Hey all - thanks for watching! If you want to dive into all the actual data sets (including raw data), you can find them linked in my full written review here: www.dcrainmaker.com/2021/08/massive-openwater-swim-gps-test-accuracy.html
Boy, I got a swim 2 based on your amazing review and I am so desapointed. The watch sometimes doesn't track 50% of my swims no matter what I do. Tried gps + GLONASS, gps + GALILEO, tried waiting a lot in the beach after "gps ready" msg appear in the watch. Data is so wrong that it is completely useless for me :(
It will be interesting to see which, if any manufacturers reach out to cross check your data and/or take up further accuracy testing or provide any meaningful feedback on the variations that you recorded.
Indeed. I'm really curious on the distance differences seen, especially on my wife's swim. The track looks perfectly the same as the reference track, yet 300m short (I could almost understand if it was the inverse, though not that much).
@@Dcrainmaker I would assume, it is similar to that of "distance guessing" while running without gps. The magic algorithm turns cadence and whatnot into speed based on prior data. I assume that the watches were connected to Your GC account, thus using your data as a reference. To test this theory, it would be fun to have the same watch on both wrists, however, one is connected to your GC account and the other to that of your wife.
@@MateHegyhati That's a super interesting theory. Though, I've never heard of any manuf doing stroke-rate ties in from the cloud, but still, totally plausible. I've got a general e-mail to send off to Garmin and Suunto in the coming days, so, its on my to-do list to ask.
@@Dcrainmaker Looking forward to find out. Completely different question: do you think, or see any signs, that there will be a standalone gps unit with ant+ broadcast that you can put on your cap or something, and sends the data to the watch? Maybe only post-swim, like the HRM-swim does with hr? I swim very seldom, and only do breaststroke (or something like that), so putting such a sensor to the top of my head would make sense. (Now I put the watch on the straps of my glasses.)
Great video! Super happy with my decision to order garmin instead of suunto 9 peak, which is at the same price point, but in different ball park in terms of swim accuracy
This is both extremely helpful and also very fun to watch! Thanks man! I wonder how long it’ll be before form goggles introduce native gps. I tried them in gps mode recently - tethered to an Apple Watch- and it was a 100% fail. It tracked the first 25m as I waded into deeper water before I actually started swimming … from then on, nothing.
Awesome work!!! TY so much! P.S. switched from AW Series 3 to FR745 ~7 months ago & after summer season of swimming I could say, that they are pretty similar in calculations & both accurate imho. Like that your study shows ~ same results ;)
According to astrophysics GPS underwater doesn't work well because radar cannot underpass its frequency in water. But generally swimming is done on superficial part, that's why it may capture some regular or irregular draw, but never perfect as when run or bike routes. Submarines for example doesn't use GPS radar to move, and, instead, they use other supeiorntechnology with sonar and map calculations.
Thanks for such a great review. I (used to) have a Vertix (1) and it was pretty awful for swimming. Added data most of the time but then, on long swims (10km+) it would miss literally half the swim. The app would not let me manually modify the correct distance either (it would stop at 9999m). A shame, because I liked it for running/trails.
i suspect swim technique can have a big effect on the results. I regular swim with someone who had the same watch as me and always end up with a distance significantly longer than me. We tried swapping watches and using other watches (all Garmin), and no matter what we do she always records at least 10-15% further.
Good 😊 review. I have the Coros Vertix 1 amd Apple 6. Both are spot on. Would like to know if Coros fix the Vertix2. I was surprised at the poor results of the Polar and Suunto.
What settings are you using for GPS? I have huge problems with the FR935 that only records very few points despite the setting of recording every second. But for OW it seems to try something "smart" that doesn't work. The distance is often off by as much as 20%.
GPS+GLONASS for everything. In OWS mode, the algorithm takes over and does its own update rate rather than 1-second, because it doesn't really have enough viable/clean data for one second. The biggest tip I can over is ensure the watch has good satellite above water before pressing start, and then wait 5-10 seconds (still above water) after pressing start before you start actually swimming. Do the same post-swim (get watch out of water, wait 5-10 seconds before hitting stop).
