Question for people swimming with Garmin watches

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NorthCascades
NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I swam what I thought was 2,000 meters today. When I got out of the pool, my watch congratulated me for a bunch of PRs I didn't think I'd earned. I felt slow in the water, and I felt like 2 km came too fast. When I look at the data, there are a handful of places near the end where my pace shot up, they're pretty obvious, and too fast. Clearly my watch counted some lengths that weren't real.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2145344881

Until today, I haven't seen this. Earlier swims either show a pretty steady pace, or a steadily declining one, but no abrupt jumps.

Has anybody else noticed this? Any thoughts what I might have done wrong or should pay attention to with my technique to get better results from the watch in the future?
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Replies

  • ccjlgrider
    ccjlgrider Posts: 49 Member
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    I don’t swim often but when I was using my Garmin and swimming, it missed laps or over counted them from time to time. Like I’d end at the starting wall and it would say in the end that I swam say 575 yards. Ok. Not possible. I’m back at the wall o started at. It would also have my step count way off. I noticed after a while that if I would let the battery go all the way to dead and then recharge it that things were much better for a while after that. Honestly, I hated how unpredictable my Garmin was and just got a new Fitbit Alta HR though of course I can’t swim with it.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    I've never had an issue. I don't flipturn, if that's worth anything in this conversation.
  • kev1nn
    kev1nn Posts: 18 Member
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    What watch r u using?
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    I had a look at the Garmin Connect file. Does 2:28/100m sound right for your average pace? The math works at 49:16 at that pace. Could the pace anomalies be where you pushed off the wall more vigorously than usual?

    I use a 920xt and have the opposite problem, if I don't push off the wall hard enough it doesn't recognize the turn and robs me of 25m.
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
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    Have you looked at DCRainmakers review of your particular watch? There might be some good info there.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    Elise4270 wrote: »
    Have you looked at DCRainmakers review of your particular watch? There might be some good info there.

    Have you seen OP's other posts? He might BE DCRainmaker!
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
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    BrianSharpe wrote: »
    I had a look at the Garmin Connect file. Does 2:28/100m sound right for your average pace? The math works at 49:16 at that pace. Could the pace anomalies be where you pushed off the wall more vigorously than usual?

    I use a 920xt and have the opposite problem, if I don't push off the wall hard enough it doesn't recognize the turn and robs me of 25m.

    That might be it. It's only 2 seconds faster than my normal pace, and I did push off too hard toward the end when I was getting tired. I'm lifting today but in the pool tomorrow or early next week, I'll pay extra attention to my technique and how the watch responds when I'm pushing off.

    Thanks for your insight! :smile:
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
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    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    Elise4270 wrote: »
    Have you looked at DCRainmakers review of your particular watch? There might be some good info there.

    Have you seen OP's other posts? He might BE DCRainmaker!

    That made me lol. :smiley:
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
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    BrianSharpe wrote: »
    I had a look at the Garmin Connect file. Does 2:28/100m sound right for your average pace? The math works at 49:16 at that pace. Could the pace anomalies be where you pushed off the wall more vigorously than usual?

    I use a 920xt and have the opposite problem, if I don't push off the wall hard enough it doesn't recognize the turn and robs me of 25m.

    So THAT'S where my extra yardage is getting lost!!!!
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    edited October 2017
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    What I've noticed with my 735XT is a bit of lag. The risk distance is fine but sometimes if I do to check distance mid session it can be off by a few metres.

    It seems to catch up again after another length of so.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    Elise4270 wrote: »
    Have you looked at DCRainmakers review of your particular watch? There might be some good info there.

    Have you seen OP's other posts? He might BE DCRainmaker!

    That made me lol. :smiley:

    Made me laugh as well. :)
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    edited October 2017
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    Is this the Garmin Swim watch? I returned mine because despite trying different push off techniques I could not get it to count laps accurately nor could I get access to the web app, so I couldn't even correct the data. The reviews I saw were mixed, some loved it, some did not, depending mostly on how well the lap counter worked for them.
  • loftygoal90
    loftygoal90 Posts: 1 Member
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    I found mine inaccurate. I even eliminated the flip turn. After about six months of using it, I was standing in the pool and it started vibrating... well... like a vibrator. It went on for about three minutes, then died.

    I returned it. Can't decide what to do.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
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    Most pools have timers. Once you know your training pace, you can count your distance by time. Once you've done this for a while it becomes second nature and you really don't need anything more than a timer. (After all, you know the distance exactly.) If I went to a pool that didn't have a timer, I'd bring one with a big display and set it on the end of the lane. I've seen people bring a small white board and track their workout that way.

    It's common to break up a swim workout into sets of, e.g., 500yd. You find out your common pace for all your sets (write it on a laminated card, perhaps) . When you start a set, calculate your expected finish and see if you can beat it.

    Also, some 500s can (should?) be interval sets, which are typically done on a fixed total time per interval. (E.g., 5 x 100yd freestyle on 2:30, total set time of 12:30).

    It's more fun with a partner or group ("masters team")!

  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    loftygoal90 wrote: »
    I found mine inaccurate. I even eliminated the flip turn. After about six months of using it, I was standing in the pool and it started vibrating... well... like a vibrator. It went on for about three minutes, then died.

    I returned it. Can't decide what to do.

    I use a watch that has a push button lap counter.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
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    The only time my Finex 5x counted incorrectly was when i stopped mud lap to avoid a collusion at the gym in Shanghai. (That's a whole other story)
    Inn my home pool is never misses a lap. And i swim at last 4 miles a day Monday through Friday. 5 miles lady Monday and Tuesday.

    It is important to be consistent in your push off and glide from the wall. If you stop, turn, Ann's start stroking right away without pushing, the Garmin will miss a lap.
    Stop mid lap and it will count extra.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    lorrpb wrote: »
    loftygoal90 wrote: »
    I found mine inaccurate. I even eliminated the flip turn. After about six months of using it, I was standing in the pool and it started vibrating... well... like a vibrator. It went on for about three minutes, then died.

    I returned it. Can't decide what to do.

    I use a watch that has a push button lap counter.

    Just wanted to add, now that I've checked it, my watch is the Timex Triathalon. My main criteria was that I could read the lap counter and time through my goggles without reading glasses in mediocre lighting. You have to push the button or tap the screen to record the lap.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
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    I guess I could hit the last button at the end of each length but I'm hoping not to have to. I'll pay more attention to my technique on Tuesday.

    This is with a Fenix 5X. I wonder if this works the same across all Garmin watches?
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    I guess I could hit the last button at the end of each length but I'm hoping not to have to. I'll pay more attention to my technique on Tuesday.

    This is with a Fenix 5X. I wonder if this works the same across all Garmin watches?

    I used to use the Sportcount lap counter. Basic finger ring style. Push a button.
    I now have the Fenix 5x. I don't worry about accidental double taps or missed taps.
    Plus it has other very useful functions for hiking. Topographical maps and it gets you back to start point if you wander off the trail.
  • tomaattikastike
    tomaattikastike Posts: 62 Member
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    If you look at your laps, it'll be pretty obvious when there are errors. If your pool length is configured, say, to 25m, and you typically swim those in 40 sec, then you might see laps around 80 seconds indicating a missed turn, or two consecutive laps that are much faster (e.g. 15+25 sec), indicating an extra lap count. As a very simple consistency check, you can also check that you arrive at one end of the pool on your "even" laps - if it's odd, it means an odd number of miscounts, and you can check your split to see if it was fast or slow...

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