Which GPS watches do you guys recommend?
When I'm swimming in open water, I want to know the straight-line distance of the course. I'm not nearly as interested in how much extra I ended up swimming by veering off course. That's an interesting data point, but I don't get credit for the extra distance in a race, so I don't count it in training either.
Because of that, I don't care too much about the swim correction feature. I'm fine if the data ends up with a bunch of zig-zags. As long as I can hit lap to pinpoint landmarks on the course, I can figure out the straight-line distance in Google Earth.
I do care about how quickly it can get a signal.
A lot of my triathlete buddies have the Garmin 310XT. That seems to have a bunch of features I don't need. Plus, I think it's really ugly. I truly hate the idea of spending that much money on a humongous gray and orange watch.
The reviews I read on Timex and Polaris GPS watches don't look that great--I see a lot of complaints about them being slow to connect and the software being a pain to use. Have any of you had good experiences with them? What about lower-end Garmin models?
If I did break down and get the 310XT, would I ever even be wearing it on my wrist, or would I have to wear it under my cap?
I use a Forerunner 205, which I wear on the top of my head, inside a small ziplock baggie, under a cap. Works great; quick to lock on; super-accurate.
The 205 is, I believe, exactly the same as the 305 (same dimensions & weight) except the 305 includes a HR monitor for ~$20 extra - which obviously I don't use since I don't wear it on my wrist.
For an extra ~$230 you get the waterproof 310xt (the 205/305 are "water resistant"), which doesn't seem worth it unless you're using it in a tri context.
Katie, I do think there's value in accurate trace lines (no zig zags). It's useful information if you're not swimming straight - whether from poor sighting, currents, or what-have-you. No "swim correction" software necessary if you wear it under the cap, though. The watch loses the GPS signal only if it goes under water.
I use a Forerunner 205, which I wear on the top of my head, inside a small ziplock baggie, under a cap. Works great; quick to lock on; super-accurate.
The 205 is, I believe, exactly the same as the 305 (same dimensions & weight) except the 305 includes a HR monitor for ~$20 extra - which obviously I don't use since I don't wear it on my wrist.
For an extra ~$230 you get the waterproof 310xt (the 205/305 are "water resistant"), which doesn't seem worth it unless you're using it in a tri context.
Katie, I do think there's value in accurate trace lines (no zig zags). It's useful information if you're not swimming straight - whether from poor sighting, currents, or what-have-you. No "swim correction" software necessary if you wear it under the cap, though. The watch loses the GPS signal only if it goes under water.