“As you point to the mountains off the crystal clear beach” 😂 we’re do you live? 🙌 amazing video by the way very helpful. I’ve been hesitant to get the Coros apex 2 for multi sport simply because of the swim tracking I’m not sure about
I like your clip. I think you are the first one who did so complex testing on so many watches many thanks for that !!!! I have Garmin Fenix 3 and I am looking for the replacement. I do occasionally open water but most of my swim on the swimming pool. Would you have any advice on this subject? I'm tempted to buy Apple Watch or New Garmin Fenix.
Great video!! I use an Amazfit GTS2 Mini (cheap, light and small SmartWatch) and I was thinking to improve to another one but as I can see in your video, don't worth the investment. The Amazfit do a very good result for a fraction price and also upload automatically the workout to Strava.
Many thanks for the video. Tomorrow Im gonna buy a used almost new suunto 9 peak for triathlon and ultra run trainings. However so sad seeing the gps is that bad in swimming. Wouldnt consider buying unless aggreed on a good deal like 250 euros. Suunto come on...
A key long term test I would like to see : salt water durability. Have had to return two Fenix 5s now after sea swim. Buttons jammed. So now I avoid salt water with Fenix at all costs.
I have been wearing a venu 2 plus for open water (using 3rd party connect store app) twice weekly for almost a year now, amazingly watch has no wear and tear from the salt water. gps is terrible though
What about the 935? I do open water swims with that frequently and it is absolutely terrible. I sync before and wait 10 mins with a green lock before going in. A 1KM swim can end up being one line of 50 meters sometimes. Feels like enforced obsolescence for me, on my device...
Myself and 2 friends here in Ireland all have some issue with 935 under reading by approx 10- 20%. Others friends upgraded to 945 for same issue. Tried all gps options. Found this video whilst looking for a new watch. Fed up with it!!
I wonder whether a heart rate sensor (like the Garmin HRM-TRI or HRM-SWIM) would make any difference? Or do you just get your heart rate and no more GPS information?
This is so interesting. Now, I really wonder what Samsung and Google will do with their new watches. I hope they will do something great. It will be interesting to see the review for that.
I would like to see 🍏 SE vs G-Swim2 in the pool. I had the SE, was absolutely disappointed with the pool results, furthermore dryland runs. Swim 2 in my budget but don’t want another disappointment
I've got one important question regarding the Apple Watch & iPhone. If I swim with both (AW on the wrist and iPhone in a buoy dry-pocket) is there a way to force the AW to use the GPS from iPhone? When I'm swimming open water with breaststroke I get almost no tracking of the distance (because the watch is under water). But when swimming with iPhone anyways - can't it take the GPS data from the watch? I've tested it - and it doesn't :/ Or maybe there are some external GPS devices which could be connected to AW/ iPhone? I know you can put your AW inside of your swimming cap - but then - you loose the HR data.
Can i ask way you didn't add the new Samsung smart watch that just came out the WearOS models i wanted to bay that one and now i have no idea if its good for swimming. Thank you great video i appreciate it so much.
This was shot in July and into early August, before the Samsung Watch4 came out. That watch doesn't start shipping till the end of the week. That said, hang tight!
@@Dcrainmaker I am so sorry for bothering you. Your like one of my favourite UA-camrs ever thank you so much for answering my comment your to kind can you pleas do a nother one with the new Samsung watch it would be so kind of you. Thank you your asom pleas be safe and take care i wish you all the best.
When the GPS signal was lost because the watch was under water, how long did it take to regain the GPS Signal? I have a Fenix 3+. When I lose the GPS signal due to treading water or swimming with breaststroke, the signal often never comes back.
Thank you for this comparison. Do you have similar kind of comparison for running? I am new to running and trying out Garmin instinct. Not sure if it is good enough, or should I go with Garmin 245. Please suggest.
I generally tend to group my accuracy results within each review, specifically calling out running. Check out my written reviews if you'd like tons more details (simply search 'dcrainmaker FR245'). But in general, the FR245 accuracy is better than the Instinct (GPS).
Great video as always DC, and the location was amazing (we're in hard lockdown in Sydney atm so everything looks amazing!!). I wasn't too clear on two things though. Firstly, how did the Instinct Solar miss the start and still record an accurate distance? Secondly, on your wife's swim, how did the 945 and Peak 'correct' in the opposite direction to accuracy? Apologies if this has been addressed in other comments or on your site. Cheers from Down Under.
