Swim Tracking Very Inaccurate

[AlmondMac]

I bought the Charge 3 yesterday on launch day primarily because of the swim tracking feature. I like to swim but I don't like having to keep count of my laps while swimming, so I thought the Charge 3 would be good.

After buying the Charge 3 yesterday, I took it to the gym to try it out. I set the pool length setting to 25 yards, started a swim exercise session with a goal of 20 minutes, and started swimming. It vibrated to alert me after 20 minutes, at which point I stopped. I synced the Charge 3 with my phone. The session was logged correctly at just over 20 minutes, but it only showed me completing 5 lengths for 125 yards. I'm not the fastest swimmer but I'm sure I actually did around 30 lengths.

I contacted customer support yesterday and their only suggestion was to have me restart the Charge 3 and try again. So I restarted it and took it swimming again today. I did the same thing, manual swim session with 20 minute goal. This time it logged 3 lengths, for 75 yards.

I read the Help article here:

https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/2087/?q=swim&l=en_US&fs=Search&pn=1

and I am not doing any of the things listed that might cause incorrect swim data. I swim freestyle and I swam continuously from start to finish. I do a flip turn between lengths.

Has anyone had similar (or good) results swimming with the Charge 3? If this is normal then I may have to return it. 

[Rjgits]

Thank you. Another disappointment as I was hoping my Fitbit would allow me to glance at the lap counter occasionally so I wouldn’t have to worry about it as I swim. That’s the reason I got it. Would also be nice if someone from Fitbit would chime in and clarify some of these things once in a while.

Sent from my iPhone

[AlmondMac]

I went swimming with it again today using the auto track feature. This time
it auto detected a "Sport" activity instead of "Swim", and it went about
five minutes longer than I actually swam for. In the app I could change the
activity type, but not the amount of time. I had to delete the activity log
and manually enter the swim. Then in the app I disabled auto-detect for the
activities I don't plan to use it for. Hopefully this will make it work
better. Too bad, since the swim auto-detect was the one thing that actually
worked in swimming for me.

[AlmondMac]

I've been communicating with Fitbit customer service on this issue as well. Here is their latest response:

"We’re now aware of the issue, but may not be able to provide a fix in the immediate future. We'll continue to monitor the situation, and keep our team informed of the impact to you and other customers. We understand that this isn't the resolution you're hoping for, but rest assured we're always working to improve our products."

So, they're not going to be fixing this anytime soon. If you were planning to buy the Charge 3 because of its advertised water resistance and swim tracking ability, I would be wary.

[Rjgits]

Thank you for doing that, we all likely should have started at that point,
but the answer indicates that the result may have been the same in this
case. It's kind of weird as you'd thing that something like this and
especially the date thing could be relatively easily fixed via a sw update.
Anyway, I got it and likely won't return. Though underwhelming based on the
swimming expectations conveyed, it is nice that I can simply leave it on on
the water at minimum...

Kind regards,

[Mikester85]

@Rjgits Is there any other bug or issue you are experiencing with your charge 3? I am curious to know. 

[Rjgits]

It defaults to the "Screen Wake|Notifications" screen at times when I turn
my wrist to wake screen during exercise.

[AlmondMac]

I've also had the screen default to some unexpected screen while swimming. I assumed it was because the water was messing with the touch screen or touch button somehow.

[barmstrong2000]

So sad, this has such potential!  But pretty worthless as a swim tracker!!  For $149 you would think it could accomplish that...

[SunsetRunner]

- It gives 3 different burned calories on the same training (2km Swim in 1h) :95/326/856

- It counts way to many steps and stairs.

- I cycle without bicycle

- i doesnt sync

- i hope It crashes so I can buy another brand.

- First and last Fitbit EVER

[Pinkypirate]

Hi, excitedly opened my new charge 3 today bought specifically because I love swimming. I was really disappointed to find that it will not show a heart rate reading in the water as want to know how much cardio I achieve.

So I took it for its first swim and afterwards checked the synced data on my phone. it firstly said I'd used 77 calories which was ludicrous as I swam 84 lengths in an hour. However it did successfully log the right no. of lengths maybe because my movement happens to work with the tracker after each length as mentioned on here. I will try again tomorrow....but if it is not worth the upgrade & if I end up manually logging  my swims still... If my rush to get the charge 3 is pointless then i may return it :((( 

[Pinkypirate]

Right I'll try that tomoro,  used manual for first time with new charge 3 today and wondered if the auto track might leave the heart rate monitor on because it definitely picked up in the shower once I'd finished. 

I used to tape up my old charge hr and take it swimming and it would give me heart rate data for about a year until it finally died haha! It was hit and miss but better if quite tightly done up.

[OrionPoochy]

@Pinkypirate

Can you describe the technique you use that you think is registering the lap changes on the Charge 3? I still have not been able to get it to work consistently. Now it's not even auto tracking my swims so I have to add the record in manually afterward. Do you push off the wall hard on your turns? I intentionally don't but maybe I'll try that tomorrow.

[Pinkypirate]

Hi you know what it's like it's quite hard to think through what one does but I always tend to reach forward face down with one hand just before the end of the length while I twist almost face up as I touch the end and yes, feet swing behind & push hard to propel myself forward into the next length momentariy making the most of the thrust before the stroke! If that makes any sense & I may have a disaster tomorrow on my 2nd swim lol!! Will report back 😄

[SarahDraper]

I swam 64 lengths the other day and it recorded 62 which I thought wasn’t too bad for accuracy. I did it on the manual setting. 

[Pinkypirate]

Swam 70 lengths tonight and the auto track picked up swimming with correct timing and distance exactly... However it also logged crazy calorie usage as 131 cals. So I have still ended up logging the swim to make it correct!! It does not make sense when energy use is totally disconnected to timing and distance covered??? 

Maybe a good wall push does help.

There is vague heart rate data on auto but it is not correct! 

[OrionPoochy]

I went swimming again this morning, and this time with every turn I made sure to push off the wall very hard. I was using the auto tracking feature though, and when I finished the Charge 3 had not auto tracked anything. Next time I'll try a manual swim session and see if it detects my turns that way.

[Peteswim]

Mine is accurate as far as laps but way off on calories burned I have contacted Fitbit but not much else Fairly frustrating because I was told how much better it was than the swim watch I was using. The other watch is limited but it does work correctly just bulky. I do like other features on Fitbit.

[Pinkypirate]

That is crazy, it should track something with all the arm movement at least!

[Pinkypirate]

Alas, I think all us swimmers expected so much more but swimming aside, as a general tracker it is a good rounder!

[Poppylove]

I had the fitbit versa before the charge 3 and I would recommend the versa it was perfect at counting lengths. The charge 3 is rubbish.