My Garmin swim watch bit the dust. (Warning to anyone who has one - make sure the back is really snapped down after you change the battery or it will get water inside...like mine did!) I really enjoyed having this as a tool to keep track of what and how I swam at each workout. But I'm debating replacing it with the Swimovate Poolmate Live...which appears to have an option for open water swimming. Has anyone used either of these watches, or both, and have an opinion to share?
I have both a Garmin 920 XT (a GPS triathlon watch with swim function) and a Swimovate Poolmate 2 (has OW mode) - not exactly the same models you list but many of the same features. You really have to get a GPS capable watch for accurate OW data. Garmin & Suunto being the main options. Without GPS, OW mode is just an estimate based on stroke count. The varied water conditions of OW can change your stroke efficiency too much for stroke count alone to be meaningful. Both brands will accurately count lengths in the pool sharing the same limitations - they require strong push off from the end, can get fooled if you stop mid way or change strokes. Garmin is way more expensive but offers much more data as well as customizable data screens. The swimovate is much cheaper, but basically just counts laps. The other advantage of the swimovate is that it is much smaller on my female wrist. I started with the Swimovate and have since passed it on to another family member who only needs to count laps. If you aren't interested in spending the $$ for GPS triathlon watches, then best just to give up on OW mode and just pick a pool watch that has the features / price you prefer. One other option for OW that I have heard of is to put a GPS running watch in the swim cap, but that assumes you already have one.
I have both a Garmin 920 XT (a GPS triathlon watch with swim function) and a Swimovate Poolmate 2 (has OW mode) - not exactly the same models you list but many of the same features. You really have to get a GPS capable watch for accurate OW data. Garmin & Suunto being the main options. Without GPS, OW mode is just an estimate based on stroke count. The varied water conditions of OW can change your stroke efficiency too much for stroke count alone to be meaningful. Both brands will accurately count lengths in the pool sharing the same limitations - they require strong push off from the end, can get fooled if you stop mid way or change strokes. Garmin is way more expensive but offers much more data as well as customizable data screens. The swimovate is much cheaper, but basically just counts laps. The other advantage of the swimovate is that it is much smaller on my female wrist. I started with the Swimovate and have since passed it on to another family member who only needs to count laps. If you aren't interested in spending the $$ for GPS triathlon watches, then best just to give up on OW mode and just pick a pool watch that has the features / price you prefer. One other option for OW that I have heard of is to put a GPS running watch in the swim cap, but that assumes you already have one.