Hi Carlos! And sorry to hear of the most recent lockdown for ya. I don't really understand how the Instinct 'missed' the start, but, I suspect the distance was done because it actually guesstimates by stroke-rate and attempts to fill it in. So once it realized it was supposed to be doing something, it appears like it back-ported the distance for the first portion of the swim, about 1/3rd of the way into the swim (you can actually see it in the files). My guess is it used a quick look at my current stroke rate per GPS distance and did simple math. As for both the FR945/Peak matching on my wife, while those matched, they did not match the actual reference distance or my distance (which was definitely more correct). That day was basically half the normal circuit we were doing, so the 1,000m it thought was far more than the actual distance we did that day.
@@Dcrainmaker Thanks Ray, much appreciated. Frustrating on both instances. Would love to know how the Apple Watch seems to nail GPS (and heart rate for another matter) so well. Cheers.
great test and a stunning place. As you mentioned - there's only a second or two for the watch to get GPS signal (if any) in-between strokes. Would it make any difference if I set my Fenix 6 to use 1 second recording instead of smart, or is that purely just for a better track? I'm finding my distance is often cut short
Great work as always. I was wondering if swimming does affect watches' altimeter functionality. I had to replace my Fenix after 1,5 years due to altimeter malfunction and now I'm a little afraid to swim with it.
Yes and no. It does immediately after a swim, and especially more salt-water than fresh-water. But assuming you shower with your watch eventually, it usually rinses it out (just like showering rinses out salt from sweat and stuff). That said, altimeter malfunctions are more common that any other component breaking on a watch, but I wouldn't overthink the source too much. Electrostatic discharge is also a super common scenario.
I think there was a known issue with the Fenix 5 and the 935 where the temperature gauge would break due to water damage which would immediately break the altimeter functionality. 🤦🏻♂️
@@Dcrainmaker I have the Polar Vantage V , first watch replaced under warranty due barometer failure , and now again same failure, but now the warranty no longer valid..
@@mlegrand My 935 reads a constant temperature of 100C or 212F and the elevation is a constant 622m… so yep that’s been my experience. All pool swimming when it broke.
Very disappointed with the distance recorded on the Garmin Fenix 6 compared to older Garmin - whilst the track looks correct it always seems to knocked approx 10% off the distance on a known distance course.
Of I swimming 10 lengths of a 25m pool continuously my lengths get logged but I can seem to see times for each individual length just over all time... Is this right?
@DC Rainmaker I suppose you had LTE activated on the 945 reference attached on the buoy. Did you test if the accuracy is worse if you swim without LTE?
I've never seen any difference in accuracy actually between swapping arms for my swim style (might differ for others). The biggest driver of accuracy for most units tends to be how it handles resumption after a pause.
Ray, I was wondering should upgrade my garmin fenix 5 x pluse to garmin fenix 6 x pluse or should I just wait until garmin comes on with something better in that series Thank you
I'm not Ray, but here's my opinion; I think the new Fenix will be out soon-ish. On the other hand, the Fenix 6 series is a good value now: often discounted and is still a solid watch with mature feature and updates.
Just saw android central review on Samsung galaxy watch 4 the body composition sensor doesn’t seem to be a gimmick and this time again I have high hopes from Samsung heart rate sensor , just waiting for your review for it. Have you received the watch or will get it on 27th ?
This is great. I’ve been having some issues with my 945 recording short which is driving me nuts. For your reference tracker, did you say you had it on the buoy in run mode? Is that the best way to get an accurate recording?
Correct, in run mode on a buoy. It's pretty much the 'gold standard' way of getting a reference track. Virtually every company I know in the space does the same thing when they do their internal testing.
@@trbeyond Correct. In run mode, it'll record a clean data point every second (assuming you've got 1-second recording enabled). Versus in openwater swim mode it's going to run the OWS algorithm against it, and thus you'll see data points roughly every 3-7 seconds. So from a reference track standpoint, I don't want anything messing with my track, I just want it as it is. Cheers!
Yeah, that's just the way the market has worked itself out. The reality is that any one of those Garmin models outsells all the other non-Garmin models combined (except Apple Watch).
I just put the GoPro in my shorts, roughly against my leg. It's on the so-called 'Shorty' stick (amzn.to/3gqg7F1), which is a bit riskier than a floating one, but with these clear waters it's easy enough to get if I drop it.
@@Dcrainmaker Oh boy, I see it coming, video rescuing a GoPro.. I remember the video looking for a GoPro and a dron and another GoPro lost in the process.. epic.
I have a polar vantage M2. I regret so much having purchased it. Poor GPS signal, the backlight barely illuminates, the triathlon function does not work consitently, sleep function is consistent and if you swim in anything less than 15 yards, well that's too bad but it won't let yo. My 5 years old Tomtom adventurer is more accurate, intuitive and I went back to it. I do not recommend Polar.
Generally when indoors, it's got a long time to figure things out, and, your position doesn't tend to change much. The density of water is vastly more than air and glass of a window. It's why things like ANT+ or Bluetooth Smart signals only go about 1-3cm underwater, versus up to 100 meters outdoors, even through trees/buildings in some cases.
Hey all - thanks for watching! If you want to dive into all the actual data sets (including raw data), you can find them linked in my full written review here: www.dcrainmaker.com/2021/08/massive-openwater-swim-gps-test-accuracy.html
Great video!! no channel really tests open swimming activity GPS watches, everyone testing running or bike mode accuracy
Thanks - I appreciate it!
Thank you for the thoroughness of your testing! The triathlon scenario testing for the turn bouys is a great touch.
You bet!
This is the exact tyoe of video I've been looking for! I wish more yech reviewers would mention how watches hold up in the water. Thanks for the info!
0:23 that must be DJI's newest drone ✈️
Shhh!!! Secret beta testing still!
Great review, and the location (I think Calvi on the island of Corsica) is amazing, one of my favorite places to go on holiday!
Thanks!
Boy, I got a swim 2 based on your amazing review and I am so desapointed. The watch sometimes doesn't track 50% of my swims no matter what I do. Tried gps + GLONASS, gps + GALILEO, tried waiting a lot in the beach after "gps ready" msg appear in the watch. Data is so wrong that it is completely useless for me :(
I love this video
Looks like great weather in Newfoundland 👍🏻👍🏻
Indeed, some of the best weather I've had in 13 years of travelling to the Rock!
My Suunto is utter garbage in the water, this video confirms it. Thanks for that !
For swimming in the pool, would you get Apple Watch Series 7 or Garmin Swim 2?
It will be interesting to see which, if any manufacturers reach out to cross check your data and/or take up further accuracy testing or provide any meaningful feedback on the variations that you recorded.
Indeed. I'm really curious on the distance differences seen, especially on my wife's swim. The track looks perfectly the same as the reference track, yet 300m short (I could almost understand if it was the inverse, though not that much).
@@Dcrainmaker Great stuff, more n=2 tests please, especially for the hr stuff.
@@Dcrainmaker I would assume, it is similar to that of "distance guessing" while running without gps. The magic algorithm turns cadence and whatnot into speed based on prior data. I assume that the watches were connected to Your GC account, thus using your data as a reference. To test this theory, it would be fun to have the same watch on both wrists, however, one is connected to your GC account and the other to that of your wife.
@@MateHegyhati That's a super interesting theory. Though, I've never heard of any manuf doing stroke-rate ties in from the cloud, but still, totally plausible. I've got a general e-mail to send off to Garmin and Suunto in the coming days, so, its on my to-do list to ask.
@@Dcrainmaker Looking forward to find out. Completely different question: do you think, or see any signs, that there will be a standalone gps unit with ant+ broadcast that you can put on your cap or something, and sends the data to the watch? Maybe only post-swim, like the HRM-swim does with hr? I swim very seldom, and only do breaststroke (or something like that), so putting such a sensor to the top of my head would make sense. (Now I put the watch on the straps of my glasses.)
Great video! Super happy with my decision to order garmin instead of suunto 9 peak, which is at the same price point, but in different ball park in terms of swim accuracy
Glad I could help!
ain't no rest for the wicked. kudos my friend
Thanks man!
Thanks for doing a typically thorough job
This is both extremely helpful and also very fun to watch! Thanks man! I wonder how long it’ll be before form goggles introduce native gps. I tried them in gps mode recently - tethered to an Apple Watch- and it was a 100% fail. It tracked the first 25m as I waded into deeper water before I actually started swimming … from then on, nothing.
