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Using Garmin Forerunner while swimming

  • 08-03-2009 10:03PM
    #1
    swimforever
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 131 ✭✭


    Apologies if this is already in a thread somewhere but I've searched here and in the swimming forum and haven't come up with anything!

    For a while now I've been toying with the idea of buying a Garmin Forerunner to use for open water swimming to log my distances. I'm a little nervous of spending all that money though and then possibly ruining it or it not working well (I'd be putting it in a ziploc bag under my swimming cap like in this blog post).

    Just wondering if anyone out there has tried doing this and if it worked well or not?


Comments

  • #2
    tunney
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,585 ✭✭✭✭tunney


    Distance OW swimming isn't really relevant. 5km against the current versus 5km with the current?


  • #3
    hunnymonster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,365 ✭✭✭hunnymonster


    They are not rated for use in water but I've used my 305 for a while now without any problems. You don't really need it for laps of the island though and anything longer, you're likely to have boat support. I'd spend the money on maxim instead :-)

    see also
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055469711&highlight=garmin+swimming

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055411318&highlight=garmin+swimming


  • #4
    swimforever
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 131 ✭✭swimforever


    tunney wrote: »
    Distance OW swimming isn't really relevant. 5km against the current versus 5km with the current?

    That's true-it's more of an interest thing than anything else. I'm going to be doing a lot of open water swimming this summer and it would be fun to keep track of what I've done. Most of the training will be based on time spent in the water rather than distance anyway but I'd just be interested to see how much I'm covering.

    hunnymonster wrote: »
    They are not rated for use in water but I've used my 305 for a while now without any problems. You don't really need it for laps of the island though and anything longer, you're likely to have boat support. I'd spend the money on maxim instead :-)

    see also
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055469711&highlight=garmin+swimming

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055411318&highlight=garmin+swimming

    Thanks for that. I saw that the 205 and 305 are both advertised as being waterproof for up to 30 mins-but obviously that won't be doing me much good when I'm doing 6 and 8 hour swims. What's the longest you've used yours for?

    I know that I don't really need it, that's what has put me off getting it up until now. It's more the geek in me that wants in than anything else-I love electronics of any kind and really like the idea of being able to plot where I've swum! But yes, you're right that there are definitely more sensible things that I could be spending my money on!

    Thanks for the links too-for someone who's doing research in computer science I'm awful at searching on here!


  • #5
    mithril
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 970 ✭✭✭mithril


    I was told before that the salt in the sea-water will make the metal contacts corrode over time. Oviously not an issue if you have it in a completely water-proof environment.
    Not sure about using it in non salty water.


  • #6
    hunnymonster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,365 ✭✭✭hunnymonster


    swimforever wrote: »
    What's the longest you've used yours for?
    On the boat I've used it for an entire channel swim but as a swimmer only a couple of hours.You are welcome to borrow mine for a trial run if you like. I usually have it in my handbag (don't ask) so just call down to my office anytime and pick it up.


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