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Swimming with Forerunner 245

5597595 over 5 years ago

Does any one have experience of using this watch for pool swimming?

I'm thinking of buying one but there is something that puts me off.

The website states:

During your swim activity, select BACK to start a rest.
The display reverses to white text on a black background, and the rest screen appears.
During a rest, select UP or DOWN to view other data screens (optional).
Select BACK, and continue swimming.
Repeat for additional rest intervals.

Do I HAVE to press BACK when I take a rest? What happens if I don't?

I am used to the MOOV NOW where I don't have to press anything during my swim. When I am resting it automatically detects that, records the time spent resting, and then it starts recording my swims again as soon as I start swimming.

I don't really want to press a button on my watch every time I rest for a few minutes during my training session.

Can anyone advise?

Thanks!

Top Replies

mariosx over 4 years ago in reply to 5597595 +1 suggested

I got a Forerunner 245 yesterday, updated to firmware version 4.10 and I have the auto-rest as an option in the pool swim options.

Regarding the devices, I believe the Garmin Swim 2 swimming features,…

All Replies

0 tmk2 over 5 years ago

Garmins do not detect rest periods automatically, so pressing the button is necessary. If you fail to do that, the watch might count spurious lengths, depending on what you do with your arms while resting, and will have bad interval timing.

0 5597595 over 5 years ago in reply to tmk2

Yikes! Thanks for responding and letting me know. I have saved myself £250.

0 9928830 over 5 years ago

Had my 245m 2 days now. Swimming 50m pool x 20 laps = 1000m. I stop after each lap for 5 secs to catch my breath. Both days recorded 1250, and 1500m. My $150 Fitbit counts my laps if I forget - exactly. Surely this can be addressed in User Settings/ Stride Length?

0 8591343 over 5 years ago in reply to 9928830

Do you have it set for pool size of 50 meter?

0 9928830 over 5 years ago in reply to 8591343

Yes

0 9928830 over 5 years ago in reply to 8591343

Also Stroke Detect is ON

0 5597595 over 5 years ago in reply to 9928830

I have a $50 Moov. I turn it on just before getting in the pool and then I forget about it. I set the pool length but that's it! Everything else is automatic. It detects, stroke, SWOLF, distance, laps, time, pace, rest time and other advanced metrics.

I find it absurd that the Garmin needs to have a button pressed during each rest period. I just want to catch my breath and get going again.

0 mariosx over 4 years ago

Just an update for future readers, I'm pretty sure the "auto-rest" feature is now included with a FW update.

0 5597595 over 4 years ago in reply to mariosx

Really? I called Garmin about this and they told me that the auto-rest feature (found on the new Swim 2) will not come to any other devices. It is an exclusive for the Swim 2.

I specifically asked if it would come the 245 series, the Forerunner series, the Fenix series or the Vivoactive series and I was told that it would not.

I really hope you are right! Do you have any evidence that auto-rest is in a FW update? If so, on what devices?

0 mariosx over 4 years ago in reply to 5597595

This is from the user manual of 245

https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/forerunner245/EN-US/GUID-70DA63E3-4008-4406-B3E2-E914BE082BFA.html

This is from the 5krunner

https://the5krunner.com/2019/12/05/garmin-forerunner-945-245-new-swim-features-added/

I can search for the specific version but since 2 months ago it should be there. So if you update now, you should have it.