Awesome work!!! TY so much! P.S. switched from AW Series 3 to FR745 ~7 months ago & after summer season of swimming I could say, that they are pretty similar in calculations & both accurate imho. Like that your study shows ~ same results ;)
Thank you so much! You are the only one doing this test!
Quite unique and at the same time very useful video, well done!
Really extravaganza! Big thanks!
I really appreciate your effort and lots of job.
Was hoping to see you doing laps in De Nieuwe Meer here in Amsterdam although I get it why you didn’t. The weather seems a lot better.
Hahaha...I save that water clarity for all my other videos.
you're a star Ray.. thanks
According to astrophysics GPS underwater doesn't work well because radar cannot underpass its frequency in water. But generally swimming is done on superficial part, that's why it may capture some regular or irregular draw, but never perfect as when run or bike routes. Submarines for example doesn't use GPS radar to move, and, instead, they use other supeiorntechnology with sonar and map calculations.
Many thanks Garmin is king as always
Great video! Thanks. Can you let us know where was this tested? This place looks gorgeous.
Thanks Victor! This was shot in Calvi (Corsica, France).
I enjoyed your video, I have galaxy watch 3 , wish you included in your test.
Thanks for such a great review. I (used to) have a Vertix (1) and it was pretty awful for swimming. Added data most of the time but then, on long swims (10km+) it would miss literally half the swim. The app would not let me manually modify the correct distance either (it would stop at 9999m). A shame, because I liked it for running/trails.
Thanks for the video!
Really useful one
i suspect swim technique can have a big effect on the results. I regular swim with someone who had the same watch as me and always end up with a distance significantly longer than me. We tried swapping watches and using other watches (all Garmin), and no matter what we do she always records at least 10-15% further.
Possible. The fact is that my gps tracking with the Garmin swim 2 is pure garbage and useless. Literally kilometers of errors.
In case you have a buoy, try putting the watch there for reference. As I can't swim freestyle yet, for me that's necessary to track distance at all.
I really appreciate your work thanks. Long time sub.
Good 😊 review. I have the Coros Vertix 1 amd Apple 6. Both are spot on. Would like to know if Coros fix the Vertix2. I was surprised at the poor results of the Polar and Suunto.
They've sent over a firmware update this weekend, I'm aiming to test it today or tomorrow.
I've been looking for videos showing the Garmin Swim 2 in action for weeks now! Thanks, great video.
What settings are you using for GPS?
I have huge problems with the FR935 that only records very few points despite the setting of recording every second. But for OW it seems to try something "smart" that doesn't work. The distance is often off by as much as 20%.
GPS+GLONASS for everything. In OWS mode, the algorithm takes over and does its own update rate rather than 1-second, because it doesn't really have enough viable/clean data for one second. The biggest tip I can over is ensure the watch has good satellite above water before pressing start, and then wait 5-10 seconds (still above water) after pressing start before you start actually swimming. Do the same post-swim (get watch out of water, wait 5-10 seconds before hitting stop).
“As you point to the mountains off the crystal clear beach” 😂 we’re do you live? 🙌 amazing video by the way very helpful. I’ve been hesitant to get the Coros apex 2 for multi sport simply because of the swim tracking I’m not sure about
I like your clip. I think you are the first one who did so complex testing on so many watches many thanks for that !!!! I have Garmin Fenix 3 and I am looking for the replacement. I do occasionally open water but most of my swim on the swimming pool. Would you have any advice on this subject? I'm tempted to buy Apple Watch or New Garmin Fenix.
Amazing. Thank you very much.
Love this video!! Such dedication to this test campaign. Have you tested the Venu 2?
Great video!! I use an Amazfit GTS2 Mini (cheap, light and small SmartWatch) and I was thinking to improve to another one but as I can see in your video, don't worth the investment. The Amazfit do a very good result for a fraction price and also upload automatically the workout to Strava.
Many thanks for the video. Tomorrow Im gonna buy a used almost new suunto 9 peak for triathlon and ultra run trainings. However so sad seeing the gps is that bad in swimming. Wouldnt consider buying unless aggreed on a good deal like 250 euros. Suunto come on...
A key long term test I would like to see : salt water durability. Have had to return two Fenix 5s now after sea swim. Buttons jammed. So now I avoid salt water with Fenix at all costs.
