Garmin Swim Firmware 3.4 Released

This is quite a succinct summary of some known issues we are working on. I've inserted some comments below.

Overall the 3.4 update has been an improvement for me. Lap counting is more accurate, glad the over 4200m bug has been fixed. However...
-25 y sprints under 15 sec don't always register. Sometimes they show up as "rest" when viewing the data in Garmin connect.

AG - For fast swimmers in smallish pools, we have seen this problem. Do you have the watch on the arm that typically takes your first stroke off the wall? This might help.

-When doing sprints the wrong stroke gets recorded. (ie free for fly, or fly for free).

AG - We are currently working on a software update to improve stroke type identification. Free/fly confusion is one aspect that we are focused on. It may be some consolation that, within our office, getting your free identified as fly is kind of a badge of honour. ;-) Typically it is stronger swimmers that have this issue. I've been trying for months!

-When the "count down" is enabled it does not work on the first interval, (when first starting the session.) The clock just starts without the 3,2,1.

AG - This was intentional, though perhaps the wrong choice...? Our thinking was that most users are not interested in timing their warm-up so precisely and it seemed a bit strange when the countdown started from the "start" button rather than the "unpause".

-Admittedly my backstroke isn't the best, but it often shows up as breaststroke or freestyle.

AG - Yes, this is another aspect we are focused on improving with the upcoming software update.

Oh, we've got lots of great ideas. :-)

Not registering the correct stroke... at all?

AG - Yes, this is another aspect we are focused on improving with the upcoming software update.

Hi AG

I just received my Garmin Swim today. I'm in the UK. I'd already been in the pool (25M) and done 106 lengths but I was keen, while the kids had their swimming lesson, to get in a few more laps to put the watch to the test. I did another 60 lengths - 40 freestyle and then 20 backstroke. Unfortunately I did something wrong at the first 40 lengths freestyle interval and it didn't register at all. However for the 20 backstroke it logged the lengths accurately but determined that, despite being on my back and flipping onto my front only to tumble turn, almost all the lengths were registered as breaststroke? It logged 17 breaststroke and 3 freestyle.

No idea if the watch has the latest firmware or even how to update it? Under the 'About' option on the watch it states ARV3.400000 ATK2.1000000

Cheers

Ralph
Scotland, UK

Hi Ralph,

You have the latest firmware (ARV3.400). There is an update coming in May with improved stroke type identification. Breaststroke-backstroke differentiation is one element that we have been focusing on. Though the two strokes look very different to someone watching on the pool deck; to the watch, that is only worn on one wrist, could be left or right, inside or out, the difference becomes less obvious - particularly when you consider the range of different swimming styles out there. When the update is available you will see a post on this forum with instructions on how to load the new firmware. You will also be notified on Garmin Connect when you download a workout with "old" firmware.

As for the missing 40 free lengths, is it possible you had the watch paused? The intention is that you start the watch when you begin swimming, then when you stop to rest between sets, you press the Pause button (button right, with a pause icon engraved in the button). The screen is reversed, white text on black background, when the watch is paused. Then when you are about to resume swimming, you press Pause again to "un-pause". When you are finished the whole session, press Stop (middle-right). Perhaps after a few more swims with the watch you will master the "mid-turn distance check" so you don't do 40 lengths before realizing you weren't accumulating distance. :-)

Hi Ralph,

As for the missing 40 free lengths, is it possible you had the watch paused? The intention is that you start the watch when you begin swimming, then when you stop to rest between sets, you press the Pause button (button right, with a pause icon engraved in the button). The screen is reversed, white text on black background, when the watch is paused. Then when you are about to resume swimming, you press Pause again to "un-pause". When you are finished the whole session, press Stop (middle-right). Perhaps after a few more swims with the watch you will master the "mid-turn distance check" so you don't do 40 lengths before realizing you weren't accumulating distance. :-)

Hi

I may not have been explicit in saying the missing lengths were my error. I didn't press the start button correctly after pressing the blue swim button. I used it again Sunday and today. Overall it's a good tool for logging time and I count lengths anyway so I can see that the odd ghost length does creep into the data.

My general observations would be that:

1. stroke identification is mostly good for freestyle but almost useless for backstroke. Can't speak for other styles as I rarely use them.
2. A 45 minute swim with zero errors hasn't yet happened. (Mind you only got three swims on which to base this view).
3. Treading water between lengths is a bad idea - it decided I'd done two extra lengths.
4. Post editing of uploaded data - such as stroke style and being able to remove or add lengths is essential to get accurate statistics out of Garmin Connect.
5. Manually being able to specify the Course, or my local pool would be good. The FAQ suggests I can but I am clearly missing the glaringly obvious if I can.

These immediate issues aside, it's a whole lot better than nothing at all which is how I've been swimming for many years.

Cheers

Ralph

New upate - connection fail?

Hi
New to thread so forgive me if I in the wrong area. I tried to transfer swim data yesterday & connection failed. I noticed there was a software upate to laptop and updated over night & several times throught the process I was getting a failed message. This morning the update had gone through (I lost my previous session detail and it didnt download) I reset the watch times etc and now tested to transfer data and I keep receiving the same message: Last transfer with device GARMIN SWIM was on... Activity transfer to Garmin Connect failed.

Am I doing something wrong? My dashboard says all updates successful?

Appreciate some help!

Thanks

I'll try to help...

To be clear on terminology, when there are swim sessions saved in History, those get downloaded from the watch to your computer.
When there are new software updates available, these get uploaded from your computer to the watch.

It sounds like you successfully uploaded new software. We also call this installing a software update. To check this, you can check the current software version on the watch. Menu > System > About. The first line should read: ARV3.400. Is that what you've got?

Software updates are released at most a few times per year so the process of uploading new software is infrequent. In contrast, most users download their swim sessions frequently, often after every swim.

One consequence of uploading new software to the watch is that this erases any saved swim session in History. There are warnings about this during the update process to try to avoid the situation where someone loses swim data. You can check whether you have any stored swim sessions on the watch now as follows: Menu > History > View > Sessions. If there is no saved sessions, then you'll need to go swim again before downloading.

I hope that clarifies things a bit. If not, please feel free to post again.

I have just purchased a Garmin Swim, swam 1000m yesterday with the 3.0.0.0 Firmware.
The 1000m was made up of 20 lengths of a 50m pool. The watch reported 30 lengths and 1500m. The swim was freestyle but the watch also included 21 seconds of breastroke.
Last night I upgraded the Firmware to 3.40.0.0 and swam 1000m today ie 20 lenghts of a 50m pool. The watch reported 28 lengths and 1400m. The swim was freestyle but the last length (28) was recorded as breaststroke for 38 seconds.

The problem does not appear to be at the turns but during the lengths. Attached is the link to the activity, any comments would be appreciated.

https://connect.garmin.com/activity/303658624

With thanks

Frook

Did you swim and stop or do it all continuously?