Very bad Fenix 5 tracks for open water swimming

I have lots of tracks like that with my Fenix 5

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/5158739515

All software updates did not help.

Does anybody know how to get better tracks. Glonass? Galileo? Sync with Garmin Express?

I ask myself why Garmin is not offering a swim pod.

Something like the GLO2. Lighter and cheaper. Less functionality. Just deliver GPS coordinates to the watch.
Garmin guys is such a thing under development?

Put that under your swim cap and that should get the GPS coordinates.

or use the Garmin app on a mobile in your swim buoy and let that track the coordinates. Together with a modified watch firmware that could be a perfect fit. Garmin think about this.

I like my Fenix 5 very much. However swimming is a catastrophe in 95% of all cases. My 910XT did swimming very well.

0 Former Member over 5 years ago

I’m just starting open water swimming as the pools are closed and finding the same issue.

Last night my wife and I swam together in a lake, her Suunto 9 tracked that she was doing the right distance of about 340 meters, and we did 3 loops, and my Fenix 5x tracked I did a total of 161 meters!!

The idea of placing your watch under a cap or in a float is a stupid response from Garmin.

If older watches worked why can’t they get the newer watches to work, or as you suggest maybe supply a pod, but I would rather they fix the watch.

I get water is a blocker, but if Apple and Suunto can do a better job, why can’t Garmin.

I might sell this watch and get a Suunto if they don’t.

0 Cedricg_38 over 5 years ago in reply to Former Member

same problem, never hab problems before 19.1 FW

0 Tim7777 over 5 years ago in reply to Former Member

Im on my second, (Garmin replacement) after the first one didn't like the swim) F5. Both have been absolutely useless at tracking my swims. Both have frozen mid swim or failed to accurately calculate distance. Garmin are impossible to contact. I loved my 910, had 3 over the years, wish I could go back and replace with a 910, but like all good things, they updated it and it no longer exists. My advice to anyone looking for a good swim watch would be to AVOID FENIX 5 AT ALL COSTS...

0 Tim7777 over 5 years ago

My swims are identical to yours in the picture. looks like I spend my time on land...frikken useless F5s

0 denglerfranz over 5 years ago

Today I had a good swim track. It’s like a miracle

connect.garmin.com/.../5168518220

I did

- synchronize with Garmin Express to have all satellite data

- I spent 5 minutes on a free field with no trees

- and used GPS only (it looks like Glonass and Galileo make things worse)

Let’s see if I can repeat this or if this track stays the only one in 2 and a half years

0 Former Member over 5 years ago in reply to denglerfranz

That's interesting as I had mine set to GPS yesterday when I went for my swim and had it locking to GPS before I went in this was how Garmin saw my 3 laps of the top lake!

I was going to try GPS+Glonass next