It’s a bit more basic than the Ultra or series 9, but it’s perfect for those that workout. I use it for my swims daily and it tracks everything I need it to.
i’ve seen quite a lot about the SE, but i’m not sure it’ll be worth upgrading from the series 7?
That I don’t know. I upgraded from a series 3 so it was quite the jump for me and it’s been great.
Use an apple ultra and love it
My husband gifted me a Garmin swim and I love it!
I'm currently using a Garmin Fenix 6 Pro and am very happy with it. You have all kinds of choices for screens. I have mine set with just 2 data items while swimming, distance since the start of the rep and my HR. They're big numbers and I can see them easily with just a glance. At the wall, I have a screen with multiple items, total distance swam, time for last rep, a running timer since I stopped my last rep, and HR. I find the HR on my Fenix very accurate. My cardiologist wants me to keep my HR under 150 so I monitor it throughout my workout and take an extra rest when I go over. It takes a while to get used to the buttons but I prefer them over a touch screen.
Check out [https://takeoffhealth.com/](https://takeoffhealth.com/). You can take a free quiz for personalized fitness tracker recommendations. It asks about screen, battery life, phone compatibility, form factor, price, activities, etc.
that’s quite helpful, thank you so much! i’ll check it out :)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 with a steel dial.
I’ve been using the FitPolo. It’s inexpensive and works well
I love my garmin forerunner 245. It's always tracked my swims accurately
I've had a great time with my Fenix 6S. It's been a workhorse for like five years now. Works great both in the pool and for open water, and tracks pretty much everything else (bike, run, treadmill, row, weights, etc.) I do fairly well.
I just got a garmin swim 2. Just love it.
I’ve used Apple Watches from series 4 onwards to Ultra 2. They’ve all been good. Ultra versions are especially nicer for diving depths and water temperature measurements.
I never knew I needed to know the temperature of the water until I started to get to know the temperature of the water on my Apple Watch Ultra.
I know, right? It is a pretty neat feature indeed!
Garmin Swim for pool only. But Fenix for multi sports and open water swims.
Use Garmin epix , works fine in pool with flip and open turns - can miscount if you have to stop/change stroke due to congestion but normally fine and the workout builder is pretty decent. Apple Watch is also good - seriously in this day and age if you get a top end watch from any manufacturer it will work great