Data Field: Surf Tracker

[FONT=Arial Black]Surf Tracker[/FONT]

Version 1.20
https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/ded87d46-5477-4ca7-a247-847b896393e0

Track your surfing sessions in real time! This data field estimates the number of waves ridden using a speed and time threshold to mark the start and end of a wave ride.

Info shown (from left to right):

  • your total number of waves ridden and the total wave ride time (min:sec)
  • for your latest wave ride: wave ride time (seconds), maximum speed during the wave ride (km/hr or mph) and the distance covered (meters or yards)
  • the numbers in red show the maximum values for the wave ride time, speed and distance during the activity
  • For square watches, the bottom line shows the time of day and elapsed time of the activity. For round watches and the Vivo HR, the top line shows the time of day and the bottom line shows the elapsed time.




Notes:

1) This data field must be used in a 1-field data screen and should be set up before starting the activity. I use an Activity > Other > Paddle, but any activity with GPS ON should work. Open water swim will work but the GPS tracks are noisier since the sampling rate is lower, but it may be the better option for surfing when your arm is in and out of the water. Some activities smooth the speed data more than others and will give less accurate results (eg. a walking activity will not work as well as paddling or cycling). Vivoactive users try the Cycling activity, the Run activity will smooth the speed values to much to even out the Pace and this won't work well with the wave detection.

2) The summary stats and a speed plot are saved to Garmin Connect once the Activity is ended and saved:


3) This has been tested many times with standup paddle surfing. It has taken a while to get the thresholds working accurately. The detection thresholds can be changed using the Garmin Connect Mobile app (see https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?332843-How-to-App-Settings for help):

There are four settings to mark a wave ride based on speed, time and distance.


An event starts when the speed is >= 9 kph, it must last at least 6 seconds (above 9kph) and have a max speed of at least 13 kph to be counted. The event ends when it falls below 9kph. The min distance is set to 0m, but this can be changed to avoid false detections. These thresholds work well for standup paddle surfing, but try changing them and post your results. It should work for: standup paddle surfing, surfing, kayak surf, surf ski and maybe standup paddle downwinding.

Threshold ranges and defaults:
1) Start/stop threshold: default 9kph, range 5-50 kph
2) Time threshold: default 6s, range 2-60s
3) Max speed in event has to be >= 13kph, range 0-50kph
4) Min distance: default 0m (disabled), range 0-1000m

Typical values:
Standup paddle surfing: general setting for all waves
9kph, 6s, 13kph, 0m

Standup paddle downwinding (Hood River)
10kph, 10s, 12kph, 20m

4) The stats from each wave ride can be saved to a text file using the instructions at the bottom of the page (advanced users only, unsupported).

----------------- Planned Updates------------------

1) none hopefully


----------------- Version History ------------------

0.2 datafield now updates even when not visible.

0.3 added min distance to threshold test (now min 9km/hr for 5s and 15 m) to avoid paddling out/false wave counts, especially for SUP (eventually these values will be user selectable).

0.4 more tweaks after on-water tests (now min 9km/hr for 6sec), 19 waves and only 2 false readings and that was when I was chucked over the falls...

0.5 changed totdist and elapsed time to use the last good point of the event, instead of first one below the threshold, since when falling in it might take a while to get gps fix again and this will add to the waveride time. This should only decrease the wave ride time. The threshold test is now: >= 9km/hr for >= 6 sec and maxspeed >= 13 km/hr, redesign screen, add total wave ride time in min:sec

0.6 add fenix support.

0.7 bug fixed- crash when data field is in view and GPS just becomes active

0.8 D2Bravo, Epix and Vivoactive (separate app) support, compile using SDK 1.1.4. Latest numbers are green during an event (shows green if above speed threshold, even if below time threshold).

v0.9 new SDK 1.2.1, support for fr230/fr235

v0.95 new SDK, 2.1.3, support for Vivoactive HR

v1.0 added GCM settings for thresholds, changed distance calculation (should be shorter and more accurate), added 1 field Vivoactive support (got rid of the separate version)

v1.20 Garmin Connect summary stats and wave speed plot output
_________
** Advanced user only+unsupported method to save each wave ride to a text file on your device:

Place a *.TXT file in the /GARMIN/APPS/LOGS folder on your device, where * is the name of the .PRG file in the /GARMIN/APPS folder. Look for a file that is ~12 kilobytes. On my device it is 69SI5820.PRG, so I would create an empty file in /GARMIN/APPS/LOGS/69SI5820.TXT

To find out the filename, uninstall Surf Tracker, make a note of the *.PRG files in the /GARMIN/APPS folder, install Surf Tracker then note which PRG file is new.

