Is there a wrist watch with a lap timer that works for swimming laps?
Is anybody using one successfully?
Which brand and model is it?
Do you hold the watch face down while pushing the lap button, or take any other steps to prevent water entry?
Casio and Timex both make wrist watch lap timers. Timex even sells theirs under the brand name IRONMAN Triathlon. What their advertising and marketing literature typically doesn't tell you, but a call to either companies customer service will reveal, is that they both strongly advise against pushing the lap timer button under water.
What is less clear is pushing the button immediately after a lap, with the watch held in air, but still wet. I could not get either company's customer service to say it was OK to push the lap button then; but they seemed less adamant that that wouldn't work.
Is there a wrist watch with a lap timer that works for swimming laps?
Is anybody using one successfully?
Which brand and model is it?
Do you hold the watch face down while pushing the lap button, or take any other steps to prevent water entry?
Casio and Timex both make wrist watch lap timers. Timex even sells theirs under the brand name IRONMAN Triathlon. What their advertising and marketing literature typically doesn't tell you, but a call to either companies customer service will reveal, is that they both strongly advise against pushing the lap timer button under water.
What is less clear is pushing the button immediately after a lap, with the watch held in air, but still wet. I could not get either company's customer service to say it was OK to push the lap button then; but they seemed less adamant that that wouldn't work.
Yes, I have used the Timex Ironman watches for many, many years. Two of my current Ironmans (Ironmen?) are each about four years old - I got them on clearance for $12.00 each. Even though we have a great clock at the pool (they turned our scoreboard into a giant digital pace clock - see attached photo), I use them at every practice because I have a terrible time remembering when I left. I use the chrono function and when I get to the wall I look at the watch and then push the lap button when my interval is up and it's time to start again. I try not to push it when the watch is under water; our pool is too deep for me to stand, so I hang onto the wall with the watch out of the water with my left hand, then push the button with my right hand just before I push off again.
In my experience what fails on the Ironman is not the watch, but the straps. My current models have custom-molded straps so it more or less forces you to have to buy Timex straps when they need to be replaced. I have to replace them every 6-12 months.
Anna Lea Matysek
Is there a wrist watch with a lap timer that works for swimming laps?
Is anybody using one successfully?
Which brand and model is it?
Do you hold the watch face down while pushing the lap button, or take any other steps to prevent water entry?
Casio and Timex both make wrist watch lap timers. Timex even sells theirs under the brand name IRONMAN Triathlon. What their advertising and marketing literature typically doesn't tell you, but a call to either companies customer service will reveal, is that they both strongly advise against pushing the lap timer button under water.
What is less clear is pushing the button immediately after a lap, with the watch held in air, but still wet. I could not get either company's customer service to say it was OK to push the lap button then; but they seemed less adamant that that wouldn't work.
Yes, I have used the Timex Ironman watches for many, many years. Two of my current Ironmans (Ironmen?) are each about four years old - I got them on clearance for $12.00 each. Even though we have a great clock at the pool (they turned our scoreboard into a giant digital pace clock - see attached photo), I use them at every practice because I have a terrible time remembering when I left. I use the chrono function and when I get to the wall I look at the watch and then push the lap button when my interval is up and it's time to start again. I try not to push it when the watch is under water; our pool is too deep for me to stand, so I hang onto the wall with the watch out of the water with my left hand, then push the button with my right hand just before I push off again.
In my experience what fails on the Ironman is not the watch, but the straps. My current models have custom-molded straps so it more or less forces you to have to buy Timex straps when they need to be replaced. I have to replace them every 6-12 months.
Anna Lea Matysek