You have to rinse off the salt water after you use it
I have been wearing a venu 2 plus for open water (using 3rd party connect store app) twice weekly for almost a year now, amazingly watch has no wear and tear from the salt water. gps is terrible though
looks like a cheap stopwatch and the google maps feature "measure distance" is the best option
Fantastic!
Glad you like it!
What about the 935? I do open water swims with that frequently and it is absolutely terrible. I sync before and wait 10 mins with a green lock before going in. A 1KM swim can end up being one line of 50 meters sometimes. Feels like enforced obsolescence for me, on my device...
Myself and 2 friends here in Ireland all have some issue with 935 under reading by approx 10- 20%. Others friends upgraded to 945 for same issue. Tried all gps options. Found this video whilst looking for a new watch. Fed up with it!!
I wonder whether a heart rate sensor (like the Garmin HRM-TRI or HRM-SWIM) would make any difference? Or do you just get your heart rate and no more GPS information?
Anything for Aqua size
Great job !! 👌🙏
Thanks Hugo!!
This is so interesting.
Now, I really wonder what Samsung and Google will do with their new watches. I hope they will do something great.
It will be interesting to see the review for that.
I have garmin instinct. It sucks for open water swimming. Mine is hundreds of yards off every time.
I would like to see 🍏 SE vs G-Swim2 in the pool. I had the SE, was absolutely disappointed with the pool results, furthermore dryland runs. Swim 2 in my budget but don’t want another disappointment
Hey Ray! Were you using Apple Watch native open swim app? I have found GPS tracking can vary based on the App used. Thank you👍
Correct, native app.
can you test the Garmin Forerunner 935 vs 945 and see if there's been any improvement?
Lots of 935 negative comments here. 3 of us here in Ireland with under reading issues of 10 - 20%. Other friends upgraded to 945, it is better
Great video. Can you (or have you) done something similar with this head to head running or trail running?
I've got one important question regarding the Apple Watch & iPhone. If I swim with both (AW on the wrist and iPhone in a buoy dry-pocket) is there a way to force the AW to use the GPS from iPhone? When I'm swimming open water with breaststroke I get almost no tracking of the distance (because the watch is under water). But when swimming with iPhone anyways - can't it take the GPS data from the watch? I've tested it - and it doesn't :/ Or maybe there are some external GPS devices which could be connected to AW/ iPhone? I know you can put your AW inside of your swimming cap - but then - you loose the HR data.
Can i ask way you didn't add the new Samsung smart watch that just came out the WearOS models i wanted to bay that one and now i have no idea if its good for swimming. Thank you great video i appreciate it so much.
This was shot in July and into early August, before the Samsung Watch4 came out. That watch doesn't start shipping till the end of the week.
That said, hang tight!
@@Dcrainmaker I am so sorry for bothering you. Your like one of my favourite UA-camrs ever thank you so much for answering my comment your to kind can you pleas do a nother one with the new Samsung watch it would be so kind of you. Thank you your asom pleas be safe and take care i wish you all the best.
Great video.
Thanks - appreciate it!
When the GPS signal was lost because the watch was under water, how long did it take to regain the GPS Signal? I have a Fenix 3+. When I lose the GPS signal due to treading water or swimming with breaststroke, the signal often never comes back.
Hello! Just tried my polar in open water swimming for some reason it did not track the pace neither distance by any chance you know why ??
Which Polar?
Thank you for this comparison. Do you have similar kind of comparison for running? I am new to running and trying out Garmin instinct. Not sure if it is good enough, or should I go with Garmin 245. Please suggest.
I generally tend to group my accuracy results within each review, specifically calling out running. Check out my written reviews if you'd like tons more details (simply search 'dcrainmaker FR245'). But in general, the FR245 accuracy is better than the Instinct (GPS).
Maybe consider 745 or 945. They have good accuracy and more feature and i think updated HRM. 245 is a great watch as well.
Great video as always DC, and the location was amazing (we're in hard lockdown in Sydney atm so everything looks amazing!!). I wasn't too clear on two things though. Firstly, how did the Instinct Solar miss the start and still record an accurate distance? Secondly, on your wife's swim, how did the 945 and Peak 'correct' in the opposite direction to accuracy? Apologies if this has been addressed in other comments or on your site. Cheers from Down Under.
