Instinct - Elevation readings easily screwed

It's an interesting placement for sure. Just took a look at Polars new GRIT X which is highly dependent on the altimeter for some of its selling points....and the barometer is similarly placed, really close to the skin. But yes the polar barometer is placed so that when wearing on the left arm the baro holes are pointing up.

You will find plenty of threads about the same topic here, on the Insticnt forum, and also many tips, including 3D printer plans for a protective holder. You can also protect the hole with a mesh, tape, or a narrow sweat-wristband on the side of the hole. Personally, I simply remove the sweat under the watch with a sleave or with the fingers of the other hand. And I rinse and dry the watch after each activity, of course. Have had no significnt problems since I learned how to care about it.

what kind of activities do you track on your instinct?  

looks like im gonna have to prepare a few test cases for this... check if scenario is repeatable with the same placement and maybe differernt route...  then adjust the tightness... use on the right... use a thin wristband just beside it.. can't also help but sweat so easily here in South East Asia

Its probably a common (and maybe even logical) placement for designers/manufacturers, maybe its where there's less wind/pressure interference... i just checked that Grit X, yes its on the other side... but if sweat goes down your arm, wouldn't that also potentially hit the hole?   

the Fenix 3 had a tapered bottom (mine's without HR), so I guess that help to keep the hole a bit further away 

Works perfectly when worn with a sweatband like this. 

You still get the heart rate data as well. 

I recently bought a second hand Suunto Ambit3 Peak Nepal Edition watch and the Barometric sensor is underneath the watch but recessed. It works perfectly and had zero issues with it so far. 

Went out for a walk and decided to test again.  Recorded a short Walk activity, had 2 road crossings where I waited and purposely had my hands on my hips while waiting.  As anticipated, it happened again.  Took a pic of my watch and my wrist simulating the pose, and its quite obvious my skin pushed up close to the hole.

Potential solutions

1)  Avoid routes with road crossing so I don't have to wait

2)  If have to wait during activity, avoid having hands akimbo 

3) Wear the watch a little higher up, cinch it tighter so it doesn't slip closer to the wrist again

4) Wear on the right wrist so the hole is away from the wrist

thanks... i can try this out with thin headband double/triple looped on my wrist

I bought two cheap twin packs of wrist sweat bands off of ebay, the problems I had before with dropouts in elevation recordings are completely solved, even during the sweatiest of workouts.

The altimeter has worked perfectly since.

After a workout I wash the watch in washing up liquid, dry it, and make sure to blow any remaining water out of the sensor opening. 

I was incredibly frustrated with the watch before, now I really enjoy using my Instinct. 

It's pretty poor from Garmin to release a device aimed at the outdoor market, with adverts with firefighters in, a watch that is meant to be so tough and durable, built to. Military grade standards, meant to be able to stand the harshest elements, yet it can be defeated by sweat within a few minutes of an activity.

tried wearing the watch higher (a full band higher) on my left wrist.  didn't have any problems the 1st 3x i stopped and waited with my hand on my hips.  as expected, after 16 mins, the watch gradually slipped down to my normal watch position so had the problem again.

next test would be to have it on my right wrist.