I’m thinking about getting a swim ergometer as kids school schedules will make it very hard for me to hit the pool outside of school vacation weeks/summer for the foreseeable future. The Vasa has been the gold standard for a long time, but the newer SwimFast seems to identify the biggest shortcoming, namely body roll.
Both are in the same ball park price-wise. I haven’t really read of anyone actually using the SwimFast, so if anyone has one I’d love to hear from you.
I have a Vasa which I’ve used to cut my swimming from six sessions per week to three sessions per week with no detriment to my race times. When I got mine the SwimFast had just come out. I sort of had buyer’s remorse until I realized a high-elbow recovery isn’t really possible for long sessions on one of these machines. You recover with a low, relaxed arm and then “pop” your elbow up into the catch when you initiate your stroke. With that in mind I’m not 100% sure the rotation of the SwimFast is a good thing (but it could be).
The swimfast looks more adjustable. But to be honest I’ve never felt like body roll or adjustability has been an issue on the Vasa. If you can, it’s probably worth seeing if you can try one out. I couldn’t see any place on the website where you can test it or try it. The main purpose of the Vasa for me is to build swim specific strength, which it does well. I have never used the swimfast but it does look like a good tool.
Thanks for being interested in a Vasa SwimErg. There are many differences and one of the main advantages of a Vasa SwimErg is that it can also be used like a Vasa Trainer when it is equipped with the Trainer Strap system. It’s like 2 machines in 1.
Also, coach Karlyn Pipes offers an excellent explanation about rotation and how it is often misunderstood. Here a like to view her video on that topic. https://vasatrainer.com/blog/better-freestyle-body-rotation-2/
Reviving this old thread - did you make your decision on which to get? I’m now in the same boat in deciding between the Vasa and the SwimFast.
I’ve found virtually nothing in terms of reviews for the SwimFast, even though it looks like they’ve been on sale since 2014 (there are a few articles about them, but no reviews that I could find). The SwimFast looks great based on the manufacturers videos and description, but I’m wary of getting one without some real reviews. I’m leaning towards the Vasa as a safe route just because it seems like a better known product with a track record I can follow.
If you found any additional information you’d like to pass along, I’d greatly appreciate it.
I bought a Vasa. I ended up finding a used one on Craigslist in CA (I’m in MA) and they were nice enough to ship it to me. I used the bike shipping company (can’t remember name, I’ve seen it here, basically fedex) and it was about $100 shopped across the country. I only had them ship the main part as I’m using a bench with it.
It is very helpful with form and is a great workout. The unit will last approximately 500 years it is made so well. Let me know if there’s other questions, I’ll do my best to answer them.
Reviving this old thread - did you make your decision on which to get? I’m now in the same boat in deciding between the Vasa and the SwimFast.
I’ve found virtually nothing in terms of reviews for the SwimFast, even though it looks like they’ve been on sale since 2014 (there are a few articles about them, but no reviews that I could find). The SwimFast looks great based on the manufacturers videos and description, but I’m wary of getting one without some real reviews. I’m leaning towards the Vasa as a safe route just because it seems like a better known product with a track record I can follow.
If you found any additional information you’d like to pass along, I’d greatly appreciate it.
What did you end up going with? I’m in same predicament trying to choose…