Hi Carlos! And sorry to hear of the most recent lockdown for ya. I don't really understand how the Instinct 'missed' the start, but, I suspect the distance was done because it actually guesstimates by stroke-rate and attempts to fill it in. So once it realized it was supposed to be doing something, it appears like it back-ported the distance for the first portion of the swim, about 1/3rd of the way into the swim (you can actually see it in the files). My guess is it used a quick look at my current stroke rate per GPS distance and did simple math. As for both the FR945/Peak matching on my wife, while those matched, they did not match the actual reference distance or my distance (which was definitely more correct). That day was basically half the normal circuit we were doing, so the 1,000m it thought was far more than the actual distance we did that day.
@@Dcrainmaker Thanks Ray, much appreciated. Frustrating on both instances. Would love to know how the Apple Watch seems to nail GPS (and heart rate for another matter) so well. Cheers.
When u were testing the fenix, your swimming goggles looked upside down
Seems the right way. If I look at 6:11, I can see the FINIS logo atop the right side, oriented correctly.
The nose Bridge looks low. Iv always seen the Bridge toward the top/ higher. Looks funny. Thought they were on upside-down.
When you tested the Apple watch, did you use the native workout "open water" setting for tracking laps?
great test and a stunning place. As you mentioned - there's only a second or two for the watch to get GPS signal (if any) in-between strokes. Would it make any difference if I set my Fenix 6 to use 1 second recording instead of smart, or is that purely just for a better track? I'm finding my distance is often cut short
In openwater swim mode there's no difference, as under the covers the algorithm actually negates it anyway.
Great work as always. I was wondering if swimming does affect watches' altimeter functionality. I had to replace my Fenix after 1,5 years due to altimeter malfunction and now I'm a little afraid to swim with it.
Yes and no. It does immediately after a swim, and especially more salt-water than fresh-water. But assuming you shower with your watch eventually, it usually rinses it out (just like showering rinses out salt from sweat and stuff). That said, altimeter malfunctions are more common that any other component breaking on a watch, but I wouldn't overthink the source too much. Electrostatic discharge is also a super common scenario.
I think there was a known issue with the Fenix 5 and the 935 where the temperature gauge would break due to water damage which would immediately break the altimeter functionality. 🤦🏻♂️
@@Dcrainmaker I have the Polar Vantage V , first watch replaced under warranty due barometer failure , and now again same failure, but now the warranty no longer valid..
@@mlegrand My 935 reads a constant temperature of 100C or 212F and the elevation is a constant 622m… so yep that’s been my experience. All pool swimming when it broke.
Waiting for the galaxy watch 4 review…..
How does it work with the watch that is holding the camera? Doesn't that keep the watch below the water more?
Very disappointed with the distance recorded on the Garmin Fenix 6 compared to older Garmin - whilst the track looks correct it always seems to knocked approx 10% off the distance on a known distance course.
Of I swimming 10 lengths of a 25m pool continuously my lengths get logged but I can seem to see times for each individual length just over all time... Is this right?
What bis this beautiful place?
Is it fair to say that Garmin Instinct and Garmin 945 or other Garmins have similar results in GPS aquiring and distance tracking?
What setting are you using for Gps to coros vertix 2? you should set the top configuration
Great video! Maybe another chance in garmin instinct at another video? 😂
@DC Rainmaker I suppose you had LTE activated on the 945 reference attached on the buoy. Did you test if the accuracy is worse if you swim without LTE?
LTE doesn't provide any GPS data at all here (unlike an Apple Watch for example, but even then, my Apple Watch is just a regular one).
I feel like you should swim twice with each watch pair and swap arms for more representative results.
I've never seen any difference in accuracy actually between swapping arms for my swim style (might differ for others). The biggest driver of accuracy for most units tends to be how it handles resumption after a pause.
Also...if I lived where the water was as clear in the video - then I'd definitely do it! ;)
@@Dcrainmaker thanks for clarification. I stand corrected. Great job as always!
@@sheevys No problem!
Wow, that swim bay looks amazing, where is it?
It's not like we're missing any GPS information about that bay though :-D
Thanks! This was shot in Calvi (Corsica, France).
