Pool-Mate, Swimming Computer

zico10

Was looking through a magazine and came across this product. Details can be found at the following link http://www.swimovate.com/poolmate.html
It can be bought for €77 on Chainreaction Cycles. Does anyone have it or indeed have an opinion on it? Have lost my stopwatch and need to buy a replacement. Would it be worth paying the extra cash for this product? Or are all the extra features merely a gimmick and things you could be measuring yourself?
Thanks

tunney

zico10 wrote: »

Was looking through a magazine and came across this product. Details can be found at the following link http://www.swimovate.com/poolmate.html
It can be bought for €77 on Chainreaction Cycles. Does anyone have it or indeed have an opinion on it? Have lost my stopwatch and need to buy a replacement. Would it be worth paying the extra cash for this product? Or are all the extra features merely a gimmick and things you could be measuring yourself?
Thanks

Does your pool not have a pool clock?

Wally Runs

Did you get it? It was in the Irish Times over the weekend. Any comments (useful) on it?

zico10

Ye I got it alright, lost it pretty soon after getting it though. So never got to know exactly how useful it was. Haven't thought about buying it again, if that tells you anything.

Wally Runs

Pity that, there is new version to come out in a month that will download to a pc etc. I will have a look at that.

sean_84

I have one as well and the lap counting thing does work. I find the writing on the display to be a bit small, and usually have to stop and take of my goggles (which get a bit fogged up) to read it, which isn't ideal. Reviewing the data afterwards is a bit fiddly on the small screen as well. I never really had difficulty counting lengths, so I don't use it much to be honest...

But one that could download the data to a computer does sound like it would be more useful.

shg101

sean_84 wrote: »

I have one as well and the lap counting thing does work. I find the writing on the display to be a bit small, and usually have to stop and take of my goggles (which get a bit fogged up) to read it, which isn't ideal. Reviewing the data afterwards is a bit fiddly on the small screen as well. I never really had difficulty counting lengths, so I don't use it much to be honest...

But one that could download the data to a computer does sound like it would be more useful.

I'm going to get one of these I think. Was doing a 500m time trial yesterday and had lost count by 250m. Downloading to a PC sounds great. Do any of these track your HR also?

shg101

tunney wrote: »

Does your pool not have a pool clock?

Not directed at me, but my one does have a pace clock, but for longer swims that not much use. I bring my own watch with stopwatch which is handy for timing over longer swims. The other pool I swam at regularly had a small analogue clock where you couldn't be sure exactly how long you were swimming.

Wally Runs

I phoned swimovate and they said that they would offer an upgrade to the new watch when it comes out to existing owners. The total price was GB£129.00, so less whatever they think the old model is selling at. The update also includes the software/logbook which is GB£17.00.
I think you can register with them if you are keen. I have no idea about the HRM, do they work in water? I am a runner not a swimmer, sorry.
Oh and it will only be in black/grey.

baldykav

I use the current swimovate and find it a good training aid for it's purpose(could be a lot better). I'm also crap at counting laps, particularly when in the midst of a hard set so this is why I got it.

The major glitch with it is if you throw in some backstroke into a usual FS effort then sometimes it doesn't register it as a lap which can be annoying.

I don't really use most of the functions on it like Efficiency etc and only use it for the lap/distance counter and for timing.

The clock is still the key though for swimming imo, the swimovate is a handy device to take the pressure/confusion out of counting.