In firmware 3.3, the time spent in swimming does not count towards intensity minutes. Is this because the heart rate monitor is now disabled, it doesn't know how hard you are working out. Have you guys noticed the same?
What worries me a little about this discussion is that the OHR has the potential to be inaccurate during any activity. I've noticed problems -- albeit minor ones -- during running, walking, and gym training. At what point does Garmin decide that an activity is too error-prone to be worth including?
I don't swim much so I, too, have no skin in this game; but I would be worried if Garmin decided, for example, that heart rate during rowing wasn't accurate enough to include.
You're correct. Every activity type will react differently with the oHRM. I'm speculating, but I believe Garmin hasn't released oHRM reading for swimming because the inaccuracies doing other activities outside swimming can be "user adjusted". The watch can be moved, tightness adjusted etc. Unless you're wearing your device under a dry suit there's no way to prevent water from coming between the sensor and your skin while swimming and that's where the problem lies. Test have shown (not a forum user at the local pool, but actual device test. A simple Google check will find these) that using a oHRM under water just isn't reliable. I'm sure there are people out there who have no issues swimming and receive good data, but they are the exception and not the rule. If Garmin would just make this a user option everything would be solved.
I really don't know how to respond to your if I read it that would be lame comment. Yes, I have read several website that have done independent test and their findings were the same. I have also read several of your post in these forums and have found some of the things you've said to be accurate. Is that lame also? How do you ascertain information if reading about a topic in your words is lame?
Let me clarify so you can understand. I find it totally lame for someone to say that the VA3 will not give reasonable oHR readings for pool swims if that person had the VA3 and never tried it for him/herself! All you do is say, "I"ve read it won't work" and then put your head back in the sand.
As someone above posted, DC Rainmaker (in review of FR645) is now suggesting that Garmin reconsider using oHR data for swim, mentioning that others are doing it now.
As for me posting "inaccurate statements," I'm happy to be corrected but have no idea what you are talking about.
When did I say you were posting "inaccurate statements"? Secondly, I don't need to physically test a product to learn of it's strengths and weaknesses. Reading test results, reviews and seeing it firsthand with others who use the VA3 is enough to educate someone. So, where are we at now? I asked you why you would want something that wasn't accurate in a post. You replied that you said "as" accurate and I had a comprehension problem. It still baffles me on how you think me omitting the word "as" changed anything on the topic. In another post where I was clearly asking a question to anyone in general, you came back with your comprehension nonsense because somehow you felt my post was directed towards you. Now you find that I'm lame because my opinion is based on what I've read and seen. You've formed a pattern. You get defensive when someone else's opinion differs from yours. I'm going to give you some free info so you can sleep better at night. Go into your forum user settings, select account and add my user's name to your ignore list. You'll never be tormented by any of my post again. But before you do so, do me one favor. Tell me how it feels to allow a stranger like me to live inside your head rent free?
I would tend to agree that letting the user choose HR during swimming would be best. My very limited tests showed my HR was also plausible in water, and I would love it if for any other reason just to take a peek during swimming to see what I managed to pull off.
I called Garmin Support today and then sent them (via email) an "idea suggestion" (basically saying they should allow VA3 users to turn on/off oHR for pool swims).
I do not think Garmin will do much about this but it doesn't hurt to ask. The person I spoke with did not even know that the VA3 was recording HR during pool swims under SW version 2.90! I tried to explain to him that it was but just as a continuation of the daily HR and that we could see our HR under daily activity (at 2 min intervals) even during the swim activity. He did not seem to understand and kept saying "his" VA3 was not doing this ...
I agree with the subject that the measurement of pulsations swimming was acceptable. Although an error of 10 or 20 heart beats is a lot, surely the watch had when performing the measurement under water. However now when swimming, it does count for the weekly intensity minutes.
My wife also estimated her bpm to be off by 20 when the VA3 was recording swimming HR. Are you saying you're getting IM's while swimming, or was that a type-o?
As of firmware 3.4, the swimming app now logs SOME minutes towards IM. I spent about 50 minutes in doing sets of 4 minutes each with 30 second rest. For this workout session, IM logged only 20 minutes. It is a good start but it think it is not quite accurate yet.