@@Dcrainmaker beautiful
Ray, I was wondering should upgrade my garmin fenix 5 x pluse to garmin fenix 6 x pluse or should I just wait until garmin comes on with something better in that series
Thank you
I'm not Ray, but here's my opinion; I think the new Fenix will be out soon-ish. On the other hand, the Fenix 6 series is a good value now: often discounted and is still a solid watch with mature feature and updates.
What do you recommend to buy one of these watches?
Could you pleaser test the samsung galaxy watch 4 classic. Thankyou
Once it comes out, definitely.
Nice work ! what settings did you use on fenix 6 - GPS only ; Gps + Glonass ; Gps + Galileo or Ultratrac mode?
GPS+GLONASS for everything (except the COROS VERTIX 2, which was Dual-Frequency GPS)
@@Dcrainmaker Thank you !
Just saw android central review on Samsung galaxy watch 4 the body composition sensor doesn’t seem to be a gimmick and this time again I have high hopes from Samsung heart rate sensor , just waiting for your review for it. Have you received the watch or will get it on 27th ?
I have one ordered for delivery on the 27th, though, there's talks for a unit sooner.
So the best option would be an apple watch connected with an iPhone inside your swimbuoy.
This is great. I’ve been having some issues with my 945 recording short which is driving me nuts. For your reference tracker, did you say you had it on the buoy in run mode? Is that the best way to get an accurate recording?
Correct, in run mode on a buoy. It's pretty much the 'gold standard' way of getting a reference track. Virtually every company I know in the space does the same thing when they do their internal testing.
@@Dcrainmaker Thanks! Curious, if it's on the buoy, why run mode versus swim mode? I guess the data recording must be different?
@@trbeyond Correct. In run mode, it'll record a clean data point every second (assuming you've got 1-second recording enabled). Versus in openwater swim mode it's going to run the OWS algorithm against it, and thus you'll see data points roughly every 3-7 seconds. So from a reference track standpoint, I don't want anything messing with my track, I just want it as it is. Cheers!
From the place you got your name (D.C.) thank you!!👊
Garmin 7x 11:32
1
Indeed, first for the win!
Do you like Corsica ?
Forerunner 55 Swimming
No wonder why Garmin are best in test, when half of all the watches are from Garmin.
Yeah, that's just the way the market has worked itself out. The reality is that any one of those Garmin models outsells all the other non-Garmin models combined (except Apple Watch).
Where do you out the camera while swimming ?
I just put the GoPro in my shorts, roughly against my leg. It's on the so-called 'Shorty' stick (amzn.to/3gqg7F1), which is a bit riskier than a floating one, but with these clear waters it's easy enough to get if I drop it.
@@Dcrainmaker Oh boy, I see it coming, video rescuing a GoPro.. I remember the video looking for a GoPro and a dron and another GoPro lost in the process.. epic.
Does Fenix 6 record heart rate during swimming?
Yes
Thanks for this great content, can you give me a Garmin Fenix 6pro or 945, Because I can't buy one, and you have a lot of them, please 😉😉😉
Hahaha...then I wouldn't be able to do tests like this!
@@Dcrainmaker but I know you have more than two watchs for each type, you can give me one and keep the rest 🥰😇
Galaxy Watch 4 review pls :)=
Hang tight!
👍 👍 👍
I have a polar vantage M2. I regret so much having purchased it. Poor GPS signal, the backlight barely illuminates, the triathlon function does not work consitently, sleep function is consistent and if you swim in anything less than 15 yards, well that's too bad but it won't let yo. My 5 years old Tomtom adventurer is more accurate, intuitive and I went back to it. I do not recommend Polar.
Hi 🖐️
Where is It ? City ? Tks
Beautiful 🔝
Thanks! Calvi, Corsica. Cheers!
It will be funny if you wear the whole bunch of watches on both arms.
Skmei
Interesting tjat tje watches have such problems with gps accuracy under water when they easily acquire signal indoors
Generally when indoors, it's got a long time to figure things out, and, your position doesn't tend to change much. The density of water is vastly more than air and glass of a window. It's why things like ANT+ or Bluetooth Smart signals only go about 1-3cm underwater, versus up to 100 meters outdoors, even through trees/buildings in some cases.
every smartwatch is so inaccurate in open sea , this is really bad.
Apple but no Samsung? 👎
Why do you speak soooooo Fast? OMG. Swim Fast, Speak slow.
Thank you bro 🙏🤙👍🏼🚭