Ionic does not track your heart rate while swimming.

[tebird315]

When using the Swim workout the ionic disables the heart monitor for the duration of the swim. Though it tracks laps pretty accurately there is not way to track your heart rate in the swim workout function. I upgraded for the purpose of swimming with my fitbit, and the lack of heart rate tracking during a swim really disappoints me. 

Moderator Edit: Updated Subject for Clarity

[USAF-Larry]

That is correct, @tebird315. The "Features" section of the Ionic description indicates this:

Water Resistant up to 50M & Tracks Swims

Wear your watch in the pool or rain & use it to track swim workouts with stats like lap counting, duration and calories burned.  (No mention of heart rate)

But, attempting to get a reliable heart rate reading under water would probably be very difficult.

[Royalworkout]

I also feel very upset and let down by fitbit as I only got this watch for the heart rate tracking for swimming. It was certainly not made clear on the advertising. 

[SantiR]

@Royalworkout @tebird315 Welcome to the Fitbit family! When you track a swim with the Exercise app on your Ionic; heart rate detection is turned off while swimming. This is because tracking heart rate under water is difficult and most likely the readings will be all wrong. 

However, if you let SmartTrack to automatically track your swimming activities, you will see a heart rate reading. It could be inaccurate, but you can always try. You just need to activate the swimming option on the auto-exercise recognition option on the app. Fitbit recommends to track swimming through the Exercise app on Ionic though.

Hope this helps. Let me know your results! 

[tebird315]

I hope that the next software update allows you to enable the heart rate monitor for swimming with a warning that acknowledges it may not be accurate. I will try to just put it as a workout or let it auto record and see how accurate the distance is. But had it been advertised the way is it being pushed that the intention was never to have an under water heart rate monitoring i would have just stuck with the blaze.  Thank you for the reply 🙂 I will try it out this way and see how it goes

[tebird315]

Its a fitness watch with heart rate monitor. That LITERALLY detects and considers if you are working out by your heart rate. So assuming my heart rate would be monitored when i SELECT any workout doesn't seem like a stretch to me. 

[SantiR]

@tebird315 You are very welcome! Thanks for your feedback. Please let me know how accurate the reading are once you get some! 

Also, take a look at the Discussions Board as you will find a lot of interesting things there. Feel free to post on any thread you want. If you are looking for Fitbit friends to compete with on challenges, check this thread to add some! 

Keep me posted! 

[Silvy1013]

It's very disappointing and the advertising is very misleading.  I returned my iconic because of it. 

[SantiR]

@Silvy1013 Welcome to the Fitbit family! Thanks for sharing your experience with us. It's unfortunate that you had to return your Ionic.

I was making some research on the Feature Suggestions Board and was able to find this idea which is asking for the same. Please add your vote to the idea and leave a comment too. The more votes the better! Maybe we will be able to have something like this in the future.

See you around!