Swim 2 crashes and restarts during pool swim (Software Version 2.90)

Hello,

During my pool swim workouts, the Swim 2 watch will occasionally crash and restart itself. The result is that I will have an incomplete log of my workout. I purchased a Swim 2 at the end of November (2022). It has Software Update 2.90 (the latest available)

Details...

Product: Swim 2 watch

Software Version: 2.90 (latest available at time of this post)

When it happens:

  • I will swim a workout that has been created in Garmin Connect.
  • When pressing the lap button to complete an interval, the Swim 2 watch will sometimes crash/restart itself.
  • I have had it crash/restart when going to "save" a completed workout (but this is rarer)
  • I swim 5-6 times every week. It happens at least once in 3-4 of those workouts.

Why this is a problem:

  • After crash/restart, some data will be available in Garmin Connect but it will be incomplete.
  • The swim will not be logged on my watch display (showing distance)
  • Often, the last few lengths/intervals are missing from the workout.

Additional notes:

  • The v2.90 release notes for the Garmin Swim 2 software indicates "Fix occasional device reset upon completing a Garmin Connect swim workout" - this is clearly is NOT the case. The issue persists in v2.90.
    • I see that there are numerous forum posts of this crashing, but many are several months/years old. v2.90 still has this crashing issue.
  • I have tried disabling Bluetooth phone connections during my swims - this seems to have no affect on crashing/restarting
  • I do not have any third-party widgets installed. Only built-in Garmin widgets are installed
  • The distance and time duration of my swim do not seem to be a factor. I have had the watch crash during a short 400 yard swim and in the middle of a 3000 yard swim.

Current workaround (not ideal):

  • I now program several shorter workouts for a single session - so if I experience a crash/restart, I know I will not risk losing a larger portion of my workout data.
  • Yeah - the fact that this issue is documented across several years of posts is quite frustrating to see.

    Even more perplexing - The release notes for the 2.9 software indicate they fixed software crashing after a workout. I opened this forum topic partially to indicate that NO - this has not been fixed.

  • Garmin’s response this afternoon was ‘our engineers confirmed the watch needs to be replaced’ when I pushed them on a software update…let’s see how many new watches it takes before they properly look into it

  • Well, as usual, It may work for most, but not for some...you may have got a lemon...
    I've tried a workout today and no problems (appart from my hate for having to follow what the "machine" was dictating).

  • @Nate, I have the exact same issue on and off. When I first bought it, the issue happened 4 times in a week so I called Garmin. Customer service was AMAZING and they sent me a new one, no questions asked, paying for the return of the original device.

    Since then, it hasn't happened as often, but it does happen. I believe my first watch was not defective and they didn't need to replace it, but their level of service encouraged me to stay with it. I LOVE my watch, but I do have that issue happen more often than I'd like. I am on this forum today because during my 1800yd IM workout today, it happened 4 times!!!! 

    I also have version 2.90, it too, happens when I complete a set and press the lap button and I do workouts that I create on the app. This had not happened in months but it happened again. 

    I know below, Paulo_Goulart says there is "no way" it's related to the watch being too loose. I disagree; I also get a feeling that it happens when I did not tighten it. But still, this is a bug that needs to be fixed by Garmin. 

    This watch is amazing otherwise, so I encourage Garmin to get this bug fixed. 

  • Still having same issue. I'm on my 7th/8th new watch. Garmin would only swap for a new one ONCE - they had the problem on first swim. They would only offer me a refurbished one. Considering the issue happens in the first few days I'm not happy with a second hand one. Been sending them back to John Lewis every few weeks since November 2022. Hopefully when Garmin get 100 watches back they'll realise there is a problem and fix the software issue....until then I'll keep swapping when the fault shows.

  • I'm sorry, what is your problem? 7th or 8th SAME WATCH and you expect a different behaviour.??? Nonsense, just move on...

  • Feelings? Feelings are not evidence.

  • Crashes during a workout swim when I press the lap button, as per this thread. Deletes most of what’s been recorded up to the point of crash. It then turns itself off and on. 

    Useless as it’s meant to be a swim tracking watch…

    each time I contact garmin they are adamant it’s not a software issue and say it’s hardware and to exchange 

  • Chances are high that you get your old watch back as a refurbished one after some exchange. If Garmin support is so uncapable of supporting (pretending a clear SW bug being a HW one), either ask your money back as a warranty, or ask for a higher level watch with an extra payment. Somewhere I have read that FR945 does not have this problem at all.

  • It's been just over 1 year since I first reported this to Garmin, I get no progress updates unless I e-mail them, and then they say "be patient". How much more patient do they expect us to be!? I've been doing longer sets recently and the watch resets most times I use it. I'm fed up of it. Sort it out Garmin!