Sample output format:
Wave# TimeofDay WaveRideTime(sec) WaveRideMaxSpeed(kph) WaveRideDistance(m)
1 07:26 20 28.8 113.4
2 07:28 13 27.6 76.8
3 07:33 21 30.2 122.2

Copy the file to your computer after a few sessions. I copy and paste the details into the notes section of the activity on Garmin Connect. The file will be appended to until it gets too big (10KB), then it will be overwritten. I had 3 days of sessions saved and it was only 1.8KB.
  • The new feature sounds great but I do not understand instructions. I go to settings and calibrate compass. Do I need to do this everytime? I exit settings. At what point do I point 12 hand at waves? Do I start the SUP activity first then point the 12 hand at the waves? At this point the Surf Tracker Datafield is displayed expecting me to hit start. How do I know I have a steady heading? Sorry for the dumb question but I just can’t figure this out.
  • It is not a dumb question, I didn't really explain it well:

    You only need to calibrate the compass if the headings are not making sense. I only do this once in a while (every few weeks). On my 935 I hold the top left Light button to get the Control screen, scroll to compass, and if the compass readings are not changing when I turn my wrist 90deg then I hit Start, then calibrate. I take the watch off then do a quick figure 8 to calibrate.

    I then stand on the beach and point the 12 hand at the waves (perpendicular to the beach). Then hit Start and go to the app with SurfTracker, in my case it is called Surfing. As soon as the app is opened it will start measuring and averaging the heading (if that option is checked in Settings). That is why you point the watch at the waves first before going to the Surfing app. You will see the BeachDir line in RED (degrees) changing slightly. Then after 10sec or so press START and go surfing. The heading doesn't need to be exact and a 10sec average should be fine if your wrist isn't moving.

    If you are finding it is counting Rights/Lefts incorrectly you can stop and save the activity on the water. Then while in the water, face the waves again but adjust the angle slightly. It is just using the heading +-180deg to calculate if it is a Right or Left wave ride.

    You can experiment with this outside on the street. Just point the watch perpendicular to the road, go to the app, measure the heading for 10s or so, then start the activity. Then run Right and then Left and see if it counts them correctly (run 6s > 10 kph depending on your settings).

    Hope that helps.
  • Thanks so much. Will try it again. Btw you should get some sort of recognition from Garmin. Surf Tracker2 is the reason I bought my Garmin Vivoactive HR and I am sure I am not the only one.
  • Works a treat. Thanks again. ????
  • I have a Fenix 3hr but im not much good with setting things up on there and have been strugeling to figure how to set the app up. could anyone give me a basic step by step guide how to do so? I have looked on the net and you tube for a tutorial but could not find anything. many thanks

    edit- I have managed to get it on my watch and gave it a try but it only recorded 3 out of many waves on one session and one 11minuite track on the second so I guess its down to settings now?
  • hello

    excuse me for my bad english( tell from france)
    i use a garmin 5 x plus and want to add the data field Surf Tracker into an existing Activity SUP
    with my iPhone app i download Surf Tracker2 make a synchronisation

    i go in Sup app => setting => go to data field => + and i don't find Surf Tracker

    please can you help me

    thanks

    jean frédéric
  • hello

    excuse me for my bad english( tell from france)
    i use a garmin 5 x plus and want to add the data field Surf Tracker into an existing Activity SUP
    with my iPhone app i download Surf Tracker2 make a synchronisation

    i go in Sup app => setting => go to data field => + and i don't find Surf Tracker

    please can you help me

    thanks

    jean frédéric


    i found the solution :)
  • Having trouble adjusting settings for regular surfing (non_SUP). I get lots of false positives. I have a Fenix 5x Plus and usually surf in Encinitas, California. I currently have parameters set up as 10-6-15-10 W(270),35... I added min distance and false positives were less frequent. Sometimes, I get them when paddling back to the outside after ducking a wave. I'm wondering if loss of GPS connectivity is causing it to happen...
  • Hello!

    I have been using the Surf Tracker data field set in the Cycling activity in a Forerunner 235 for almost 2 years recording about 340 surf sessions and it worked as expected.
    Got some false readings some times, but it was because the surf conditions had changed substantially from one session to the next (when it is really small I have to adjust the thresholds).

    I recently got a Fenix 5 and installed the Surf Tracker 2 data field. For that, I copied the SUP activity changing the name to Surf and added the data field.
    This morning I got to the water for the first time. I was surfing for about 2 hours and caught around 15 waves, but although the Surf Tracker recorded the most of the waves just fine, setting the direction of each wave ok (love this feature!), I got lots of false readings:

    - It recorded a total of 52 waves instead of 15
    - Sometimes I was just paddling and a wave got recorded
    - Sometimes I was just sitting on the board and a wave got recorded
    - I was thinking if it was about low thresholds (I had the default ones), but just sitting got a speed of 32 kph, which I didn't get for sure

    That makes me thing the GPS is not reading the position properly. As I said, the activity I am using is a copy of the Padel Surf one. I started the activity with the GPS only and after about 20 wrong wave readings I changed it to GPS + GLONASS, but didn't see any change (In my FR 235 I used GPS only and worked fine).

    I have read some other user comments like the previous one having similar issues. Does anyone else have a Fenix 5 and is working ok?

    Maybe the padel surf is not the best option? I will trying setting it in the cycling activity for tomorrow session.

    Any ideas?

    Thanks bwd1 for the great data field!!
  • Let me start off by saying this is my most used app on my Garmin 735XT. The last two session that I had that was over 8ft and the app crashed twice. I don't know if it's the force of some of my wipeouts or something messing with the sensors, Any Idea how I can get around this issue.