It’s hard to know what you’re asking. If your talking about getting splits for each length, the watch should do this. You set the length of the pool in the settings. When you make a turn (I don’t do flip turns and it works) it will recognize a “lap” from the inertia of going off the wall.

Is that what you’re asking?

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Not a coach. Not a FOP Tri/swimmer/biker/runner. Barely a MOP AGer.
But I'm learning and making progress.

I think he's asking for the device to both count laps and automatically record splits: actually it doesn't; it counts laps but only gives an average pace, no automatic splits times.

I'm not aware of any way to have it do an auto-lap in the pool much like having an auto-lap on the run settings. Personally, I just hit the interval button after "x" number of lengths to get my 100Y/100M splits. I know that's not optimal but I'm not aware to have it do that automatically. Would be a nice feature to have, I agree.

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Cheers, Ray

Yes, thanks! I’ve come to the same conclusion...I have it take laps (like every 250 yards) on my open water swims but couldn’t figure out how to auto-lap in pool swim mode....

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Randy Christofferson(http://www.rcmioga.blogspot.com

Insert Doubt. Erase Hope. Crush Dreams.

I have the 5 but I thought it was the same, and I may not understand the question.

I have no problems looking at data by pool length. When I checked dcrainmaker article on the 6, it seems it does the same thing. I don’t push any buttons except at the end of an interval, like 100m, but can still see data based on lengths (times 4 for 100m).

If the question is about not having to push the button at the end of the interval, that doesn’t work. It seems this would be difficult because there’s no way for it to know you finished the last length.

Are there any watches that do this? I’d take a look at changing when I get a new one if there is one.

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Not a coach. Not a FOP Tri/swimmer/biker/runner. Barely a MOP AGer.
But I'm learning and making progress.

What he's asking is can you, for example, set the watch to auto-lap every 100Y. That way, when you swim, say, 2000Y, you have 20, 100Y "laps" which a time for each. You can do this on the run setting and get lap splits when running every mile (or any distance you choose). Seeing x number of auto lap splits is NOT the same as looking at the data and counting x number of pool lengths and then adding the time to calculate you time per 100 for EVERY 100 you swim in that set. There is no reason why garmin can't add this feature, especially when you can do it in the open water swim mode.

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Cheers, Ray

Why?

When I do set of say 20x50, I hit the interval button at the end of each 50 and when I am done with my session, I can pull up my data and see 20, 50Y times and don't have to add up the times for every 2 lengths of the pool I swim. The watch knows when you finish a lap and knows the pool length in your settings, so if you are swimming in a 25Y pool and were able to setup a 100Y auto lap, if would know that after every 4 laps, it would tag that and you'd have the time recorded in your data when uploaded.

My guess is why Garmin doesn't offer this is if you have a set of say 400 warm up, 20x75 main set, and then 200 cool down, it would be able to calculate your 4, 100Y splits for the warmup, but on your main set, if you are pressing the interval every 3 laps, then you would be getting an interval at 75 and then again 25Y into the next 75, thus negating the actual 100 time. Personally, I just hit the interval button every 4 laps (2 times...once to "end" the interval as I hit the wall, once to "start" the interval as I push off) if I am swimming a long set and want it to calculate my every 100Y pace. Sure I have to interrupt my swim briefly for the 2 button press, but that's the only workaround.

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Cheers, Ray

Actually, I don’t think this is correct. The watch doesn’t know when you finish a lap. It only knows when you start a length, and this is the issue. The inertia change when leaving the wall triggers the start of a length. If you make a turn and don’t push off, starting off slowly, it won’t register the end of a length and will only measure one length even if you’ve done two.

The reason it would be difficult is because, assuming an indoor pool, there’s now way for the watch to know how far you’ve swam because there’s no gps. On an outdoor pool, it would have a better chance using the gps.

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Not a coach. Not a FOP Tri/swimmer/biker/runner. Barely a MOP AGer.
But I'm learning and making progress.

I haven’t tried this, but would it work to set up steps in Connect without a rest? You’d still have to push the button at the end of the last length. For 2000m with 100m splits, set a step of 20 x 100m with no rest after the 100m. Could this work?

We’re still frozen here in Houston, so I can’t test this. But maybe someone can test it.

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Not a coach. Not a FOP Tri/swimmer/biker/runner. Barely a MOP AGer.
But I'm learning and making progress.

interesting. I thought it knew the end of the lap as well based on "hitting" the wall. Well, there goes that option.

If that is indeed the case, I don't see why Garmin couldn't "detect" the force of the hitting the wall (wall turn v. flip turn).

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Cheers, Ray

yet it could save the split when you start the next one; the only issue could result in not recording the last one, but at that moment you might as well hit "Lap" and get it stored

I've never swum with my garmin watch, but this sounds frustrating! FORM goggles will do this though! And you'll get a sorted workout afterwards, so if you did a 400 warmup, into 10x100, into 5x200, into 400 warm-down, the app will show this.

Disclaimer: I work for them, but feel free to ask me any questions!

I think you mean Fenix 6...


There is no way for the Fenix watches to auto lap in the swim function. I have owned the 2, 5 and the 6 Fenix models and they're all the same. There is no autolap feature. It's not frustrating once you get used to hitting the lap button at the end of your interval, ie. 25, 50, etc. I use the Fenix 6 daily for my masters workouts, so I am used to hitting the lap button when I finish the interval. Only if I am doing drill sets do I go into the interval feature which makes me enter how many yards/meters that particular interval was at the end of every interval. My watches have been spot on for 99.9% of my workouts.



It would be a nice feature though.

That would be cool. I don’t know anything on the details of how it works so it might be possible.

Pushing the lap button is a pain when you’re new with the watch. I’ve only used Garmin watches swimming for a little over a year and I still mess it up sometimes.

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Not a coach. Not a FOP Tri/swimmer/biker/runner. Barely a MOP AGer.
But I'm learning and making progress.

The main issue with these is the cost, especially for us back of the pack guys. The watch does a lot more than the Form goggles. Since I can’t justify buying both now, I only have the watch. I’m hopeful that your technology will become cheaper for you and you can reduce the price where I can justify it. They sound/look very impressive for swimmers.

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Not a coach. Not a FOP Tri/swimmer/biker/runner. Barely a MOP AGer.
But I'm learning and making progress.

Same for me. Plus, I’ve finally found goggles I really like that work great for my face so having to change goggles is not something I’d be up for. But that tech is pretty cool!

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Cheers, Ray