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.
  • Former Member
    Former Member over 9 years ago
    txt file for surf tracker

    Hi, Sorry for basic question but can anyone tell me how to get the data from my surf sessions. I have followed the instructions on the app page but the txt file is empty.
    I am using a mac so perhaps it is any issue with that.
    Cheers
  • Saving to a file should work as long as you have the correct file name. What filename are you using and is it in the GARMIN\APPS\LOGS folder?
  • Thanks, works great

    Tried today for the first time on my brand new fenix3. It works great! My best wave today was 15 sec. 30 Kmh and 130 m. I cannot wait that your work becames a full app. Then the Rip Curl watch will be totally useless. Your work can be the main reason to buy a garmin device for many people.
    Greetings from Sardinia, Italy
  • Tried today for the first time on my brand new fenix3. It works great! My best wave today was 15 sec. 30 Kmh and 130 m. I cannot wait that your work becames a full app. Then the Rip Curl watch will be totally useless. Your work can be the main reason to buy a garmin device for many people.
    Greetings from Sardinia, Italy


    Cant agree more my rip curl search eats dust now i am using the vivoactive only cause i can review every wave i take although i am sceptic for the results ,i am using the cycle app ...... i think that in fenix you can create a custom app
  • km overrated

    Dear friends,

    Thank you for this app, it's great. But i am having some problems with km, i mean when i go surfing and i go back home it give the output of much more km than reality. someone else has same problems:?!
  • Dear friends,

    Thank you for this app, it's great. But i am having some problems with km, i mean when i go surfing and i go back home it give the output of much more km than reality. someone else has same problems:?!


    The output saved doesn't match with the instant wave report because the saved data cover all the activity, not only the waves taken. For now the only saved data referred to the waves are those in the log file.
  • But i am having some problems with km, i mean when i go surfing and i go back home it give the output of much more km than reality. someone else has same problems:?!

    Hi Gianluca:
    I don't understand the message you sent me "Is it normal that after a day surfing i have as output much more km than reality? I mean i have paddles for 1.5 hr and for 10 km it give me 43 km on the output track."

    Can you include a link to the activity (public)? Are you saying the total distance of all your wave rides is > your distance reported in the activity?
  • try to explain

    DEAR BWD, SORRY FOR MY ENGLISH :-)
    I am gianluca, and i am from Naples Italy. what i am trying to tell you is that if you use the app to record all the distance you paddled for all day session surfing it will be wrong, sometime i would like to know at the end of a day surfing ho many total km i paddled for and it tell you a wrong number. It record well the wave distance but if you want check at the end of the day how many km you paddled, the number of km that the app say is totally wrong. I make you an example, saturday i went out surfing and before start my session i paddled for 1 .5 km using the app and i saved the record, once on the pc it told me the distance was 9 km. i hope i mange to be clear enough to let you understand what i mean.

    Thank you
  • Fenix 2?

    Is there anything like this that will work on a Fenix 2?

    Sorry if I've posted this incorrectly, I'm trying to do it from my phone.
  • DEAR BWD, SORRY FOR MY ENGLISH :-)
    I make you an example, saturday i went out surfing and before start my session i paddled for 1 .5 km using the app and i saved the record, once on the pc it told me the distance was 9 km. i hope i mange to be clear enough to let you understand what i mean.


    Can you post a link to you activity?

    Is there anything like this that will work on a Fenix 2?

    Sorry if I've posted this incorrectly, I'm trying to do it from my phone.


    I don't think the Fenix 2 runs ConnectIQ apps: https://apps.garmin.com/en-CA/