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Swimming

NOTICE

The device is intended for surface swimming. Scuba diving with the device may damage the product and will void the warranty.

NOTE: The watch has wrist-based heart rate enabled for swim activities. The watch is also compatible with chest heart rate monitors, such as the HRM-Pro™ series accessories. (Chest Heart Rate While Swimming). If both wrist-based heart rate and chest heart rate data are available, your watch uses the chest heart rate data.

Swimming in Open Water

You can record swim data including distance, pace, and stroke rate. You can add data screens to the default open water swimming activity (Customizing the Data Screens).

  1. Press START.
  2. Select Open Water.
  3. Go outside and wait while the watch locates satellites.
  4. Press START to start the activity timer.
  5. Start swimming.
  6. Press UP or DOWN to view additional data pages (optional).
  7. After you complete your activity, press STOP, and select Save.

Going for a Pool Swim

  1. Press START.
  2. Select Pool Swim.
  3. Select your pool size, or enter a custom size.
  4. Press START.

    The device records swim data only while the activity timer is running.

  5. Start swimming.

    The device automatically records swim intervals and lengths. The Auto Rest feature is on by default (Auto Rest).

  6. Press UP or DOWN to view additional data pages (optional).
  7. After you complete your activity, press STOP, and select Save.

Tips for Swimming Activities

  • Press Lap symbol to record an interval during open water swimming.
  • Before starting a pool swimming activity, follow the on-screen instructions to select your pool size or enter a custom size.

    The watch measures and records distance by completed pool lengths. The pool size must be correct to display accurate distance. The next time you start a pool swimming activity, the watch uses this pool size. You can hold Menu symbol, select the activity settings, and select Pool Size to change the size.

  • For accurate results, swim the entire pool length, and use one stroke type for the entire length. Pause the activity timer when resting.
  • Press Lap symbol to record a rest during pool swimming (Auto Rest and Manual Rest (Swimming)).

    The watch automatically records swim intervals and lengths for pool swimming.

  • To help the watch count your lengths, use a strong push off the wall and glide before your first stroke.
  • When doing drills, you must either pause the activity timer or use the drill logging feature (Training with the Drill Log).

Swim Terminology

Length

One trip down the pool.

Interval

One or more consecutive lengths. A new interval starts after a rest.

Stroke

A stroke is counted every time your arm wearing the watch completes a full cycle.

Swolf

Your swolf score is the sum of the time for one pool length and the number of strokes for that length. For example, 30 seconds plus 15 strokes equals a swolf score of 45. For open water swimming, swolf is calculated over 25 meters. Swolf is a measurement of swimming efficiency and, like golf, a lower score is better.

Critical swim speed (CSS)

Your CSS is the theoretical speed that you can maintain continuously without exhaustion. You can use your CSS to guide your training pace and monitor your improvement.

Stroke Types

Stroke type identification is available only for pool swimming. Your stroke type is identified at the end of a length. Stroke types appear in your swimming history and in your Garmin Connect™ account. You can also select stroke type as a custom data field (Customizing the Data Screens).

Free

Freestyle

Back

Backstroke

Breast

Breaststroke

Fly

Butterfly

Mixed

More than one stroke type in an interval

Drill

Used with drill logging (Training with the Drill Log)

Auto Rest and Manual Rest

NOTE: Swim data is not recorded during a rest. To view other data screens, you can press UP or DOWN.

The auto rest feature is available only for pool swimming. Your watch automatically detects when you are resting, and the rest screen appears. If you rest for more than 15 seconds, the watch automatically creates a rest interval. When you resume swimming, the watch automatically starts a new swim interval. You can turn on the auto rest feature in the activity options (Activities and App Settings).

TIP: For best results using the auto rest feature, minimize your arm motions while resting.

During a pool or open water swim activity, you can manually mark a rest interval by pressing Lap symbol .

Training with the Drill Log

The drill log feature is available only for pool swimming. You can use the drill log feature to manually record kick sets, one-arm swimming, or any type of swimming that is not one of the four major strokes.

  1. During your pool swim activity, press UP or DOWN to view the drill log screen.
  2. Press Lap symbol to start the drill timer.
  3. After you complete a drill interval, press Lap symbol .

    The drill timer stops, but the activity timer continues to record the entire swim session.

  4. Select a distance for the completed drill.

    Distance increments are based on the pool size selected for the activity profile.

  5. Select an option:

    • To start another drill interval, press Lap symbol .

    • To start a swim interval, press UP or DOWN to return to the swim training screens.

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March 2024
© 2022 Garmin Ltd.