Apple Watch for Swimming?

Triathlon Forum
1

Anybody using an Apple Watch for swimming? (Lap and OWS)

How good is it for these things?

Looking to buy my wife a swim watch for Xmas - I’m inclined to get her a tried and trusted Garmin of some kind but she wants an Apple Watch.

Maybe Garmin better but Apple Watch good enough?!

Thanks.

2

It’s ok. It functions, but it has a lot of gaps compared to Garmin.
Cannot read the screen without pushing the Crown, in most casesCannot put the data fields you wantCannot capture intervals and rests on your terms (auto interval is OK, but no direct control)Calls a length a “lap”— this is just ignorant and annoyingData are locked in Apple unless you use a 3rd party appData analysis is primitiveRecorded my freestyle as breast stroke— they will probably eventually fix it, but it is annoyingCalculates overall average pace incorrectly

3

Misses heaps. It’s not that good running either compared to my old Garmin 920xt

And I have the latest Iwatch

4

If she cares about her swim numbers and data then Garmin is the only way to go.

5

…
Calls a length a “lap”— this is just ignorant and annoying

This is swimming has counted for decades. Yes, not accurate to the concept of a lap returning to the start point. But, this is how it is done - accept it.

To the OP - I always check with DCRainmaker on tech questions.

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2017/11/apple-watch-series3-cellular-fitness-sport-review.html

6

This is swimming has counted for decades. Yes, not accurate to the concept of a lap returning to the start point. But, this is how it is done - accept it.
Freaky. I had no idea. Garmin doesn’t do this. Garmin calls a length a “length.” That keeps us ignorant literalists happy. One more reason to love Garmin. :slight_smile:

7

…
Calls a length a “lap”— this is just ignorant and annoying

This is swimming has counted for decades. Yes, not accurate to the concept of a lap returning to the start point. But, this is how it is done - accept it.

I can’t help it if swimmers like to be wrong, but that doesn’t mean I have to join them.

8

i was mildly satisfied with my apple watch 2 before i switched to my garmin 935. after the garmin i wonder how on earth i ever thought the apple watch was decent for a training tool.

for swimming, just laps in the pool, it was ok. im still a noobie swimmer so all i really focus on is my lap count and average time. it functioned decent for that. collectively though, the only thing i miss about my apple watch was the voice to text function that worked about 50% of the time.

(disclaimer, im a big apple user/fan)

9

I have V. 3 and it’s fine, but I am more concerned with total calorie burn than anything else. I swim with a masters’ team so I figure out the yardage myself anyway when I write down the workout (or during). And I don’t need yet another watch/device.

10

Here’s the best watch for the pool.

11

Here’s the best watch for the pool.

Sweep hand is best. Not a fan of digital.

12

…but she wants an Apple Watch.

Well, it is settled then…
…if you want to stay married and/or the gifted watch not to end up in the back of a drawer.

I see a couple of Apple watches on the women in my Masters group.
But these are the ones who appear equally or more interested in Fashion/Style than in Utility (not that there is anything wrong with that).

13

The Apple Watch is a smart watch with some sports tracking capability. A Garmin is a sports watch with some smart watch abilities.

What does she want? A smart watch or a sports watch?

14

Leave your watch at home and use the pace clock. You’ll improve a lot more.

15

It depends…

If you use AW just for laps, here is what I have found: If you use the healthfit app to export to fit file or garmin connect you will get more data than some garmin watches provide (ie Vivoactive HR/3). Essentially using this method the AW will display the pace, stroke count, swolf, and all of the other data the VA3 provides along with HR although HR doesn’t seem very accurate to me but its still nice to get an idea of what it was. The apple activity app by itself doesn’t display this stuff though and is really bad so you need to rely on 3rd party apps to get all of the data.

If you are doing a workout, there is no way to customize so as others have said the garmin 935/fenix really do a much better job here. You just can’t do this on the AW.

Overall, for most swimmers AW is probably fine. I find it tracks rest vs swimming pretty accurately and recognizes my strokes just as well as my garmin. I do have instances where both watches are not correct and sometimes just one is (it appears random). Swimming is the one place I don’t mind actually just using my AW as I just swim laps. Running and biking its just terrible as HR and GPS have major lock problems. My biggest problem in the pool is that the touch face just doesn’t work well when wet so sometimes I add like 30 seconds to my workout because i can’t stop the workout.

*I’ve been testing the AW for about 1.5 months so far and comparing it to my garmin vivoactive HR, VA3, vivospot, and 935.

16

Here’s the best watch for the pool.

But if I can’t post my swim session on some kind of social media did I ever do it? Stick to the 55+ thread :wink: