This discussion has been locked.

You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a question you can start a new discussion

PLEASE Garmin, update the Garmin Swim!!!

I'm far from the first to say this, but please make an update to this wonderful watch. For those who swim a lot, this is still the watch to own... the old school LCD display and manual/physical buttons still work best in the pool. And the Swim has a full feature set for swimming (drill, countdown) that many of the multi-sport models lack. All that's really needed is improved BT connectivity, but of course more could be done. I recognize Garmin hasn't updated the swim because sales for swim watches are low relative to tri watches, and the low price could cannibalize sales of more expensive Garmin watches. But maybe there's a place for a old school LCD display watch, with physical buttons, and a replaceable battery that does other basic fitness tracking and sells at a similar price point as Garmins other entry watches. Just saying... this is still the best swim watch out there but its been out way too long without an update.

0 Andy275 over 7 years ago

I loved my Garmin Swim. But when it finally died (leaked), I purchased a 735xt. It is overkill if you just swim, but I also do open water and dabble in the other activities, so I decided to upgrade. Originally is did not have the countdown timer, but after complaining they added it. It has drill mode, and for all practical purposes everything the Swim had. The battery is not replaceable, and it is obviously more expensive. The buttons are fine, although one is not supposed to press them while the watch is submerged. Of course you can still buy a new (2012) Garmin Swim, or a used one on ebay. Don't hold your breath for an update though for the reasons you stated.

0 swimark over 7 years ago

Several years ago there were rumors that the Garmin Swim 2 was in development, but since it has yet to be released I think its pretty safe to assume it will not be. :( I was looking forward the the Garmin Swim 2.

Here are two old articles about the Garmin 2 - note the dates.
May 2016
November 2015

I was just about to post that I just noticed that the Garmin Swim has been discontinued (however there are still suppliers out there with stock on hand). Need to figure out what to get next when and if my 5 year old Garmin Swim dies.

0 frankgalioto over 7 years ago

Just another thought...

Instead of competing against Garmins other tri watches, maybe the "right" target market for the Garmin Watch 2 should be serious age group swimmers and masters swimmers who swim in a program. Additional functionality might allow teams/coaches to share/summarize information within a team or practice group and maybe a feature that lets teams buy the watches that can be shared with different swimmers (the way teams buy other gear for practices).

I personally get a lot out of tracking my pace during different interval sets, reviewing my stroke count / pace over the course of a practice. It really could be an effective training aid if used by swim teams, but I dont know of any teams who use swim watches. For example, coaches could design specific sets where swimmers focus on holding distance per stroke and after practice monitor which swimmers performed best/better. Bluetooth syncing could allow multiple watches to sync after a set and a coach could analyze how they did (coaches/teams could buy more comprehensive team management software). For Garmin, few changes to the watch itself are needed - its mostly in the specific changes made to Garmin Connect to link swimmers on a team together and provide analytical tools for swimmers and coaches.

Keep in mind that this is a market where people spend $200+ on tech suits to wear in meets that only last for a season. There are tens of thousands of serious swimmers out there for whom a tri-watch with a fancy screen does not make sense ...but something practical like a Garmin Swim with a coin battery and simple screen might.

Someone eventually will do this. Finis tried to make their own a few years ago but didnt have the hardware chops to get it done. Maybe a partnership is needed for Garmin to address this market properly.

0 dmlis over 6 years ago

I'd like to see upgraded Garmin Swim. With added bluetooth functionality, slightly larger display, vibration function, some software improvements (there were a lot of suggestions on this forum). And probably with connectivity to HR monitors? Same price range as original one. Replaceable battery, of course. Not interested in other bells and whistles.
Multifunctional devices are cool but I see no reason to pay three times more for the functions I don't need in closed door pool. Also short battery life of most of them is so annoying. We already have too many gadgets which keep us dependent on electricity sockets or battery pack. "Mobile" they are not anymore...

0 swimark over 6 years ago

I started looking for a Garmin Swim replacement and as some of you noted, the Garmin multi-sport watches are too costly and overkill for swimming. I just want an upgraded Garmin Swim that can handle open water swimming and just a few new minor bells and whistles that the multi-sport watches have. And again as others requested, bluetooth to connect to my phone, GPS for open water swimming, a higher resolution color screen (better than the current LCD), Heart Rate monitor while in the water and without a chest strap (other brands do this), vibration function to keep you on pace in the pool.

0 DonatasD over 6 years ago

just by added HRM-SWIM support and I'll be happy.