Distance without GPS

I am having battery issues with my 5s+. My activities are mainly in the ocean, and the battery drain with the GPS (any mode) is intense. I basically get 4-5 hours. I am looking into my unit being faulty or else, but meanwhile I was thinking of developing an app for me to track my distance.

Using either the strokes, or the accelerometer, is there a way to calculate a distance? On an activity or data field. Is there anyone who already used accelerometer data for distance who can point me to the right path?