[Closed] Swimming and Strava

I use a tomtom spark watch to record swimming. Seems pretty accurate. You can set the size of the pool but I think I'm right to say that it's no good for open water swimming.

How well does a gps watch work indoors ?

I use a Suunto Ambit 2, which will also record open water swimming (using GPS). If you're only going to train indoors you could use the Garmin Swim, I know a couple of people with them.

I use a Garmin Fenix 3. Tracks indoor swimming using accelerometers, and outdoor using GPS. Once you set the pool length, it's pretty accurate at recording both the distance and the stroke type you do.

For example, here's my swim from this morning on Garmin Connect, it looks pretty similar on Strava, just without some of the fancier metrics.

[url= https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1250775077 ]https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1250775077[/url]

How well does a gps watch work indoors ?

It doesn't 🙂

You set the length of the pool before starting, and it uses the internal accelerometer to detect every time you kick off.

Cheers all, I will probably end up doing open water swims so I'll look at GPS types, rather than buy twice
Nick

I used to use my pebble, that works the same way as the garmins, but cheaper. That said, I didn't put my swims on strava so don't know how well it works.

I have a Garmin Forerunner 610. I stuff it under my swim cap and set the distance alert for 250m for outdoor swims.

Works a charm, doesn't affect your swimming stroke, no risk to the watch (provided you stuff it in well) and gives me great joy when I draw a perfect cock and balls in the local loch! (easier than you may think).

I put my Garmin edge 500 in two zip lock bags and stick it under my swimming cap. Works very well.

I put this on another post a whle ago, but especially as I assume swimming might lead do droppage.

I put a 'disposable' strava set up together for my bike for £30.

- £20 Brand new android phone from Sainsbury (locked to vodaphone)
- £1 Bloke on eBay took 12 mins to email the unlock code once i'd
- £9 Waterproof bike case from halfords sale (case was for a iphone 4s and fit perfectly)

- additionally. free viewranger app with download maps, or you can even by O/S maps in it

wack in a giff gaff sim (free) and some credit (don't sign up to a plan) and you're good 🙂 Strava uses bugger all when syncing and in use.

replace the 9quid case with swimming capableh warerproof case/bag thing and you're good to go IMO

I think you should use your Garmin 520. Start recording, put in a waterproof bag - e.g. car key waterproof case/bag and put it under your swim cap. This means it will always have a GPS connection (presuming you don't swim backstroke) and will stay dry. The disadvantage is that you don't get real time data, e.g. via a watch and you don't get detailed data afterwards as it will just show you where you went and your speed! Nice and cheap though!

Garmin 200 in ziploc type phone case. Tried it in wetsuit but seems to lose reception under water, so I second sticking it under your swimming cap. Make sure you have the auto-pause set correctly, as swimming as slow as I do caused it to pause when I first used it 🙁