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?
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Read dcrainmaker's review of the 310xt to get an idea of they type of track you should get when using it for OWS
www.dcrainmaker.com/.../new-garmin-forerunner-310xt-openwater.html
Yedswim, thanks for posting this link. Definitely the best technical info I've gotten on the subject.
My race was cancelled, so I did another test in the pool. It turns out the problem was with the settings. I had Auto Pause and Auto Lap turned on in the previous tests.
I did two tests today. Both with Auto Pause and Auto Lap turned on. In the first test, I had the Data Collection Mode set to collect data every second. I swam 750 yards of drills/drill-paced swimming. Garmin came up with 830 yards, jagged path, but pretty much in the general area where I was swimming.
Then, I set the Data Collection Mode to Smart Collection. I swam 250 yards, a little faster than drill pace, open turns. Garmin came up with 264 yards, almost exactly straight.
So, the magic settings are, drum roll please,
Auto Pause OFF
Auto Lap OFF
Smart Recording ON
great topic, i'd like to hear what other people are using. i've 2 forerunner 305's. ugly? got to agree with you. it is always on the back of my head, held in place by goggle straps, then everything covered with a latex cap. no baggies or other water protection. the swim distances it comes up with are the same as i get from topo maps, probably because there is unobstructed satellite reception in the middle of lakes. can't say the same about its distance-accuracy when using it for forest trails. 305's can be had at times for as low as $110 new on Amazon.
Geog, how long have you had your 305? I would love, love, love to ditch the ziploc bag, but I'm afraid it might reduce the lifespan.
Read dcrainmaker's review of the 310xt to get an idea of they type of track you should get when using it for OWS
www.dcrainmaker.com/.../new-garmin-forerunner-310xt-openwater.html
Yedswim, thanks for posting this link. Definitely the best technical info I've gotten on the subject.
My race was cancelled, so I did another test in the pool. It turns out the problem was with the settings. I had Auto Pause and Auto Lap turned on in the previous tests.
I did two tests today. Both with Auto Pause and Auto Lap turned on. In the first test, I had the Data Collection Mode set to collect data every second. I swam 750 yards of drills/drill-paced swimming. Garmin came up with 830 yards, jagged path, but pretty much in the general area where I was swimming.
Then, I set the Data Collection Mode to Smart Collection. I swam 250 yards, a little faster than drill pace, open turns. Garmin came up with 264 yards, almost exactly straight.
So, the magic settings are, drum roll please,
Auto Pause OFF
Auto Lap OFF
Smart Recording ON
great topic, i'd like to hear what other people are using. i've 2 forerunner 305's. ugly? got to agree with you. it is always on the back of my head, held in place by goggle straps, then everything covered with a latex cap. no baggies or other water protection. the swim distances it comes up with are the same as i get from topo maps, probably because there is unobstructed satellite reception in the middle of lakes. can't say the same about its distance-accuracy when using it for forest trails. 305's can be had at times for as low as $110 new on Amazon.
Geog, how long have you had your 305? I would love, love, love to ditch the ziploc bag, but I'm afraid it might reduce the lifespan.
