In my own pool with an endless pool type machine I record my swim sessions with my Fenix 5x, Garmins HRM-swim chest band and an app called Swimsports+ (on the Fenix po).
Within the app there is a mode called „Generic InPlace Swim“ that makes this possible utilizing the gyro and accelerometers in the Garmin watches.
To get correct values for meters/yards for swimming in an endless pool you can and need to input the length of your stroke. For this you need to measure the length of your arm from fingertip of middle finger to middle of arm pit. If you are able to move forward you shoulder while swimming you need to add that value to the measured length - in my case it is 76cm plus 6cm forward movement.
When swimming for example 200m freestyle the app/watch records between 198 to 211m as distance - multiple swims Matches against each other. Your heart rate is recorded as well.
Once you finished your swim session you need to enter the distance value in the Garmin Connect app in Garmins length/distance field as Swimsports+ has custom data fields.
Hope this helps somebody in the forum to solve this topic
Thanks for sharing. The data nerd in me can’t get too excited about endless pool training for this exact reason. I haven’t tried the app, but in my mind it seems like it would be more accurate to figure out how many strokes it takes you (at your chosen distance swim pace/effort level) to cover a known open water swim distance and get a distance/stroke value and modify a recording with that newly calculated distance in Connect after the fact based on the total number of strokes recorded. (Distance = x strokes * (y yards/ 1 stroke)…That’s the method I have used in the past when trying to quantify an Endless Pool swim, although I generally have to try and redo the calculations with infrequent stationary pool swims on only a few occasions a year.)
An arm length measurement wouldn’t really reflect differing efficiencies of an arm stroke/pull not to mention the contribution of the kick, or body position/composition/hydrodynamics. (Strokes/distance isn’t perfect either, as I’ve noticed slight position changes within the current/flow of the pool can significantly change the effort required to maintain the “sweet spot†forward/backward position in the pool I have used.)
Solved this by entering the duration of the session and 0 for the distance, as I realised I’m not covering any ground in an endless pool. Gives me less headaches and also more time to train.
FORM Goggles have a swim spa mode. I don’t have an endless pool so I can’t vouch for it.
In my own pool with an endless pool type machine I record my swim sessions with my Fenix 5x, Garmins HRM-swim chest band and an app called Swimsports+ (on the Fenix po).
Within the app there is a mode called „Generic InPlace Swim“ that makes this possible utilizing the gyro and accelerometers in the Garmin watches.
To get correct values for meters/yards for swimming in an endless pool you can and need to input the length of your stroke. For this you need to measure the length of your arm from fingertip of middle finger to middle of arm pit. If you are able to move forward you shoulder while swimming you need to add that value to the measured length - in my case it is 76cm plus 6cm forward movement.
When swimming for example 200m freestyle the app/watch records between 198 to 211m as distance - multiple swims Matches against each other. Your heart rate is recorded as well.
Once you finished your swim session you need to enter the distance value in the Garmin Connect app in Garmins length/distance field as Swimsports+ has custom data fields.
Hope this helps somebody in the forum to solve this topic
Isn’t it easier to just do the session as e.g. 10 x 3mins @ 1:30 pace aka 10 x 200 = 2k.
Then enter distance once finished.
The newer Endless devices have programmable sessions to this effect- set mins at certain speeds and rest intervals etc.
I didn’t realise the form goggles have a setting, be interesting to hear if that works by counting strokes and historical average dist per stroke I guess.
On my Fenix 6X I found a new activity setup after heading down a Google rabbit hole. It works great for me. I setup a new activity and choose Open Water Swim for the type of activity. In the setting for it, I rename it Swim Spa. Also, turn OFF the gps. It estimates my distance based on my stroke rate as it already knows my estimated distance per stroke from swimming in the regular pool from recorded sessions and my metrics. On my data screen I only have time and distance. Since you are using Open Water swim activity settings, there is NO lap feature so you cannot stop at the end of a set and then start back up again at the beginning of the next set to capture a proper average pace at the end of the workout. Not a big deal for me when swimming in the swim spa. To me, to most important is my total distance and time I was in the swim spa. At the end of my workout I have to say, it’s pretty darn close to the yardage I was supposed to swim. If I do a warmup 400 nice and smooth, I know it will be about 1:45/100Y based on my pool times. I’ll swim 7:00 (I have a pool clock on the edge of the swim spa) and it will almost almost be right about 400Y. At the end of every set, I know about what it should be and it’s always close regarding of my speed I swim at. When I’m completely done withe my session and save it, I go into Garmin and Training Peaks and just correct the distance to the prescribed distance. I don’t worry at all about the pinpoint accuracy since I’m in a swim spa. I know about what my pace is based on the speed settings for the swim spa and I know how long to swim each set for a specific distance.