Ionic & Swimming

[Simon2000]

I’m in the market for a new tracker and torn between the ionic and the Garmin Vivoactive 3.  My main sports are swimming and cycling, however I don’t do these on a competitive level.  I’m a 40 odd yr old fat bloke, so I don’t need massive of data.  

Having said that I am taking my swimming more seriously so I want a tracker that I can use int he pool to see lengths / distances etc.  

I know the Garmin will have a lot more info and I like that I can upload custom workouts and get nudges in the pools.  The other hand is I really like the ionic and have been using Fitbit for quite some time.  i’m Just not sure it will have enoug( data for me and I can’t find any reviews of how it performs for swimming i.e. metrics displayed in the pool, customisation etc.

Can anybody point me to some screen shots of the watch in use, what can be displayed in the pool, what is shown on the app etc.  

Does anybody else else use the swim functions ?

[Lullabug]

I do, almost exclusively. That's what I bought it for. Here are my two cents. I also own a Samsung Gear Fit2Pro, and a friend of mine uses the Moov, so I've added data for comparison.

What's Good:

The Ionic has a clean interface for tracking swims, and it shows you calorie burn, laps, and time on the face in real-time. The data is easy to read and it shows you your time per 100 yd/meters, average HR, impact on your day, and lengths. The downside is you can't customize the lengths (that I could find) if your pool is anything other than 25/50/100 m. The overall app is incredibly smooth and easy to use compared to other watches. It's more user-friendly and intuitive.

What Could Be Better:

Well, for one I don't trust the Ionic in water much. Mine died in month 2 after I was on a plane and then condensation formed inside during a shower. I couldn't prove that, but Fitbit did replace it for me. We'll see how long this one lasts. Compared to the Samsung Gear Fit2Pro, the swim app is weak. Fit2Pro's internal app is crummy but you can connect with Speedo On, which gives great info. Much more accurate. The Fit2Pro also has a screen lock in water. The data you can get from the Fit2Pro is a lot better in general and includes SWOLF, but nowhere near what you can get from the Moov, which can track stroke type, speed, length, you name it. 

When I get my Ionic back, I'll get some shots of it in action vs. the Gear Fit2Pro and see if I can get my partner to give you some screenshots of his Moov's data. The downside of the Moov is total lack of smartwatch. It's just a pebble in a plastic bracelet.

[Simon2000]

Thanks for the info.  

Looks like pool length is a killer for me.  I regularly swim in pools 16mtrs and 25mtrs.  The Garmin will only do pools17mtrs and above, but I have seen reports of people using it in pools a lot smaller.

i also use Swimtag which gives me more detailed metrics to view online after but no screen, so I wanted a device I could use to track my progress in the pool.

i have previously looked at the moov but really want a tracker with a screen.  Should also mention I would be using the iPhone / iPad app & dashboards.

[Lullabug]

Yeah, the length is definitely a problem. Because the tracker only saw 25 m, it actually screwed up my total speed and had me a minute faster than I really swim (which sucks, because I thought I was doing better than I am). When I used the Speedo On app with the Fit2Pro, I got more accurate readings. 

I have nothing against FitBit, but if you want good metrics for swimming it's not particularly strong. I'd consider the Garmin or the Fit2Pro, but even then nothing is perfect. Smartwatch x Swimming = Not great in general.

[Simon2000]

It’s a real shame because I really like the look of the ionic (I know not everybody does).  

Looks like its its back to Garmin for me then.  

Thanks for for your help.

[SunsetRunner]

the only watches that track perfectly my swimming are samsung gear sport and apple watch 3.

ionic and vivoactive 3 missed more or less a lot of laps, therefore stats were useless.

now, depending on what phone you have, you should choose your watch to go with it.

[Lullabug]

Out of curiosity, Zice, have you had the opportunity to compare the Gear Sport and the Fit2Pro? I thought the Gear Sport wasn't waterproof, but maybe that's changed since I looked last. I have been happy with the Fit2Pro in general.

[Simon2000]

I’ve used the TomTom Spark which I found tracked my laps well in the pool, but it’s dull looking watch and quite chunky.

it does the job but just not very attractive on the wrist or in the office, so I want a watch that does what I need but also doesn’t look out of place with s suit on.

[SunsetRunner]

@Lullabug didn't try fit2pro since it's the same as gear sport, both are swim proof and use s-health.

one is a bracelet, the other a watch but features are the same. detection algorithms i suppose the same on both, which is what we're interested in here.

be careful, waterproof (IP6x) does not mean they're swimproof.

true swimproof devices narrow down quite a lot the choices.

@Simon2000 then you're "stuck" with gear sport or apple watch 🙂 you might want to look at the fitbit versa as well, give it a try for 45 days and you can return it for refund (if you buy from fitbit) if it doesn't track your swimming properly...and doesn't crash...or battery dies...or gets stuck in a calibration loop 🙂

out of those 3 (fitbit, samsung, apple) the apple and fitbit are the most comfortable to wear. the gear sport has a 20mm strap which i find quite narrow and the watch is also a bit on the heavy side, but out of all 3 it's the one that looks closest to a watch...also the apple watch & gear sport are the only ones who measure HR under water and do a good job at it.

if you go for samsung or apple, make sure you get the one that is the same brand as your phone. I used a gear sport with an iphone and, while it works, it's not the same experience as on a samsung android phone. that's why i went for an apple watch.

fitbit is neutral (the app supports well both android & ios, no platform-specific feature castration) but the hardware (and its fitbit os) is what drags it down the scale compared to the other 2.

i really wanted to love, use and keep the ionic but it's not a refined product/platform yet. it's simply not consistent at tracking swimming (at least for me, my style, strokes, turns, etc). imho it's still at a toy stage compared to the other 2. It's not acceptable to count properly 10-11 laps for example and then ignore the next 5 for no reason (no change in pace, style, turns, strokes). Out of 50 laps, the ionic measured 23 while the other 2 got it bang spot on 50. Tried & tested more than once. I swam with 2 devices at the same time, next to each other on my arm, comparing the results. Repeatedly.

I feel i can rely on these other 2 products, while the ionic i'm contemplating how to destroy it, slow & painful. And while i'm at it, i lose count of my laps (which i count in my mind) and then i get pissed off and the whole swim session goes to hell 🙂

have fun!

[SunsetRunner]

50 laps swim session!!Detailed stats on watchHR values after swim session pretty close (117 vs 120)

[Simon2000]

@SunsetRunner I’ve pretty much ruled out ionic due to the swim lengths it can track and I just can’t justify paying the price for the Apple Watch 3.  I have iPhone & iPad so it would make sense but the watch is just too pricey.

I’m very much leaning towards the Vivoactive 3, although i’d not considered the gear sport so i’m going to check it out.  

[Simon2000]

I’ve had a look st the gear and it is a really nice looking watch.  Killer for me though is that the iOS app doesn’t look very detailed and online reviews seem to agree.  The other thing is no web based dashboard.  I generally check my data on iPhone / iPad but I do like the more detailed stats that you can get from Fitbit / Garmin online.

i think i’m still leaning towards the Vivoactive 3, think it’s a shame the screen isn’t as crisp as the ionic or gear but there are more detailed metrics and training / workout options.