I’ve started training for triathlons but with the swim training. I have a terrible problem counting lengths, I lose concentration easily and lose count stupidly easily (I have discalculia) . Has anyone used any of the swiming lap counters or an HRM/stopwatch with an auto lap count? What would people recommend?
Thanks.

Garmin Swim is faultless. never missed a length as far as I can tell!

No first hand experience but a good mate swears by her Garmin Swim too.

I have just been using the poolmate watch, from swimovate – get the pro version and then you upload to your computer.

Garmin swim here. I did my first ironman this year having been a relative non swimmer previously. I found counting beyond 10 lengths very difficult and virtually impossible once I got into structured training. Garmin swim takes out all the guess work. Handtec seemed to be consistently the best for prices

Are you talking 400m in a 25m pool, sprint tri distance? If so it’s easy, don’t count every length.

I only count the end wall, and even then just to 4. I then count 1 and 2.. And then I know I’ve got to hit it twice more. Way easier than counting each end.

Another happy swimovate Poolmate user here 🙂

I’ve been using Poolmate for a few years now. 99% of the time it accurately records laps. One significant annoyance on mine is that once you finish a set it goes straight into timing the rest period, without showing the time for the previous set. So you only get to see your times once you stop and review the log. This might have been fixed in a later version of the firmware.

Don’t get stressed about it. If you do a few lengths more or less, does it matter in training.

But simple solution, use the pool clock. Do you know roughly how fats you swim 100m. Let’s say around 2:00 or 1:30 in training. Then simple to use the clock to keep,tabs of number of lengths.

I used to get stressed about lane counting BTW, so can sympathise!!!

Look at a sportcount chrono 100. It’s a little finger watch with a button to press to count each lap. Used one for a couple of years and its been faultless.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SPORTCOUNT-CHRONO-100-Sportcount-Chrono/dp/B005O0MCRU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388262916&sr=8-1&keywords=Sportcount+Chrono+100

Garmin swim and 910xt in this house. Both good in the pool and the 910 good in open water (well sort of, I swim in very tidal waters so pace and distance using gps are entirely pointless from a useful data perspective), running and biking.

That said we lent my wife’s swim to my mother – it’s not that good at counting lengths if you swim like an uncoordinated octopus.

I used to swim a mile at a time, which is conveniently 32 lengths of a 50m pool. I found it easy to count 2, then 4, then 2 4s being 8, then you’re a quarter of the way there, that again you’re halfway etc. etc.

Worked for me.

how can people not be able to keep count? makes me wonder why you need an electronic device to count simple maths…

(I have discalculia)

how can people not be able to read?

(I have discalculia)

I missed that bit…

how can people not be able to read?

my sincere apologies 😳

Thanks Scotroutes for coming to my defence. It is indeed, simple maths, however, numbers are something I struggle with immensely, especially when there are other distracting factors such as stroke count and form to think about. I have tried techniques like those mentioned by gavskater to simplify things, but numbers are so abstract in my mind it all just jumbles. something many won’t appreciate, perhaps dyslexics might, but it’s still very stigmatized to be “unable to count”. Of course’ I can actually count, it’s just that numbers don’t really ‘stick’. Imagine reading something in a foreign or unfamiliar alphabet whilst having to do other mental and/or physical activities at the same time…
Part of the reason I’m asking is because during the training sessions the coach will say things like “8 50s on your pb plus 10 with stroke count plus or minus 4 followed by 400 pull” it takes me ages to work out how many lengths to do and then try and remember it all while im doing it. It’s quite humiliating as an adult to have to ask as you get responses like that of Keva above. a piece of technology could help me avoid such situations, thanks.

Sorry Keva, I was writing a reply while your apology was posted 🙂