18.20/19.18 HR bug still here

in my case it works. But I still have to comment that now it takes more time 8or more mileage) to reach a normal HR level for me...it starts very low, at least from 4 to 5 bpm lower than normal. This has some implications: I always have an incredible performance index (from +7 to +11) but then, when finally after 3 or 4 k the hr settles to an accurate" level, the index drops to 0 or even less...but my running feeling is always same if not even better than the first 2 o 3 k. 

Thanks @Garmin-Sierra , you just referred me here from my thread " Heart Rate issues during runs" 

Is there an ETA on when this will be fixed as it makes the watch virtually unusable as most metrics are based on heart rate.

Secondly, is there a way to move to an older version of software (pre18.20) while this is being resolved so we can still have full functionality?

I need to comment on this one as well as with 19.XX my 965 has become now completely useless! The watch is now completely lagging, some times for minutes. It stays on a certain beats/min value (+/-2) and then all of a sudden updates and jumps by 20-30 beats.

I have some examples to share.

First one is intervall training, structured workout:

As you can see the watch 5 times out of 12 really struggles to keep up with the increased heart rate and only adjusts after quite a while, sometimes not even reaching the real peak heart rate. FYI, all intervalls should look like the first 2 with a slight increase each time. I want to point out that this worked perfectly well with the soft/firmware last Summer!

Another example, showing that the watch with latest software lags especially in the beginning of a running session:

The heart rate slightly increases until it reaches a certain point. I keep going fast and can feel the actual heart rate would be much higher. Then only after more than 8 minutes (!!!) the heart rate is actually updated and makes a jump of +30 beats within 2 seconds. This issue repeats itself several times during the run. I kept a quite steady pace but stopped sometimes to measure my heart rate with my hand on my throat to see how off the watch was.

Here is another example, the lag in the first 10 minutes is happening (also in most of my other runs):

I have this watch now since more than a year. WHR was always spot on for me. The whole last Summer was fine, for intervals and long and steady runs, always more than good enough! 

I don't understand how Garmin could mess this up so much that the watch has become useless. Next to GPS this is the most important measure. Why can't the developers just go back to the firmware used last Summer (or the connected WHR firmware). It worked just fine! 

And please don't come with wearing the watch tighter, higher, warming up etc. I know how to wear it and it worked just fine for the first half year!

Garmin-Sierra I second the above observation. With 19.xx, WHR is lagging behind significantly, while I got pretty accurate results with 18.xx and before. The delay for me is somewhere between 10-30s. It happens with cycling, running and walking. I'm wearing my watch tight as always and did not have this problem with earlier F/W.

From my experience the WHR was unusable even before that SW-update. It just did not show up in such an obvious way. ‍

Yesterday another example, the first 7-8 min again completely useless, and then lags here an there. Steady-pace run.

It seems the heart rate issue may plague climbing activities too. As shown in the graph below, I noticed some crazy-high heart rate values at the end of my indoor climbing this evening. They seemed to persist for several minutes after I ended the activity.

Not to mention the differences in the x-axis between the heart rate and ascent graphs!

This is on Software Version 19.18.

This also seems quite off too...

From my walk this evening: