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GPS Open Water error

Problem with GPS during open water swimming. When I use my Garmin swim 2 in Open Water, the distance that is recorded is largely inflated (like once it indicated 2 km while I swam 500m maximum). If I come back on the shore and just stand on the beach, the distance is still increasing even if I do not move. This happens with the 3 different modes. At the same time, the GPS of the running mode works perfectly on land.

  • Thanks for your info.  I will report it to Product Support.  I don't understand the thing about it dropping GPS Signal because it tracks the route of my swim.  If GPS dropped out, surely it wouldn't show the route swam (see my pic)?  Why can't it not use that route to gauge the distance.  I'm probably being dim and not fully understanding how it works.  I'll put my questions to Product Support.  Also, on the issue of Temp, you can see it showing 7degs in the corner here - where does that come from?  I know air temp was at least 12 degs, so it can't have been from a weather app/widget on my phone...

  • That track is most probably a raw cut only. It consists some straight lines, I think that the points it found were when you stopped or lifted the watch over the surface for long enough to catch the GPS signal.

    The watch does not calculate the distance from the map track. During the swim, it either uses the accelerometer data (when GPS signal is lost) and assumes a constant pace (for me it is always 2:36), or it uses the GPS location points, and applies a smoothing algorithm.

    Regarding the temp, it is the air temperature, and it is derived from whatever weather service Garmin uses. On desktop version you can click the temp, and it writes a more detailed info. 

  • Same issue here, case logged with Garmin. Distance increases incorrectly each time we stopped (GPS drift!). This never happened with the Garmin 935 which I upgraded from a few weeks back. Should have kept that watch!

  • GPS used to take minutes to go ready before you started your swim, but now it's within a few secs, probably due to s/w upgrades.

    Since the upgrade, I've noticed that if you stop swimming freestyle and tread water for a bit (ie hands underwater for a few secs so you lose GPS signal), it can be very hit or miss whether GPS will resync once you start swimming freestyle again. If it doesn't sync, you then get the accelerometer estimation of distance, which is next to useless. 

    You need to tread water with your watch hand out of the water !

    If you swim freestyle continuously, then it seems pretty accurate.

  • This watch is a joke. It either measures a perfect track, or loses GPS signal, and makes a mess. After about 35 km OW swim this year, about 50% is good, the other half is a disaster. I bought it for OW swims. Now I swim with 2 watch on my wrists, the old FR910XT never failed. If Swim2 succeeds, it is an extra bonus...

    Never buy a newly introduced Garmin device. Wait for 2-3 years, until the software gets stable and good, and the price goes down. Right now we are beta testers.

  • It is a disappointment to say the least. This isn't Garmin's first device, so its puzzling to see why it can't perform at least as well as it's previous models. For me the gold standard is the 920xt. I don't recall having a dodgy distance measurement in OW while using it. The Swim2 seems to be a hope and pray approach. I've since started going back to wearing two watches again, the 920 on one wrist and the swim2 on the other. Hardly a vote of confidence in the swim2.

    As you have said, I don't appreciate having to pay to be a beta tester.

    It was before my time, but were the 910 and 920 similarly flaky when introduced first?

  • Just had message pop up on watch saying ‘GPS Software updated’. 24/06/20. Fingers crossed Fingers crossed 

  • Hello. Just got a new one. Updated with the version for 24/06. Went for a swim on the 27/06. Same issue. Almost the double of the distance. And also, according to the map, I've never left the water. Looks like I'm writing this post in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean :D

    Regards,

    Daniel

  • Actually there was no new GPS version or SW release at 24/06, the version number is still 2.90 for GPS and 2.30 for main SW, and also there is no mention from Garmin anywhere. Sometimes watch pops up the new software warning if CPE file is updated, thats all.

    I think that there are two problems:

    - configuration files can get corrupt from seemingly unrelated thins. Like configuring data screens. When config files are corrupted, the only way forward is a factory reset. - we need a corrected software release

    - sometimes the watch can not recover from GPS signal loss during swim. - we need a corrected GPS release

    Also experiment with different GPS settings. Fingers crossed, but since I switched to GPS only, my swims seem to be correctly recorded. I do think that with GPS+GLONASS or GALILEO Garmin still did not figure out how to handle the chip, and get worse results even if there are more satellites available. But this works only if you see some recorded GPS points mid swim.

  • Hello again.

    Followed some tips from https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=P3DdzRfgik3fky125aHsFA

    Waited on land for a couple of minutes while the GPS in Ready state. Also, whenever I stopped the activity I kept my arm out of the water.

    Got a pretty accurate (but less impressive :) ) tracking using GPS+GLONASS

    https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/5173625702?share_unique_id=3

    Visit PORTUGAL ;)

    Regards,

    Daniel